The Velvet Mafia: the gay men who helped shape mic the 60s

A WALK ON THE QUEER SIHOW MIC BY GAY ARTISTS FLUENCED AND (ON OCSN) DOMATED POP HISTORYCLDIA PERRY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED CUEPOT·11 M READ·OCT 17, 2014--1LISTENSHAREBEFORE UNPACKG THIS PARTICULAR THROUGHLE, LET’S BE CLEAR WHY I AM G THE TERM “QUEER” STEAD OF A BUNCH OF IALS STNG TOGETHER. THERE ARE SO MANY GENR VARIANTS, SEXUAL EXPRSNS AND ORIENTATNS THAT I WORRY ABOUT LEAVG SOMEONE OUT. SO, FOR NOW, “QUEER” FS THE BILL, PECIALLY SCE REMAS TRANSGRSIVE FOR THE STRAIGHT MUNY.AFTER ALL, FOR A LOT OF THE QUEER PRENCE POP MIC, STRAIGHT PEOPLE TOTALLY MISSED THE MEMO UNLS THE EXPRSN OF SEXUAL INTY OR GENR VARIANTS WAS SO OVERT WAS LIKE A 2-BY-4 TO THE HEAD. FROM LTLE RICHARD TO SISSY BOUNCE, WE’VE BEEN AROUND. NOT ALL OF THE MIC WAS ABOVE GROUND. BLU SGER CHARL R. BROWN SANG “STANLEY,” A QUEER PRISON LOVE SONG. BROWN WAS OUT AND PROUD. HE EVEN TOURED WH BONNIE RAT THE EARLY 90S. BUT THOSE KDS OF SONGS WERE NOT ON HIS UAL SET LIST.LTLE RICHARD: A EQUENCY QUEER FANS ULD RELATE TO, EVEN IF THEY ULDN’T SAY OUT LOUDACRDG TO , THERE IS A SUBCULTURE OF GAY MEN WHO VER GIRL GROUP SONGS OM THE 60S, CLUDG THE SPIBLE “HE H ME (AND IT FELT LIKE A KISS).” DONE BY A QUEER MALE ARTIST NOW, THIS ULD BE SEEN AS A PLAYFUL NSTCTN OF THE STEREOTYPIL GAY MAN AS NEEDY AND “FEME.” OR IS A JOYO SHOUT-OUT TO SUB-DOM PLAY? CLEARLY, THE SEXUAL FETISH WORLD ISN’T LIMED TO QUEERDOM, BUT DO FD A LOT OF EXPRSN THERE. FOR LBIANS, THERE’S AN ENTIRE SUBSET OF “WRONG BATHROOM” TUN FOR THE BOIS (MALE DRAG, TO KEEP SIMPLE) AMONG .I’M GOG TO STICK TO THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ERA, WHICH PARALLELS VERY NICELY WH THE STIRRGS OF QUEER LIBERATN. THE MATTACHE SOCIETY AND DGHTERS OF BILIS, TWO EARLY QUEER ANIZATNS, WERE FORMED THE 1950S. THIS WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THAT JUMP BLU WAS GIVG BIRTH TO WHAT ME TO BE KNOWN AS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (THE SEXUAL TERM THAT OM BLU). ONE OF THE WAYS THAT POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE QUEER MUNY EXPRSED SELF WAS RAIDG BARS WHERE PEOPLE ULD MEET TO DRK AND DANCE TOGETHER. BARS NEW YORK EXPLICLY PROHIBED SAME-SEX DANCG, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT LED TO THE RTS AT STONEWALL. AS MORE WHE KIDS STARTED LISTENG TO LTLE RICHARD AND CHUCK BERRY, THAT SAME FEAR OF DANCG—WHICH LEADS TO YOU KNOW WHAT—SPREAD TO WHE PARENTS.COULD ANY PERFORMER HAVE BEEN MORE QUEER THAN LTLE RICHARD?BETWEEN THE MAKP, THE POMPADOUR AND THE OVER-THE-TOP BLEND OF MP AND DRAG, HE WAS OPERATG AT A EQUENCY THAT QUEER FANS ULD RELATE TO EVEN IF THEY ULDN’T SAY OUT LOUD. THE ORIGAL LYRICS OF “TUTTI FTTI” WERE SO EXPLIC (REFERENC TO ANAL SEX AND SUCH) THAT THEY HAD TO BE SCBBED DOWN TO NONSENSE. ALSO, “UY” WAS MON SLANG TO REFER TO QUEER MEN AT THE TIME.COULD LLEY GORE HAVE BEEN CRYG BEE SHE ULDN’T EXPRS HER SEXUALY?WE NOW KNOW THAT LLEY GORE WAS QUEER, WHICH PUTS HER ALBUM OF “CRYG SONGS” (“IT’S MY PARTY,” “JUDY’S TURN TO CRY”) A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. COULD SHE HAVE BEEN CRYG BEE SHE ULDN’T EXPRS HER SEXUALY? AFTER ALL, A LOT OF THE SONGS WERE ABOUT LOSG BOYS TO OTHER GIRLS. COULD SHE HAVE CRYG FOR THE LOSS OF HER GIRLIEND TO THE STRAIGHT WORLD? PERHAPS. GORE