For today's popstars - whether shootg up the charts, or fallg faster than you n say Gary Barlow - there's one London gig that really matters. Not Wembley Arena, but a tatty Wt End gay club whose playlist is strictly Top 10 and not at all ol. Josh Sims says there'll be murr on the dancefloor if ever chang s image
Contents:
- HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY
- GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
- GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN
- 'GLAD TO BE GAY': THE STGGLE FOR GAY LIBERATN BEYOND LEGAL RIGHTS
- GLAD TO BE GAY?
- GLAD TO BE GAY
HOW WE MA: TOM ROBSON AND NICK MOBBS ON GLAD TO BE GAY
<p>The sger-songwrer and A&R man behd the 1978 song remember how punk energy fired up a gay-rights anthem</p> * glad to be gay analysis *
Tom Robson, sger, songwrerI had a nervo breakdown when I was 16, largely due to the strs of growg up gay, which was illegal back then. It also exposed me to all sorts of the 60s, there wasn't a sgle public figure who was openly gay, so we had no role mols, no mentns of homosexualy. When the edor of Gay News famoly tried to take a photograph of one raid, he was charged and fed for the fluenc me together the long, hot summer of 1976.
People would jo wh what begs as an anti-police number and, by the time they're at the chos, they're all ught up , beltg out: "Sg if you're glad to be gay. "I'm now married wh kids, but Glad to Be Gay was about anyone who didn't nform, om lbians to transgenrs, a way of regnisg that most of have plex sexuali. I never imaged that, 35 years later, would be lled the gay natnal anthem, or that we'd have openly gay pop stars and a Tory prime mister mpaigng for gay marriage.
GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
Glad to Be Gay Lyrics: This song is dited to the World Health Organizatn, ’s a medil song and ncerns a disease whose classifitn acrdg to the Internatnal Classifitn of * glad to be gay analysis *
Glad to Be Gay Lyrics[Spoken Word Intro]This song is dited to the World Health Organizatn, ’s a medil song and ncerns a disease whose classifitn acrdg to the Internatnal Classifitn of Diseas is 302. 0[Verse 1]The Brish Police are the bt the worldI don't believe one of the stori I've heard'Bout them raidg our pubs for no reason at allLg the ctomers up by the wallPickg out people and knockg them downRistg arrt as they're kicked on the groundSearchg their ho and llg them queerI don't believe that sort of thg happens here[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! ) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 2]Pictur of naked young women are funIn Tbs and Playboy, page three of The SunThere's no nus Gay News, our one magazeBut they still fd exc to ll obsceneRead how disgtg we are the prsThe Telegraph, People and Sunday ExprsMolters of children, rptors of youthIt's there the paper, mt be the tth[Chos](Try and) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey!
) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 3]Don't try to kid that if you're discreetYou're perfectly safe as you walk down the streetYou don't have to mce or make bchy remarksTo get beaten unnsc and left the darkI had a iend who was gentle and shortHe was lonely one eveng and went for a walkQueerbashers ught him, kicked his teethHe was only hospalised for a week(And he still bears the srs)[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey!
) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 4]And s back and watch as they close down our clubsArrt for meetg and raid all our pubsMake sure your boyiend's at least 21So only your iends and your brothers get doneLie to your workmat, lie to your folksPut down the queens, tell anti-queer jokGay Lib's ridiculo, jo their lghter'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after? It was not until the 1960s that the MP Leo Abse and Lord Arran proposed a bill to liberalise male homosexualy, drawg on the remendatns of the 1957 Wolfenn report.
GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN
How has life changed for gay men the UK sce homosexualy was crimalised 1967? From actor Antony Sher to novelist Alan Hollghurst, men of different generatns om across arts and polics share their stori<br> * glad to be gay analysis *
30am on 5 July 1967, the Sexual Offenc Act was passed, crimalisg private homosexual acts between men over 21 England and Wal (Stland eventually ught up 1980, Northern Ireland 1982). In the UK, the landspe has been transformed wh civil partnership (2004), gay marriage (2013) and fai head by gay upl – every reason for gay pri.
