From the glam-punk of Handbag to the ultra-mp Steve Elg, award-wng gay mic historian Darryl W Bullock picks out ep cuts to play at this year’s Pri celebratns
Contents:
THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG
The morn gay rights movement began as a rt at Stonewall -- celebrate Pri wh the LGBTQ prott songs. * lgbt protest songs *
After police nverged on the bar to arrt and harass the LGBTQ atten, as was ctomary, the patrons fought back, sparkg what would spire the gay liberatn movement. The rult was Gossip’s “Standg the Way of Control, ” an angry kiss-off to policians, homophob and anyone else who wanted to keep queer people down.
Long nsired to be the “gay natnal anthem” of Bra, Tom Robson Band don’t hold back on the 1978 track.
* lgbt protest songs *
While the song may not have the fiery energy of other prott songs, the lyrics directly ll out police btaly, homophobic vlence and the sistence that queer people are ls than human. The group then sps the face of all that vlence, directg their dience to “sg if you’re glad to be gay. The lyrics proclaim the story of a man proud to be gay, set to an upbeat, shimmerg dis beat.
Instead of wrg a song wh thly veiled metaphors about relign, queerre ins Team Drch stead cid to opt for “Hate the Christian Right!, ” a fiery, scream-rock track lettg relig homophob know exactly where they uld stick their prayers.
There are a plethora of songs om the Pet Shop Boys’ stunng disgraphy that tackle homophobia head-on. The song was practilly ma to piss off every bigot who has ever said “Don’t shove your gayns my face. “Organs” serv that purpose, potg out the Rsian ernment’s ntempt for any perceived subversn, cludg homosexualy.