IS ALSO RPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE EARLIT EXPRSN OF FEMISM POP, “YOU DON’T OWN ME.”THE 60S: CLOISTERED THE CLOSETAS WE MOVE TO THE 60S BEFORE STONEWALL, QUEER MIC GO UNRGROUND. THE CLOST YOU MIGHT E TO A QUEER ANTHEM IS THE BEATL’ “YOU’VE GOT TO HI YOUR LOVE AWAY.” THEIR MANAGER, BRIAN EPSTE, WAS QUEER SO THAT ADDS SOME LAYERS OF MEANG.THE TORNADOS’ HAD A NO. 1 H 1962 WH “TELSTAR.” AFTER THAT, THEIR REER WENT SOUTH A HURRY. THEY RERD THEIR LAST SGLE, “IS THAT A SHIP I HEAR?” WH PRODUCER JOE MEEK AT THE HELM. MORE TERTG WAS THE B-SI, “DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN,” WHICH WAS RIVEN WH MPY QUIPS (“SEE YOU ‘ROUND THE ‘DILLY / NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST, YOU WON’T”). THE RERD WAS PRODUCED BY MEEK ON THE HEELS OF HIS ARRT FOR TTAGG (AKA TEAROOM SEX) 1963. THIS RERD WAS PUT OUT BY EMI, PROBABLY THE BIGGT LABEL THE U.K. HOW GOT PAST THEM IS ANOTHER LIC EXERCISE STRAIGHT PEOPLE NOT GETTG . JON SAVAGE TAILED MEEK’S ROLE THIS RERD AND OTHER QUEER MIC FOR HIS CD PILATN, FROM THE CLOSET TO THE CHARTS: QUEER MIC 1961–1978. HE ALSO C THE KKS’ “SEE MY FRIENDS” AS BEG OBLIQUELY QUEER. GIVEN THAT THIS IS THE SAME BAND THAT RELEASED “LOLA” 1970, I’D SAY ’S A GOOD BET.SAVAGE ALSO UNVERED A CALIFORNIA-BASED GAY LABEL LLED CAMP, WHICH ED THE SLOGAN, “WILR, MADR AND GAYER THAN A BEATL’ HAIRDO!” THE ARTISTS REMA ANONYMO, BUT THE SONGS ABOUT CISG (AND GETTG ARRTED BY A PLACLOTH P) AND THE YMCA SHOWERS WERE WELL AHEAD OF THEIR TIME. SAVAGE NOTED AN TERVIEW WH THE GUARDIAN THAT THERE MT HAVE BEEN A MONEYED DIENCE FOR THE RERDS OR THEY WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN MA.AROUND THE SAME TIME, THERE WERE RERDS BY THE DRAG QUEEN JOSE THAT WERE SOLD TO STRAIGHTS AS “PARTY RERDS.” “THE NGHTY SUBJECTS ARE TICKLG AMERI’S FUNNYBONE!” THE JACKET PY STAT. “[HERE’S] A FANTASTILLY FUNNY SIGHT TO THE LIV OF ‘THOSE FELLOWS’.” UNLIKE THE CAMP LABEL OFFERGS, JOSE WAS A PNEER THAT HIS MIC WAS BEG MARKETED TO A STRAIGHT DIENCE UNAPOLOGETILLY, ALBE PRIENTLY.THE 70S: GLTER AND BE GAYPOST-STONEWALL, QUEER WAS EVERYWHERE. DAVID BOWIE HAD E OUT AS BISEXUAL (AS DID ELTON JOHN BEFORE INTIFYG AS GAY MUCH LATER ON). MIC ABOUT SEXUAL FLUIDY WAS OUT AND ABOUT. GLAM ROCK WAS A QUEER PARADISE OF SORTS. WATCHG MICK RONSON AND BOWIE OLIC ONSTAGE GAVE HOPE TO EVERY QUEER KID THE WORLD. JOHN’S FLAMBOYANCY WAS ALSO OF GREAT FORT. MARC BOLAN OF T. REX IS STILL THE SUBJECT OF S SPECULATN (A IEND WHO WORKED AT CREEM REMEMBERS HIM G ON TO JT ABOUT EVERYONE WHEN HE ME THROUGH DETRO, BUT THIS CLEARLY ISN’T FIVE). BUT HEARG “GET IT ON (BANG A GONG),” SWEET (“BALLROOM BLZ,” “FOX ON THE RUN”) AND THE KKS’ (“LOLA”) ON TOP 40 RAD ALSO FELT LIKE A VALIDATN.QUEERPHOBIA WAS STILL RAMPANT. BUT BEG QUEER MIC WAS L UP BY A LAVENR SPOTLIGHT. EVEN IF YOU ULDN’T BE OUT AT HOME, SCHOOL OR WORK, THERE WERE ACCEPTABLE OUTLETS FOR QUEER BEHAVR SUCH AS MIDNIGHT SCREENGS OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, WHICH WAS ORIGALLY RELEASED 1975.FANNY WAS THE THIRD ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL, BUT ARGUABLY THE BTTHE WOMEN’S MIC MOVEMENT ALSO BEGAN THE 70S. FANNY WAS THE THIRD ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL, BUT ARGUABLY THE BT. THERE WERE OTHER QUEER FEMALE PERFORMERS—FOLK SGERS