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 morn gay rights movement began as a rt at Stonewall -- celebrate Pri wh the LGBTQ prott songs. * gay 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. 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.
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.
In the early hours of the morng of June 28, 1969, the queer patrons at The Stonewall Inn New York Cy had enough. 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 years later, Pri month * gay protest songs *
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.
After police nverged on the bar to arrt and harass the LGBTQ atten, as was ctomary, many fought back, sparkg what would spire the gay liberatn movement. “This Hell” tak that famo assertn and throws back the fac of the homophob wieldg as their cudgel — if we’re all gog to Hell anyway, then we may as well enjoy the ri down.
* gay protest songs *
” An explosn of bottled-up dignatn, the song se the sger-songwrg barrg his way through societal failur like homophobia, e equaly, police btaly, gun vlence, polil rptn and much more. While the song may not have the fiery energy of other prott songs, the lyrics directly ll out police btaly, homophobic vlence and those who sist that queer people are ls than human. The rult was Gossip’s “Standg In the Way of Control, ” an angry kiss-off to policians, homophob and anyone else who wanted to keep queer people down.
While some classics do appear on our list, others do not – sorry, Gloria Gaynor, Kylie Mogue, RuPl, Brney and Cher, we still adore you — here are 25 sential pri songs om the 1970s to today. Somewhat rctively lled the “Queen of Dis, ” the virtuosic, openly gay sger approached genr ( his performative and private liv) as a fluid, non-bary ncept a pre–Judh Butler era. Although seems most of Queen’s fans were cluels as to how openly gay and subversive ontman Freddie Mercury was – spe the unabashed swank of his stage prence – he also never really tried to hi .