'GLAD TO BE GAY': THE STGGLE FOR GAY LIBERATN BEYOND LEGAL RIGHTS
(Sg If You're) Glad To Be Gay by Tom Robson Band song meang, lyric terpretatn, vio and chart posn * glad to be gay analysis *
Events clu the Brish Mm’s show, Dire, Love, Inty: explorg LGBTQ histori, the Natnal Theatre’s Queer seri (6-10 July), which offers rehearsed readgs chartg the LGBT experience, and the Natnal Tst’s programme explorg genr diversy through the history of s ho, Prejudice and is Queerama, a new film openg Sheffield’s documentary ftival (9-14 June), that offers the most alarmg sight to homosexual life pre-1967. He explas: “One 20 of both sex is homosexual…” He elaborat – a stab at enlightenment – that “ntrary to popular opn, they don’t look any different om anyone else” although they “stand acced of pravy and vice” and “disturb nformist valu”. Photograph: Graham Turner/The GuardianAcrdg to Queerama director Daisy Asquh, was “easier to go unr the radar the 19th century than the 50s when Churchill enuraged prosecutns of gay men, which ma life very ighteng for them”.
She was repeatedly “floored”, she said, makg the film, by the “urage of the gay men, bisexuals and lbians and anyone transgenr or non-bary who me out the first two-thirds of the 20th century”. In 1988, Margaret Thatcher add a vic new twist, Sectn 28 of the Lol Government Act, which stated that lol thori mt avoid “promotg homosexualy” or the “acceptabily of homosexualy as a pretend fay relatnship”.
GLAD TO BE GAY?
Like women’s issu, gay rights was not on the Left’s early agenda when they took ntrol of the first wave of Labour uncils. Ined the more tablishment figur on the soft Left, such as David Blunkett and Margaret Hodge have always treated the issue... * glad to be gay analysis *
In 1994 the age of nsent was lowered to 18, and 2001 to 16, but was not until 2003 that sectn 28 was repealed and not until 2009 that David Cameron apologised for do this mean gay legislatn is now plete? Photograph: Si Dhanda/The ObserverThe poet Andrew McMillan was born South Yorkshire 1988, the year Alan Hollghurst’s but novel, The Swimmg-Pool Library, was published, a book that ma a huge splash – a chlorated wave – as an unually sexually explic narrative, set 80s London, about a sctive, privileged and promiscuo gay hero, volved wh a young, workg-class black man.
I stayed on to do a graduate this about gay wrers, which was a way of makg a formal statement I was still shy about makg person. AH: I did at a school dance get a girl a rner but I don’t thk eher of was I had a girliend for a month but already knew that I was gay so wasn’t fair on her. The book me out 21 years later, 1988, and part of s tert was that there still hadn’t been a ank pictn of gay sexual behavur the English lerary novel.
There was all the bs about Clse 28 gog on, which aimed to prohib lol thori om “promotg” homosexualy, and my book was ught up the discsn: was this the sort of tle that might be banned om public librari? In the 1980s and 90s, the Aids crisis stimulated a send wave of out gay wrg, though I feel that, as a genre, gay l is now rather losg fn, and the polil and cultural urgency for s existence feels ls. I had a group of iends my age and there was a weekly gay night at the Chigo Rock Cafe Barnsley where we uld go every Tuday to try and figure thgs out.
GLAD TO BE GAY
There’s a thg EM Forster’s gay novel Mrice, where he says that Mrice, who is a rather ordary, unimagative person, is saved by beg gay, bee wak him up, turns him to a cric of his own society. That is the other great thg that followed all too soon after 1967 and beme the next vast chapter of the impact of gay life on our culture.
There is somethg admonory about this lack of awarens – HIV fectn rat are gog up among young What would be lovely is if the growg equaly uld lead to a more secure sense of self gay muni.