HOLLY NEAR AND FERRON E TO MD—BUT FANNY HAD THE AGGRSIVE SEXUAL ENERGY THAT ROCK MANDS. THAT FELT LIC TO A LOT OF QUEER GIRLS OUT THERE. NO MATTER WHAT MIL FORM TOOK, QUEER EXPRSN WAS MOVG BEYOND THE MUNY. WHOUT FANNY, THERE’S NO JOAN JETT.DIS WAS MULTIRACIAL AND PANSEXUAL A WAY THAT SUBSEQUENT ERATNS OF DANCE MIC WOULD THROW AWAY WH BOTH HANDS. THE BT-KNOWN QUEER ARTIST OF THIS ERA WAS SYLVTER, WHO HAD A VOICE LIKE NO OTHER.SYLVTER HAD A VOICE LIKE NO OTHER“DO YOU WANNA FUNK” AND “YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL)” ARE SIGNATURE DIS SONGS. THE LATER N ALSO BE NNECTED TO THE BALL SCENE AFTER A FASHN—“REALNS” IS SIGNIFINT THERE. THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH LOAD WH QUEER SIGNIFIERS THEIR SONGS “YMCA” AND “IN THE NAVY,” FUNCTNED MORE AS THE STRAIGHT-PEOPLE IENDLY TRO TO QUEER DIS CULTURE.I ALSO HAVE TO THANK SAVAGE FOR FDG TWO R&B SONGS OM THE EARLY 70S THAT WERE CIDLY PRO-QUEER. HARRISON KENNEDY OF CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD LIVERS “CLOSET QUEEN.” THE POST-SMOKEY ROBSON MIRACL OFFER “A’T NOBODY STRAIGHT L.A.” THEY SG THAT “MOST EVERYONE IS AC-DC” AND GO ON TO SAY THAT THE FT WOMEN ARE FOUND GAY BARS. ONE NCERNED MIRACLE ASKS, “HEY, BUT DIG, HOW YOU KNOW THEY WOMEN?”“GAY PEOPLE ARE NICE PEOPLE TOO, MAN!” IS THE SURPRISGLY ENLIGHTENED RPONSE. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGE A MASTREAM R&B ACT TODAY RERDG THE SONGS. THAT IS, IF THERE WERE ANY MASTREAM R&B ACTS NOW.WE’RE HERE. WE’RE QUEER. WE’RE MIL.LET’S NTUE DOWN THE PK BRICK ROAD. THE PUNK ERA WAS A QUEER STRONGHOLD AS WELL. AFTER ALL, “PUNK” MEANT QUEER. THE NEW YORK DOLLS WORE TATTY DRAG AND RADIATED SEXUAL AMBIVALENCE AS THEY ROCKED. A LOT OF THE ENGLISH PUNK SIGNIFIERS—SEXUAL SUBCULTURE CLOTHG, SONGS LIKE X-RAY SPEX’S “OH BONDAGE UP YOURS!”—WERE VERY QUEER. THE TOM ROBSON BAND PUT OUT THE SONG, “SG IF YOU’RE GLAD TO BE GAY.” PUNK ROCK WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW QUEERNS FOUND A STRAIGHT DIENCE THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE KNOWN WAS THERE.MOST PUNK BANDS DIDN’T NECSARILY AL WH QUEER SUBJECT MATTER. BUT THE ENVIRONMENT WAS RICH WH OBLIQUE REFERENC AND EMPOWERMENT. THERE WERE ALL-FEMALE BANDS LIKE THE SLS AND DELTA 5 . THERE WAS ROUGH TRA, A LABEL THAT TOOK S NAME OM AN ELEMENT OF QUEER CISG CULTURE. THE ANDROGYNY OF GLAM ROCK KEPT ON AS WELL. AS PUNK TRANSNED TO POST-PUNK, QUEERNS MOVED EVEN FURTHER TO THE FOREGROUND. IN SHORT, MAKP FOR EVERYONE. CULTURE CLUB, FRANKIE GO TO HOLLYWOOD AND BRONSKI BEAT (WHOSE JIMMY SOMERVILLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MATCH SYLVTER NOTE-FOR-NOTE) WERE AMONG THOSE WHO SOARED. THE SMHS, LED BY MORRISSEY (WHO HAS NEVER NFIRMED OR NIED HIS QUEERNS), WERE AMONG THE SEND GENERATN OF POST-PUNK BANDS WH A QUEER SENSIBILY. IT’S A NICE BON THAT JOHNNY MARR TRACED HIS GUAR STYLE TO BOLAN.SO WAS U.S. PUNK AS QUEER AS S BRISH HORTS? QUE ANKLY, THE STAT WERE ALWAYS MORE BUTCH THAN THE U.K. THE RAMON WERE ABOUT AS SULLEN AND STRAIGHT AS GETS. THE VELVET UNRGROUND AND, LATER, LOU REED ON HIS OWN, HTED AT ALL SORTS OF PANSEXUAL MYSTERI. BEYOND THAT, OUTSI OF DIS, THERE WASN’T MUCH GOG ON AS THE 70S DISSOLVED TO THE 80S.FREDDIE MERCURY: AS QUEEN BEME ONE OF THE BIGGT BANDS ON THE PLA, HIS PERSONAL STYLE WENT OM ZANDRA RHOS