UNITING The LGBTQIA+ Community Through Music

From George Michael to Girl in Red, the LGBTQ+ community has produced some brilliant musicians. Our contributors explore how the community has been united through music and what it means to them:

'I first felt connected to Anna Calvi’s music at 15, where I stopped to watch her set at the 2019 Latitude Festival. I had heard her album Hunter on repeat at home, but I never understood the force of Calvi’s operatic range and display of androgyny until I saw her live. She mesmerised me immediately, and I knew I had to do a Spotify deep dive of Calvi’s discography. Her first album (self-titled) was released in 2011, with the track Suzanne and I being a queer standout. The very title of the track unapologetically hints towards a relationship between two women; Calvi’s voice repeating in a ricocheting vibrato ‘Suzanne and I, Suzanne and I’. However, it was relistening to her ten-track third album Hunter that drew me in, being both sultry yet aggressive, and discreet yet brutally honest, resonating with me feeling stuck between being cautious and proud about expressing my sexuality as a teen. The album deals with topics such as suppressed sexuality, the conflict between gender expression and stereotypes and how they affect a relationship between two women. Calvi’s exploration of these issues allows members of the LGBTQ+ community to experience a sense of belonging and unity, making them realise that their experiences are not singular and subsequently feel more understood.'

Words by Izzy Walsh

Design by Isla McCormack

'Growing up and coming to terms with my bisexuality, the bands I listened to shaped my views on acceptance and the importance of loving yourself and those around you. Whilst not LGBTQ+, The Script, my favourite band of all time, have made albums that consistently champion staying true to your own identity. They explored themes of sexuality and identity in their 2017 album Freedom Child, more specifically in songs such as ‘Make Up’ and the titular track itself. They are a band who advocate for their concerts being a safe space for fans – to quote Danny O’Donoghue, “promot[ing] the freedom of expression, to do what you want to do, be who you want to be, and love who you want to love”.

Aside from The Script, bands like The 1975 and My Chemical Romance inspired me to reciprocate hate through love. ‘Loving Someone’, a track from The 1975’s second album, presses the importance of combatting social hypocrisies when it comes to violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community, majority of whom mean absolutely no harm and just want to express their love. Music has not just given me identity, it has been a voice for when I have lost my own. It is so important that musicians continue to stress the importance of equality, as well as advocate for love and peace for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.'

Words by Tegan Davies