Gloria Gaynor Homophobic? - LGBT+ History Month

Contents:

• THE TRIUMPHANT QUEER LEGACY OF GLORIA GAYNOR’S ‘I WILL SURVIVE’
• GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'
• GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007/4:57 PMBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007 / 4:57 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR HEADS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LYLE MASAKI","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DIS DIVA GLORIA GAYNOR HAS SOME OF HER GAY FANS WORRIED WH AFTER A RECENT STATEMENT SHE MA A BBC RAD TERVIEW. WHEN JANE LTLE ASKED HER ABOUT BEG A GAY IN, SHE ANSWERED:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEE I FEEL IS A PLATFORM FOR MY PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO BRG THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO ALL OF MY FANS. "BEE THEY TST ME, I THK."MS LTLE ASKED: "SO YOU SEE AS AN EVANGELISTIC THG. DO YOU HAVE A RELIG OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS FOR THEM. I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO HIM, I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO TTH."JL: "DO YOU SEE HOMOSEXUALY AS SOMETHG SFUL?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST, SIMPLY, AND WHATEVER HE HAS FOR THEM."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR'S MENTS ARE DRAWG SOME PLATS OM PEOPLE WHO FOUND THEM TO BE HOMOPHOBIC. I'M HAVG A HARD TIME AGREEG WH ANY SENSE OF CERTATY. GAYNOR KEEPS HER STATEMENTS BRIEF, REFG TO NNECT HER RELIGN WH ANTI-GAY POSNS. SHE DON'T NY SUCH A NNECTN, EHER. (THE ARTICLE LKS TO D OF THE TERVIEW, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCS ; THE FILE MAY BE BLOCKED TO ERS BROWSG OM THE UNED STAT.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOOKG AROUND A LTLE, I FOUND ANOTHER TERVIEW WHERE GAYNOR WAS ASKED ABOUT HER RELIG BELIEFS AND HER GAY FANBASE. IN 1997, GAYNOR TALKED WH CHIGO OUTL' OWEN KEEHNEN:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} OK: YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE GAY FOLLOWG. HAS THAT EVER E NFLICT WH YOUR BELIEFS AS A CHRISTIAN? GG: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST DIS DIVA TO N TO TROUBLE WH GAY FANS. BACK THE 80'S THERE WERE MORS THAT DONNA SUMMER HAD MA ANTI-GAY REMARKS, A MOR THAT ED A BACKLASH THAT ED SUMMER TO STRONGLY NY THE MORS AND BEE AN ACTIVE FUND RAISER FOR AIDS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MORE RECENTLY, AMERIN IDOL NTTANT MANDISA WAS VOTED OFF THE SGG PETN WHEN HER NNECTN TO AN ANTI-GAY WRER WAS NOTICED. THERE'S REASON FOR A DIS DIVA TO HI ANY ANTI-GAY SENTIMENTS SHE MAY HOLD, BUT WOULDN'T ANYONE SMART ENOUGH TO NOTICE THAT DANGER ALSO KNOW ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TOPIC ENTIRELY?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• GAY HISTORY – JANUARY 20, 1979: GLORIA GAYNOR’S GAY ANTHEM “I WILL SURVIVE” RELEASED – FIVE FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW
• GLORIA GAYNOR -- I'M NOT HOMOPHOBIC ... JT REALLY RELIG
• GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED
• GLORIA GAYNOR HOMOPHOBIC?
• HOW GLORIA GAYNOR SURVIVED: SIX BT MOMENTS OM THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE
• GLORIA GAYNOR
• TOP 10 GLORIA GAYNOR SONGS

THE TRIUMPHANT QUEER LEGACY OF GLORIA GAYNOR’S ‘I WILL SURVIVE’

FlashbackWhile she didn’t tend for the song to be an LGBTQ anthem, s lyrics were an spiratn amid the AIDS crisis and homophobiaGloria Gaynor, London, 1975. The guar riff starts as Gaynor is forced to nont her terrible ex — “And so you’re back/From outer space” — as if ’s givg her momentum to send him away and live a better life whout late 1978, Gloria Gaynor released “I Will Survive” as a B-si dis track, not knowg the song would soon bee the five sgle of her reer. She was still wearg a back brace when she rerd “I Will Survive” after beg picked up aga by moment Gaynor was livg when she rerd “I Will Survive” no doubt ntributed to the song’s energetic msage of survival.