TO FOLSOM STREET FAIR LEATHER BOYDURG THIS TIME, QUEEN WAS WELL ON S WAY TO BEG ONE OF THE BIGGT BANDS ON THE PLA. FOR THOSE OF WHO ARE QUEER, FREDDIE MERCURY WAS SO QUEER HE ULD BE SEEN OM SPACE. AS THE BAND PROGRSED, HIS PERSONAL STYLE WENT OM ZANDRA RHOS TO FOLSOM STREET FAIR LEATHER BOY. MERCURY DIDN’T OFFICIALLY E OUT UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE HE DIED OM AIDS 1991.I’D HAVE TO SAY HE WAS LIVG A GLASS CLOSET. SOME STRAIGHT GUYS—REAL-LIFE VERSNS OF THE WAYNE’S WORLD SORTS—WERE EP NIAL. “I ULDN’T BELIEVE HE WAS GAY,” SAID ONE OF MY OLD -WORKERS ON THE SPORTS PY SK. THIS, FOLLOWED AN ASSERTN BY THE RT OF THE LADS THAT JT ABOUT ALL FEMALE ATHLET WERE LBIANS—EXCEPT THE GOOD-LOOKG ON. I CID NOT TO PURSUE THE MATTER.IN THE LATE 80S, MELISSA ETHERIDGE BEME A STAR. NO ONE NOTICED THE LACK OF SPECIFIC PRONOUNS HER LOVE SONGS. SOME OF DID. IN POST-PUNK AMERI, PERFORMERS LIKE GARY FLOYD OF THE DICKS (ALSO SISTER DOUBLE HAPPS, WHO WERE SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL FOR A HOT MUTE), LBIAN BAND TRIBE 8 AND PANSY DIVISN WERE KEEPG QUEER ON VAR TY PENNT LABELS. THERE WAS OF URSE PRCE, WHO PRENTED HIMSELF AS SEXUALLY AMBIGUO EARLY HIS REER.THE 2000S AND BEYONDAS THE GHTS ARRIVE AND THE TRADNAL MIC BS MOL BEGS TO CMBLE, MORE ARTISTS ARE OUT. FOR SOME WHO ME OUT—BOB MOULD OF HKER DU AND DOUG PNICK OF KG’S X— WAS AN OPPORTUNY FOR REVENTN. FOR THOSE WHO WERE NEVER CLOSETED—STEPHEN MERRT OF MAGIC FIELDS, FISCHERSPOONER, THE GOSSIP, SCISSOR SISTERS—THERE ARE FEW BOUNDARI. THE PERFORMERS DO NOT HAVE THE DAMOCLEAN SWORD OF AIDS HANGG OVER THEM AS PERFORMERS THE 80S DID.IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT ALL OF THE AFOREMENTNED (EXCEPT FOR PNICK) ARE WHE GUYS THE ROCK-POP WORLD. CLAY AIKEN AND ADAM LAMBERT, QUEER AMERIN IDOL ALUMS, ALSO HAB THAT TERRORY. LAMBERT EVEN TOURED WH THE SURVIVG MEMBERS OF QUEEN.SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE BLACK AND QUEER? BLACK AND QUEER AND CLEAVE TO HIP-HOP? I DON’T BUY THE NOTN THAT BLACKS ARE MORE QUEERPHOBIC THAN WH. HIP-HOP HAS MONSTRATED ABOVE-AVERAGE QUEERPHOBIA NOT LIMED TO BLACK PRACTNERS. EMEM HAS SOME SER ISSU WH TRANS PEOPLE. WE ULD GET OFF ON A WHOLE TANGENT ABOUT RACISM AND SEXISM QUEERDOM. BUT THAT’S ANOTHER DISCSN ENTIRELY.FRANK OCEAN MAY HAVE DONE THE MOST TO BRG QUEERNS TO HIP-HOPFRANK OCEAN MAY HAVE DONE THE MOST TO BRG QUEERNS TO HIP-HOP. IN 2013, HE RELEASED CHANNEL ORANGE, A RERD ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR A MAN. OCEAN IS THE FIRST VOICE YOU HEAR ON KANYE WT’S WATCH THE THRONE, SO HE’S NOT AN UNRGROUND ARTIST BY ANY STRETCH.AT THE SAME TIME, SOMETHG QUEER WAS UP HIP-HOP THAT ULD ONLY HAVE HAPPENED NEW ORLEANS. IT’S THE MOST SEX- AND GENR-FLUID CY THE UNED STAT, ALTHOUGH SAN FRANCISNS WOULD DISAGREE. YOU’VE HEARD BOUNCE MIC—FAST BEATS, LL-AND-RPONSE LYRICS—OM LIL WAYNE AND JUVENILE. NOW IMAGE G OM THE QUEER MUNY. THE PERFORMERS DON’T LIKE THE TERM “SISSY BOUNCE,” BUT THE NAME HAS STUCK. KATEY RED EVEN HAD HER TUNE, “SO MUCH DRAMA,” FEATURED THE HBO SERI TREME. BIG FREDA RECENTLY RELEASED A RERD AND IS TOURG THE WORLD. HE C THE POST-KATRA DIASPORA AS ONE REASON BOUNCE SPREAD.AS FOR ADDNAL QUEER ROADS TO HIP-HOP, TALIB KWELI SAID BT WHEN TERVIEWED BY MOTHER JON: “WE NEED A GAY RAPPER THAT’S BETTER THAN EVERYBODY.”
