Gay Love Songs: Men Sgg About Men – Billboard

Contents:

• THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG
• 30 GAY LOVE SONGS: MEN SGG ABOUT MEN
• COLUMNIST LLS ON UNIVERSY OF VIRGIA TO ELIMATE FIGHT SONG OVER ‘NOT GAY’ CHANT
• ULTIMATE PRI PLAYLIST: THE 50 BT GAY SONGS

THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG

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. ” 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. “Organs” serv that purpose, potg out the Rsian ernment’s ntempt for any perceived subversn, cludg homosexualy.

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.

30 GAY LOVE SONGS: MEN SGG ABOUT MEN

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. The Gay Liberatn Front had been anisg diss and danc for 18 months prr to the march, and 1, 200 people scend on Kensgton town hall shortly before Christmas 1970 for Bra’s first publicly advertised gay dis, fillg the place to pacy, wh 500 revellers turned away at the door.

COLUMNIST LLS ON UNIVERSY OF VIRGIA TO ELIMATE FIGHT SONG OVER ‘NOT GAY’ CHANT

There were no LGBTQ+ bands, and no artists makg rerds for LGBTQ+ people; at least most of the acts playg those early danc – cludg David Bowie, Hawkwd and Pk Fairi – were sympathetic to the e of gay liberatn, but the discs beg spun were the same on you would hear the ntemporary sgl would soon change, and as annual Pri events began to spread across the untry, artists and songwrers spired by the gay liberatn movement began to make mic specifilly for LGBTQ+ dienc. Everyone Involved – A Gay Song (1972)It’s a toss-up as to what would be the world’s first gay liberatn rerd: many would argue that Stone Wall Natn by Male Davis, wrten March 1971, predat the UK release A Gay Song, first performed that year.

ULTIMATE PRI PLAYLIST: THE 50 BT GAY SONGS

But wh lyrics by Gay Liberatn Front activist Alan Wakeman, A Gay Song is the first rerdg by a Brish act to explicly addrs the LGBTQ+ muny a posive appeared on the album Eher/Or by a llective known as Everyone Involved, and featured volunteers om the GLF on vols.

Coverg them such as elogy, world peace and ee love a rog folk-rock arrangement, Eher/Or also clud a send gay-themed song, A Sad Song, sung by Gillian Dickson of folk quartet the Solid Brish Hat Band.

“Alan and I were always keen to make our songs reflect somethg of our personali and we liked the tle Do You Like Boys, which uld appeal equally to gays as well as girls. ”Acrdg to Briley, “to promote this song we were flown to Germany on a tour of what turned out to be gay diss”; Gay News highlighted s “potential to bee a dis favoure”. Post-Starbuck, Briley and Engle appeared on the soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Briley has wrten songs for dozens of artists cludg Monkee Peter Tork, Céle Dn, ‘NSync and Pat Elg – Don’t Leave Your Lover Lyg Around (Dear) (1974)As mp as a pantomime dame, drippg nuendo and plete wh pub piano and a chos of A’t She Sweet, this sgle sparked ntroversy: Elg’s team suggted that the BBC had dropped plans to feature Don’t Leave Your Lover Lyg Around (Dear) as rerd of the week on the David Haton show bee of the obvly gay lyrics, leadg his manager to veigle his way to Broadstg Hoe and p pi of Gay News on noticeboards throughout the buildg.

Dpe his efforts, the sgle was a flop, and no rerd that told a story om an LGBTQ+ pot of view would bother the Brish charts until 1978 – (Sg If You’re) Glad to be Gay by the Tom Robson band, which charted (as part of the Risg Free EP) Febary 1978, reachg number 18. Valento – I Was Born This Way (1975)Outsi members-only clubs, pub backrooms and the ocsnal gay-iendly dner-and-dance venue, there were no permanent gay diss Bra until Bang!