‘David Bowie Ma Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Mic’ - Darryl W. Bullock

WAS HE GAY, BISEXUAL OR BOWIE? Y

David Bowie’s genr-bendg performanc and cultural fluidy spired a generatn of gay, lbian and transgenr people. * david bowie lgbt *

Bowie, 69, was not jt a pop idol but a the days sce his ath, lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr fans have shared how the rocker fluenced their liv and helped brg queer culture to the mastream the 1960s and 1970s. “Feelg those sentiments was important, pecially as a gay youth who was not out at the time.

“I’m gay, ” he said to the journalist Michael Watts 1972, “and always have been, even when I was David Jon, ” his name at years later, an article for Rollg Stone tled “Straight Time, ” Mr. Bowie, who married two women and had two children, would still face the qutn terviews years later: Was he gay or bisexual? "Queer thetic was ont and centreA pivotal moment for Reg Vermue, a Toronto-based mician who rerds as Gentleman Reg, was seeg Bowie's appearance on Saturday Night Live 1979, which featured back-up sgg (and dancg) om drag artist Joey Arias and gay baret performer Kls Nomi, who died of plitns om AIDS the performance of TVC15, Bowie donned a skirt and heels.

"Vermue, who is gay, says he was very much thkg of Bowie five years ago when he began drsg up and performg as Rega the Gentlelady, his glamoro, synth-pop-driven female alter ego. In 1972, he clared an terview that he was gay and four years later told Playboy magaze that he was bisexual.

‘DAVID BOWIE MA ME GAY: 100 YEARS OF LGBT MIC’ BY DARRYL W. BULLOCK

"I'm gay," clared David Bowie, "and always have been, even when I was David Jon. * david bowie lgbt *

"In his later years, Bowie seemed more terted beg an avant-gar mician than a genr-bendg performer, says me to his sexualy, Bowie kept the world gusg, intifyg as gay, bisexual and 'closeted heterosexual' at var pots his reer.

The Hunky Dory song “Queen Bch” is sung gay vernacular (“She’s so swishy her sat and tat!

”) om the perspective of a participant gay life and set to buzzg guar chords clearly cribbed om The Velvet Unrground, which earlier chronicled this genr-mutable world through s ti to Andy Warhol, who had a Hunky Dory tune wrten about him too. And through his R&B rad succs wh “Young Amerins” and “Fame, ” Bowie bolstered dis’s early lk between clanste gay dance halls and fiantly upsle soul. For ee real time breakg news alerts sent straight to your box sign up to our breakg news emailsSign up to our ee breakg news emailsDavid Bowie has died aged 69 after fightg ncer for 18 well as beg remembered for his mil talents, the legendary sger will also be remembered for refg sexualy for an entire David Bowie stepped onto the stage as Ziggy Stardt 1969, one of the world’s greatt gay ins was born and the lebooks were forever rewrten.

WAS DAVID BOWIE GAY? RUMORS OF HIM BEG GAY

* david bowie lgbt *

Official Comg OutTwo years after marryg his first wife Angie 1970, Bowie told the world he was gay while on the cp of fame.

In a 1972 terview wh the now funct Melody Maker, Bowie clared, “I'm gay, and I always have been”.

1983. DAVID BOWIE CHANG HIS MD ABOUT BEG GAY.

In the 100-pl-year history by Bullock, you uld nclu that gay people vented jazz, rock & roll, Broadway show tun and dis, punk and New Wave. * david bowie lgbt *

It’s worth notg that this was the same year which Melody Maker lled “the year of the transvte” and 700 people walked om Trafalgar Square to Hy Park the first Gay Pri march. Regardls of Bowie’s own sexualy, is clear that the superstar beme a revolutnary in for the gay muny. However, many of his songs and performanc allud to gay culture, and he often participated cross-drsg for photo shoots and ncerts.

In turn, sexual ambiguy and viance self bee more sirable to the general public, which greatly aid gay activists their fight for equaly, whether Bowie tend to advance their e or not. This new sense of purpose and uny manifted self gay rights anizatns like the Gay Liberatn Front, and magaz like The Advote and Drag.