THE VELVET MAFIA: THE GAY MEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MIC THE 60S

A WALK ON THE QUEER SIHOW MIC BY GAY ARTISTS FLUENCED AND (ON OCSN) DOMATED POP HISTORYCLDIA PERRY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED CUEPOT·11 M READ·OCT 17, 2014--1LISTENSHAREBEFORE UNPACKG THIS PARTICULAR THROUGHLE, LET’S BE CLEAR WHY I AM G THE TERM “QUEER” STEAD OF A BUNCH OF IALS STNG TOGETHER. THERE ARE SO MANY GENR VARIANTS, SEXUAL EXPRSNS AND ORIENTATNS THAT I WORRY ABOUT LEAVG SOMEONE OUT. SO, FOR NOW, “QUEER” FS THE BILL, PECIALLY SCE REMAS TRANSGRSIVE FOR THE STRAIGHT MUNY.AFTER ALL, FOR A LOT OF THE QUEER PRENCE POP MIC, STRAIGHT PEOPLE TOTALLY MISSED THE MEMO UNLS THE EXPRSN OF SEXUAL INTY OR GENR VARIANTS WAS SO OVERT WAS LIKE A 2-BY-4 TO THE HEAD. FROM LTLE RICHARD TO SISSY BOUNCE, WE’VE BEEN AROUND. NOT ALL OF THE MIC WAS ABOVE GROUND. BLU SGER CHARL R. BROWN SANG “STANLEY,” A QUEER PRISON LOVE SONG. BROWN WAS OUT AND PROUD. HE EVEN TOURED WH BONNIE RAT THE EARLY 90S. BUT THOSE KDS OF SONGS WERE NOT ON HIS UAL SET LIST.LTLE RICHARD: A EQUENCY QUEER FANS ULD RELATE TO, EVEN IF THEY ULDN’T SAY OUT LOUDACRDG TO , THERE IS A SUBCULTURE OF GAY MEN WHO VER GIRL GROUP SONGS OM THE 60S, CLUDG THE SPIBLE “HE H ME (AND IT FELT LIKE A KISS).” DONE BY A QUEER MALE ARTIST NOW, THIS ULD BE SEEN AS A PLAYFUL NSTCTN OF THE STEREOTYPIL GAY MAN AS NEEDY AND “FEME.” OR IS A JOYO SHOUT-OUT TO SUB-DOM PLAY? CLEARLY, THE SEXUAL FETISH WORLD ISN’T LIMED TO QUEERDOM, BUT DO FD A LOT OF EXPRSN THERE. FOR LBIANS, THERE’S AN ENTIRE SUBSET OF “WRONG BATHROOM” TUN FOR THE BOIS (MALE DRAG, TO KEEP SIMPLE) AMONG .I’M GOG TO STICK TO THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ERA, WHICH PARALLELS VERY NICELY WH THE STIRRGS OF QUEER LIBERATN. THE MATTACHE SOCIETY AND DGHTERS OF BILIS, TWO EARLY QUEER ANIZATNS, WERE FORMED THE 1950S. THIS WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THAT JUMP BLU WAS GIVG BIRTH TO WHAT ME TO BE KNOWN AS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (THE SEXUAL TERM THAT OM BLU). ONE OF THE WAYS THAT POLICE HARASSMENT OF THE QUEER MUNY EXPRSED SELF WAS RAIDG BARS WHERE PEOPLE ULD MEET TO DRK AND DANCE TOGETHER. BARS NEW YORK EXPLICLY PROHIBED SAME-SEX DANCG, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT LED TO THE RTS AT STONEWALL. AS MORE WHE KIDS STARTED LISTENG TO LTLE RICHARD AND CHUCK BERRY, THAT SAME FEAR OF DANCG—WHICH LEADS TO YOU KNOW WHAT—SPREAD TO WHE PARENTS.COULD ANY PERFORMER HAVE BEEN MORE QUEER THAN LTLE RICHARD?BETWEEN THE MAKP, THE POMPADOUR AND THE OVER-THE-TOP BLEND OF MP AND DRAG, HE WAS OPERATG AT A EQUENCY THAT QUEER FANS ULD RELATE TO EVEN IF THEY ULDN’T SAY OUT LOUD. THE ORIGAL LYRICS OF “TUTTI FTTI” WERE SO EXPLIC (REFERENC TO ANAL SEX AND SUCH) THAT THEY HAD TO BE SCBBED DOWN TO NONSENSE. ALSO, “UY” WAS MON SLANG TO REFER TO QUEER MEN AT THE TIME.COULD LLEY GORE HAVE BEEN CRYG BEE SHE ULDN’T EXPRS HER SEXUALY?WE NOW KNOW THAT LLEY GORE WAS QUEER, WHICH PUTS HER ALBUM OF “CRYG SONGS” (“IT’S MY PARTY,” “JUDY’S TURN TO CRY”) A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. COULD SHE HAVE BEEN CRYG BEE SHE ULDN’T EXPRS HER SEXUALY? AFTER ALL, A LOT OF THE SONGS WERE ABOUT LOSG BOYS TO OTHER GIRLS. COULD SHE HAVE CRYG FOR THE LOSS OF HER GIRLIEND TO THE STRAIGHT WORLD? PERHAPS. GORE IS ALSO RPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF THE EARLIT EXPRSN OF FEMISM POP, “YOU DON’T OWN ME.”THE 60S: CLOISTERED THE CLOSETAS WE MOVE TO THE 60S BEFORE STONEWALL, QUEER MIC GO UNRGROUND. THE CLOST YOU MIGHT E TO A QUEER ANTHEM IS THE BEATL’ “YOU’VE GOT TO HI YOUR LOVE AWAY.” THEIR MANAGER, BRIAN EPSTE, WAS QUEER SO THAT ADDS SOME LAYERS OF MEANG.THE TORNADOS’ HAD A NO. 1 H 1962 WH “TELSTAR.” AFTER THAT, THEIR REER WENT SOUTH A HURRY. THEY