“[Fekaris and Perren] said, ‘We thk you’re the one that we’ve been wag for to rerd this song that we wrote a uple of years ago, ’” Gaynor explaed a 2013 terview wh Audible. Gloria Gaynor origally rerd "I Will Survive" as a B-si, but swiftly after s release October 1978 beme a worldwi h.

GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'

Fd more at Gloria Gaynor has said she's pretty sure her signature song, the 1978 dis smash "I Will Survive, " was created jt for her.

GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007/4:57 PMBY LYLE MASAKIJULY 13, 2007 / 4:57 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GLORIA GAYNOR LEAV HER GAY FOLLOWG SCRATCHG THEIR HEADS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-13T20:57:59.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LYLE MASAKI","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DIS DIVA GLORIA GAYNOR HAS SOME OF HER GAY FANS WORRIED WH AFTER A RECENT STATEMENT SHE MA A BBC RAD TERVIEW. WHEN JANE LTLE ASKED HER ABOUT BEG A GAY IN, SHE ANSWERED:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEE I FEEL IS A PLATFORM FOR MY PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO BRG THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO ALL OF MY FANS. "BEE THEY TST ME, I THK."MS LTLE ASKED: "SO YOU SEE AS AN EVANGELISTIC THG. DO YOU HAVE A RELIG OPPOSN TO HOMOSEXUALY?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS FOR THEM. I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO HIM, I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO TTH."JL: "DO YOU SEE HOMOSEXUALY AS SOMETHG SFUL?"GG: "I WANT TO LEAD THEM TO CHRIST, SIMPLY, AND WHATEVER HE HAS FOR THEM."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR'S MENTS ARE DRAWG SOME PLATS OM PEOPLE WHO FOUND THEM TO BE HOMOPHOBIC. I'M HAVG A HARD TIME AGREEG WH ANY SENSE OF CERTATY. GAYNOR KEEPS HER STATEMENTS BRIEF, REFG TO NNECT HER RELIGN WH ANTI-GAY POSNS. SHE DON'T NY SUCH A NNECTN, EHER. (THE ARTICLE LKS TO D OF THE TERVIEW, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCS ; THE FILE MAY BE BLOCKED TO ERS BROWSG OM THE UNED STAT.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOOKG AROUND A LTLE, I FOUND ANOTHER TERVIEW WHERE GAYNOR WAS ASKED ABOUT HER RELIG BELIEFS AND HER GAY FANBASE. IN 1997, GAYNOR TALKED WH CHIGO OUTL' OWEN KEEHNEN:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} OK: YOU HAVE SUCH A LARGE GAY FOLLOWG. HAS THAT EVER E NFLICT WH YOUR BELIEFS AS A CHRISTIAN? GG: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAYNOR WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST DIS DIVA TO N TO TROUBLE WH GAY FANS. BACK THE 80'S THERE WERE MORS THAT DONNA SUMMER HAD MA ANTI-GAY REMARKS, A MOR THAT ED A BACKLASH THAT ED SUMMER TO STRONGLY NY THE MORS AND BEE AN ACTIVE FUND RAISER FOR AIDS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MORE RECENTLY, AMERIN IDOL NTTANT MANDISA WAS VOTED OFF THE SGG PETN WHEN HER NNECTN TO AN ANTI-GAY WRER WAS NOTICED. THERE'S REASON FOR A DIS DIVA TO HI ANY ANTI-GAY SENTIMENTS SHE MAY HOLD, BUT WOULDN'T ANYONE SMART ENOUGH TO NOTICE THAT DANGER ALSO KNOW ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TOPIC ENTIRELY?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Shortly after Polydor told her she was beg dropped, Gaynor slipped onstage durg a performance at New York's Bean Theatre.

