But these are songs that resonated the most with many queer folk.
Long before them, many LGBTQIA+ artists and allies many different genres have advocated for queer representation.īut how does a song become a gay anthem? Of course, not all were created specifically for the queer community. Queer pop icons of recent memory (Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Kacey Musgraves) are only a few in a long list. There, music became a form of resistance and subversion – its transformative power helping individuals come together as a community. Its catchy, has a cool country/rodeo edge in an otherwise sassy pop song, and makes fun of homophobic worldviews in a tasteful way. Rina Sawayamas 'This Hell' has been playing everywhere this month, and we know why. Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar in New York, became a sanctuary and a safe space for many LGBTQIA+ folks to meet and express themselves without judgment through nights of dance, music, and drag. We dont care what anyone else says: this song has been the official Pride anthem of 2022.
When the first brick was thrown at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 to protest police harassment and the criminalization of homosexuality, it signified the start of Pride as a was to fight back against oppressive norms and authorities.Ī year later, the first-ever gay pride parade was held both as a commemoration and celebration of the strides in the community, even as the fight for liberation continues. Pride is both about resistance and celebration.