RERD THEIR LAST SGLE, “IS THAT A SHIP I HEAR?” WH PRODUCER JOE MEEK AT THE HELM. MORE TERTG WAS THE B-SI, “DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN,” WHICH WAS RIVEN WH MPY QUIPS (“SEE YOU ‘ROUND THE ‘DILLY / NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST, YOU WON’T”). THE RERD WAS PRODUCED BY MEEK ON THE HEELS OF HIS ARRT FOR TTAGG (AKA TEAROOM SEX) 1963. THIS RERD WAS PUT OUT BY EMI, PROBABLY THE BIGGT LABEL THE U.K. HOW GOT PAST THEM IS ANOTHER LIC EXERCISE STRAIGHT PEOPLE NOT GETTG . JON SAVAGE TAILED MEEK’S ROLE THIS RERD AND OTHER QUEER MIC FOR HIS CD PILATN, FROM THE CLOSET TO THE CHARTS: QUEER MIC 1961–1978. HE ALSO C THE KKS’ “SEE MY FRIENDS” AS BEG OBLIQUELY QUEER. GIVEN THAT THIS IS THE SAME BAND THAT RELEASED “LOLA” 1970, I’D SAY ’S A GOOD BET.SAVAGE ALSO UNVERED A CALIFORNIA-BASED GAY LABEL LLED CAMP, WHICH ED THE SLOGAN, “WILR, MADR AND GAYER THAN A BEATL’ HAIRDO!” THE ARTISTS REMA ANONYMO, BUT THE SONGS ABOUT CISG (AND GETTG ARRTED BY A PLACLOTH P) AND THE YMCA SHOWERS WERE WELL AHEAD OF THEIR TIME. SAVAGE NOTED AN TERVIEW WH THE GUARDIAN THAT THERE MT HAVE BEEN A MONEYED DIENCE FOR THE RERDS OR THEY WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN MA.AROUND THE SAME TIME, THERE WERE RERDS BY THE DRAG QUEEN JOSE THAT WERE SOLD TO STRAIGHTS AS “PARTY RERDS.” “THE NGHTY SUBJECTS ARE TICKLG AMERI’S FUNNYBONE!” THE JACKET PY STAT. “[HERE’S] A FANTASTILLY FUNNY SIGHT TO THE LIV OF ‘THOSE FELLOWS’.” UNLIKE THE CAMP LABEL OFFERGS, JOSE WAS A PNEER THAT HIS MIC WAS BEG MARKETED TO A STRAIGHT DIENCE UNAPOLOGETILLY, ALBE PRIENTLY.THE 70S: GLTER AND BE GAYPOST-STONEWALL, QUEER WAS EVERYWHERE. DAVID BOWIE HAD E OUT AS BISEXUAL (AS DID ELTON JOHN BEFORE INTIFYG AS GAY MUCH LATER ON). MIC ABOUT SEXUAL FLUIDY WAS OUT AND ABOUT. GLAM ROCK WAS A QUEER PARADISE OF SORTS. WATCHG MICK RONSON AND BOWIE OLIC ONSTAGE GAVE HOPE TO EVERY QUEER KID THE WORLD. JOHN’S FLAMBOYANCY WAS ALSO OF GREAT FORT. MARC BOLAN OF T. REX IS STILL THE SUBJECT OF S SPECULATN (A IEND WHO WORKED AT CREEM REMEMBERS HIM G ON TO JT ABOUT EVERYONE WHEN HE ME THROUGH DETRO, BUT THIS CLEARLY ISN’T FIVE). BUT HEARG “GET IT ON (BANG A GONG),” SWEET (“BALLROOM BLZ,” “FOX ON THE RUN”) AND THE KKS’ (“LOLA”) ON TOP 40 RAD ALSO FELT LIKE A VALIDATN.QUEERPHOBIA WAS STILL RAMPANT. BUT BEG QUEER MIC WAS L UP BY A LAVENR SPOTLIGHT. EVEN IF YOU ULDN’T BE OUT AT HOME, SCHOOL OR WORK, THERE WERE ACCEPTABLE OUTLETS FOR QUEER BEHAVR SUCH AS MIDNIGHT SCREENGS OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, WHICH WAS ORIGALLY RELEASED 1975.FANNY WAS THE THIRD ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL, BUT ARGUABLY THE BTTHE WOMEN’S MIC MOVEMENT ALSO BEGAN THE 70S. FANNY WAS THE THIRD ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL, BUT ARGUABLY THE BT. THERE WERE OTHER QUEER FEMALE PERFORMERS—FOLK SGERS HOLLY NEAR AND FERRON E TO MD—BUT FANNY HAD THE AGGRSIVE SEXUAL ENERGY THAT ROCK MANDS. THAT FELT LIC TO A LOT OF QUEER GIRLS OUT THERE. NO MATTER WHAT MIL FORM TOOK, QUEER EXPRSN WAS MOVG BEYOND THE MUNY. WHOUT FANNY, THERE’S NO JOAN JETT.DIS WAS MULTIRACIAL AND PANSEXUAL A WAY THAT SUBSEQUENT ERATNS OF DANCE MIC WOULD THROW AWAY WH BOTH HANDS. THE BT-KNOWN QUEER ARTIST OF THIS ERA WAS SYLVTER, WHO HAD A VOICE LIKE NO OTHER.SYLVTER HAD A VOICE LIKE NO OTHER“DO YOU WANNA FUNK” AND “YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL)” ARE SIGNATURE DIS SONGS. THE LATER N ALSO BE NNECTED TO THE BALL SCENE AFTER A FASHN—“REALNS” IS SIGNIFINT THERE. THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH LOAD WH QUEER SIGNIFIERS THEIR SONGS “YMCA” AND “IN THE NAVY,” FUNCTNED MORE AS THE STRAIGHT-PEOPLE IENDLY TRO TO QUEER DIS CULTURE.I ALSO HAVE TO THANK SAVAGE FOR FDG TWO R&B SONGS OM THE EARLY 70S THAT WERE CIDLY PRO-QUEER. HARRISON KENNEDY OF CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD LIVERS “CLOSET QUEEN.” THE POST-SMOKEY ROBSON MIRACL OFFER “A’T NOBODY STRAIGHT L.A.” THEY SG THAT “MOST EVERYONE IS AC-DC” AND GO ON TO SAY THAT THE FT WOMEN ARE FOUND GAY BARS. ONE NCERNED MIRACLE ASKS, “HEY, BUT DIG, HOW YOU KNOW THEY WOMEN?”