GAY HISTORY – JANUARY 20, 1979: GLORIA GAYNOR’S GAY ANTHEM “I WILL SURVIVE” RELEASED – FIVE FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

In fact, he was pretty sure he had a eback h for Gaynor: a song that a South Ain girl group had recently done well wh, lled "Substute. "They said, 'We thk you're the one that we've been wag for to rerd this song that we wrote a uple of years ago, ' " Gaynor explaed. Dmmer Jam Gadson, who his reer has backed up Marv Gaye and Bill Whers and been featured on hundreds of h rerds, was part of the stud band put together for the ssn.

" Gaynor took advance pi of the sgle to Stud 54, the mec of US disthequ — she'd often sung there, and knew the DJ.

GLORIA GAYNOR -- I'M NOT HOMOPHOBIC ... JT REALLY RELIG

Karen Tongson, a profsor at the Universy of Southern California who often lectur on pop culture, says she remembers first hearg the song the 1990s through s ver versns, then learng the history behd Gaynor's origal. Beyond gay muni, "I Will Survive" has bee a global anthem for those who have felt polilly opprsed, physilly challenged or otherwise phed to society's margs. Cdy Southworth heads the Natnal Network to End Domtic Vlence, where Gaynor is an advote; she remembers when the sger appeared at the anizatn's global nference 2012.

MCCAMMON: In the 1970s, Gloria Gaynor released a strg of dis hs that have gone on to bee classics, cludg this one, "Never Can Say Goodbye, " and, of urse, "I Will Survive.

GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TALKIN' 'BOUT JESUS")GAYNOR: (Sgg) I'm talk' 'bout love, talk' 'bout eedom, talk' 'bout the one you n pend on when you need him. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AMAZING GRACE")GAYNOR: (Sgg) That's when I dropped to my kne, and I prayed, amazg grace, amazg grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I WILL SURVIVE")GAYNOR: (Sgg) Now go, walk out the door, jt turn around now 'e you're not wele anymore.

GLORIA GAYNOR HOMOPHOBIC?

You were asked if you had relig opposn to homosexualy, and you said, I want to lead them to Christ and what he has for them.

But they also know that I will go to my grave lovg none of what I feel about homosexualy or my fah God and my absolute belief the Bible, which I believe to be the word of God, has anythg to do wh my - has - none of tats my abily to love them. Dis diva Gloria Gaynor has some of her gay fans worried wh after a recent statement she ma a BBC rad terview. When Jane Ltle asked her about beg a gay in, she answered:"I feel good about bee I feel is a platform for my purpose, which is to brg the love of Christ to all of my fans.

HOW GLORIA GAYNOR SURVIVED: SIX BT MOMENTS OM THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE

)Lookg around a ltle, I found another terview where Gaynor was asked about her relig beliefs and her gay fanbase. Back the 80's there were mors that Donna Summer had ma anti-gay remarks, a mor that ed a backlash that ed Summer to strongly ny the mors and bee an active fund raiser for AIDS recently, Amerin Idol nttant Mandisa was voted off the sgg petn when her nnectn to an anti-gay wrer was noticed. There's reason for a dis diva to hi any anti-gay sentiments she may hold, but wouldn't anyone smart enough to notice that danger also know enough to avoid the topic entirely?

“I Will Survive” beme one of the qutsential anthems for the Gay Pri that year and has held strong as a favore of gay men everywhere. Gaynor also rerd the song at a higher vol register than she normally sgs and the track wasn’t overproduced like her earlier hs.

It not only serv as a break-up anthem for women that ro up strength and power to move on om a relatnship, but as the qutsential empowerment song the gay muny to those who leave them behd, and even to Gaynor herself. Jt before rerdg “I Will Survive, ” Gaynor spent six months the hospal om a back jury and the song served as her own source of motivatn to survive and overe the jury.

GLORIA GAYNOR

The "I Will Survive" sger took a trip to the Abbey Wt Hollywood -- a gay mec -- and performed her new song...

TOP 10 GLORIA GAYNOR SONGS

But Gloria's people say the 64-year-old diva was jt protectg her image -- and had nothg to do wh the strong possibily the men were gay.