Music Queer

A song written like a film script: the story of the daily life of a young gay man who has to leave his town to escape ostracism and violence.

Legendary French singer Charles Trenet’s song uses poetic imagery to depict the Jardin des Tuileries, a gay cruising area in Paris.

In 2014 Conchita Wurst became the first bearded drag queen to win the Eurovision Song Contest with an affirming anthem of queer identity.

French singer Eddy de Pretto talks about homophobia and unrealistic expectations of masculinity in a very personal song.

Straight to the point, Girl In Red sings of her same-sex desire and her love for another woman. I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend went viral and became an anthem for a generation of lesbians.

The classic breakup song by Gloria Gayner is a feminist song that was adopted by the gay community as a anthem against adversity.

1985. In an atmosphere of rising homophobia and moral panic around AIDS, French rock group sing about non-binary identities.

The first queer song to win Eurovision was a crooner’s calling out of discrimination against homosexuals.

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz is a song of hope and a symbol of a better world for the queer community.

In an era when female homosexuality was invisible, Juliette Gréco sings about lesbians with animal metaphors and mischievous humour.

With his countertenor voice and synthesisers, Klaus Nomi created an alien persona that blurred the lines between genres and challenged conventions.

How can you be black, gay and believe in God in America in 2021? Lil Nas X has the answer.

What if one of the most famous songs from early rock and roll was about gay desire? Consummate entertainer Little Richard was a queer presence in the early fifties.

Ma Rainey sang candidly and confidently about her relationships with women in the 1920s. As a black and bisexual woman, she turned the blues into a space of queer freedom.

One of the first songs in French to deal with a young lesbian’s desire to have children. It was written in the wake of the major anti-gay rights protests in France in 2013.

Sexy Sushi celebrate lesbian desire with racy lyrics as part of a queer scene that’s all about humour and fun.

In 1978 a high-energy disco track burns up the dancefloors of San Francisco in a frenzy of fulfilment, power and authenticity.

Troye Sivan plays with drag, desire and gender roles in his pop songs which are steeped in queer tradition.

What’s the link between Christianity and queer club culture? In 1978 the answer was Village People’s YMCA.