“GAY PEOPLE ARE NICE PEOPLE TOO, MAN!” IS THE SURPRISGLY ENLIGHTENED RPONSE. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGE A MASTREAM R&B ACT TODAY RERDG THE SONGS. THAT IS, IF THERE WERE ANY MASTREAM R&B ACTS NOW.WE’RE HERE. WE’RE QUEER. WE’RE MIL.LET’S NTUE DOWN THE PK BRICK ROAD. THE PUNK ERA WAS A QUEER STRONGHOLD AS WELL. AFTER ALL, “PUNK” MEANT QUEER. THE NEW YORK DOLLS WORE TATTY DRAG AND RADIATED SEXUAL AMBIVALENCE AS THEY ROCKED. A LOT OF THE ENGLISH PUNK SIGNIFIERS—SEXUAL SUBCULTURE CLOTHG, SONGS LIKE X-RAY SPEX’S “OH BONDAGE UP YOURS!”—WERE VERY QUEER. THE TOM ROBSON BAND PUT OUT THE SONG, “SG IF YOU’RE GLAD TO BE GAY.” PUNK ROCK WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW QUEERNS FOUND A STRAIGHT DIENCE THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE KNOWN WAS THERE.MOST PUNK BANDS DIDN’T NECSARILY AL WH QUEER SUBJECT MATTER. BUT THE ENVIRONMENT WAS RICH WH OBLIQUE REFERENC AND EMPOWERMENT. THERE WERE ALL-FEMALE BANDS LIKE THE SLS AND DELTA 5 . THERE WAS ROUGH TRA, A LABEL THAT TOOK S NAME OM AN ELEMENT OF QUEER CISG CULTURE. THE ANDROGYNY OF GLAM ROCK KEPT ON AS WELL. AS PUNK TRANSNED TO POST-PUNK, QUEERNS MOVED EVEN FURTHER TO THE FOREGROUND. IN SHORT, MAKP FOR EVERYONE. CULTURE CLUB, FRANKIE GO TO HOLLYWOOD AND BRONSKI BEAT (WHOSE JIMMY SOMERVILLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MATCH SYLVTER NOTE-FOR-NOTE) WERE AMONG THOSE WHO SOARED. THE SMHS, LED BY MORRISSEY (WHO HAS NEVER NFIRMED OR NIED HIS QUEERNS), WERE AMONG THE SEND GENERATN OF POST-PUNK BANDS WH A QUEER SENSIBILY. IT’S A NICE BON THAT JOHNNY MARR TRACED HIS GUAR STYLE TO BOLAN.SO WAS U.S. PUNK AS QUEER AS S BRISH HORTS? QUE ANKLY, THE STAT WERE ALWAYS MORE BUTCH THAN THE U.K. THE RAMON WERE ABOUT AS SULLEN AND STRAIGHT AS GETS. THE VELVET UNRGROUND AND, LATER, LOU REED ON HIS OWN, HTED AT ALL SORTS OF PANSEXUAL MYSTERI. BEYOND THAT, OUTSI OF DIS, THERE WASN’T MUCH GOG ON AS THE 70S DISSOLVED TO THE 80S.FREDDIE MERCURY: AS QUEEN BEME ONE OF THE BIGGT BANDS ON THE PLA, HIS PERSONAL STYLE WENT OM ZANDRA RHOS TO FOLSOM STREET FAIR LEATHER BOYDURG THIS TIME, QUEEN WAS WELL ON S WAY TO BEG ONE OF THE BIGGT BANDS ON THE PLA. FOR THOSE OF WHO ARE QUEER, FREDDIE MERCURY WAS SO QUEER HE ULD BE SEEN OM SPACE. AS THE BAND PROGRSED, HIS PERSONAL STYLE WENT OM ZANDRA RHOS TO FOLSOM STREET FAIR LEATHER BOY. MERCURY DIDN’T OFFICIALLY E OUT UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE HE DIED OM AIDS 1991.I’D HAVE TO SAY HE WAS LIVG A GLASS CLOSET. SOME STRAIGHT GUYS—REAL-LIFE VERSNS OF THE WAYNE’S WORLD SORTS—WERE EP NIAL. “I ULDN’T BELIEVE HE WAS GAY,” SAID ONE OF MY OLD -WORKERS ON THE SPORTS PY SK. THIS, FOLLOWED AN ASSERTN BY THE RT OF THE LADS THAT JT ABOUT ALL FEMALE ATHLET WERE LBIANS—EXCEPT THE GOOD-LOOKG ON. I CID NOT TO PURSUE THE MATTER.IN THE LATE 80S, MELISSA ETHERIDGE BEME A STAR. NO ONE NOTICED THE LACK OF SPECIFIC PRONOUNS HER LOVE SONGS. SOME OF DID. IN POST-PUNK AMERI, PERFORMERS LIKE GARY FLOYD OF THE DICKS (ALSO SISTER DOUBLE HAPPS, WHO WERE SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL FOR A HOT MUTE), LBIAN BAND TRIBE 8 AND PANSY DIVISN WERE KEEPG QUEER ON VAR TY PENNT LABELS. THERE WAS OF URSE PRCE, WHO PRENTED HIMSELF AS SEXUALLY AMBIGUO EARLY HIS REER.THE 2000S AND BEYONDAS THE GHTS ARRIVE AND THE TRADNAL MIC BS MOL BEGS TO CMBLE, MORE ARTISTS ARE OUT. FOR SOME WHO ME OUT—BOB MOULD OF HKER DU AND DOUG PNICK OF KG’S X— WAS AN OPPORTUNY FOR REVENTN. FOR THOSE WHO WERE NEVER CLOSETED—STEPHEN MERRT OF MAGIC FIELDS, FISCHERSPOONER, THE GOSSIP, SCISSOR SISTERS—THERE ARE FEW BOUNDARI. THE PERFORMERS DO NOT HAVE THE DAMOCLEAN SWORD OF AIDS HANGG OVER THEM AS PERFORMERS THE 80S DID.IT’S WORTH NOTG THAT ALL OF THE AFOREMENTNED (EXCEPT FOR PNICK) ARE WHE GUYS THE ROCK-POP WORLD. CLAY AIKEN AND ADAM LAMBERT, QUEER AMERIN IDOL ALUMS, ALSO HAB THAT TERRORY. LAMBERT EVEN TOURED WH THE SURVIVG MEMBERS OF QUEEN.SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE BLACK AND QUEER? BLACK AND QUEER AND CLEAVE TO HIP-HOP? I DON’T BUY THE NOTN THAT BLACKS ARE MORE QUEERPHOBIC THAN WH. HIP-HOP HAS MONSTRATED ABOVE-AVERAGE QUEERPHOBIA NOT LIMED TO BLACK PRACTNERS. EMEM HAS SOME SER ISSU WH TRANS PEOPLE. WE ULD GET OFF ON A WHOLE TANGENT ABOUT RACISM AND SEXISM QUEERDOM. BUT THAT’S ANOTHER DISCSN ENTIRELY.FRANK OCEAN MAY HAVE DONE THE MOST TO BRG QUEERNS TO HIP-HOPFRANK OCEAN MAY HAVE DONE THE MOST TO BRG QUEERNS TO HIP-HOP. IN 2013, HE RELEASED CHANNEL ORANGE, A RERD ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR A MAN. OCEAN IS THE FIRST VOICE YOU HEAR ON KANYE WT’S WATCH THE THRONE, SO HE’S NOT AN UNRGROUND ARTIST BY ANY STRETCH.AT THE SAME TIME, SOMETHG QUEER WAS UP HIP-HOP THAT ULD ONLY HAVE HAPPENED NEW ORLEANS. IT’S THE MOST SEX- AND GENR-FLUID CY THE UNED STAT, ALTHOUGH SAN FRANCISNS WOULD DISAGREE. YOU’VE HEARD BOUNCE MIC—FAST BEATS, LL-AND-RPONSE LYRICS—OM LIL WAYNE AND JUVENILE. NOW IMAGE G OM THE QUEER MUNY. THE PERFORMERS DON’T LIKE THE TERM “SISSY BOUNCE,” BUT THE NAME HAS STUCK. KATEY RED EVEN HAD HER TUNE, “SO MUCH DRAMA,” FEATURED THE HBO SERI TREME. BIG FREDA RECENTLY RELEASED A RERD AND IS TOURG THE WORLD. HE C THE POST-KATRA DIASPORA AS ONE REASON BOUNCE SPREAD.AS FOR ADDNAL QUEER ROADS TO HIP-HOP, TALIB KWELI SAID BT WHEN TERVIEWED BY MOTHER JON: “WE NEED A GAY RAPPER THAT’S BETTER THAN EVERYBODY.”

Glam rocker Marc Bolan lost his virgy at NINE and had a gay romp wh his manager, a TV tribute reveals. Arsenal badgeGlam rocker Marc Bolan lost his virgy at NINE and had a gay romp wh his manager, a TV tribute reveals. This was a signifint moment for the time when gay rights were only jt g to mastream attentn, and homosexual acts had only been crimalised England and Wal three years prr, 1967.

In 1972, Bowie even told Melody Maker: “I’m gay, and always have been, even when I was David Jon. and were embraced by gay people, which managed to get mastream glory, both arrived. We've troduced Mott The Hoople's most gay-iendly.

Warren, a gay man who was also a very popular photographer wh the rich. How mic by gay artists fluenced and (on ocsn) domated pop historyBefore unpackg this particular throughle, let’s be clear why I am g the term “queer” stead of a bunch of ials stng together.

But those kds of songs were not on his ual set Richard: a equency queer fans uld relate to, even if they uldn’t say out loudAcrdg to, there is a subculture of gay men who ver girl group songs om the 60s, cludg the spible “He H Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss).

” Done by a queer male artist now, this uld be seen as a playful nstctn of the stereotypil gay man as needy and “feme. Given that this is the same band that released “Lola” 1970, I’d say ’s a good also unvered a California-based gay label lled Camp, which ed the slogan, “wilr, madr and gayer than a Beatl’ hairdo! ” Unlike the Camp label offergs, Jose was a pneer that his mic was beg marketed to a straight dience unapologetilly, albe 70s: Glter and Be GayPost-Stonewall, queer was everywhere.

David Bowie had e out as bisexual (as did Elton John before intifyg as gay much later on).

The Velvet Mafia: the gay men who helped shape mic the 60s | Mic | The Guardian

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