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A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" were written intentionally to become gay anthems, but those that do are often marked by themes of perseverance, inner strength, acceptance, pride, and unity. [2] Research in 2007 suggested that the song most commonly identified as a gay anthem is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and described the song as "a classic emblem of gay culture in the post-Stonewall and AIDS eras". [3] [4]
Other classic gay anthems include Village People's "Y.M.C.A.", [5] [6] The Weather Girls's "It's Raining Men", [7] [8] Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out", [4] and ABBA's "Dancing Queen". [2]
Although every song is individual, the criteria for what makes a gay anthem has shown a trend among the years. In the 2002 book Queer, the following ten main themes were listed that are common among many, if not all gay anthems: [7] [2]
Madonna's "Vogue", George Michael's Fastlove, Mariah Carey's "Hero", Lisa Stansfield's The Real Thing, Ultra Naté's "Free", Janet Jackson's "Together Again", Cher's "Believe", Mylène Farmer's "Sans Contrefaçon" and "Libertine", Jessica Simpson's "I Think I'm in Love with You" and "A Public Affair", Kylie Minogue's "Spinning Around","Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Padam Padam", Geri Halliwell's "It's Raining Men", Dannii Minogue's "I Begin to Wonder", Melanie C's "Never Be the Same Again" and "Think About It", Tamar Braxton's "Hot Sugar" and "My Man", Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", and Ariana Grande's "Break Free" are considered as gay anthems for the new generation. [2]
Through the first decade of the 21st century, chart-topping popular songs became a "refuge of unambiguous support for gay rights" in a time when legal support for LGBT rights in the US was lagging (Don't Ask, Don't Tell would be repealed in 2011, and same-sex marriage would only be fully legalized in 2015). Even before its single release, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was predicted by Elton John to replace Gloria Gaynor's classic gay anthem "I Will Survive". [4] [2] UK LGBT rights charity Stonewall named Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the 2000s decade for LGBT people. [9] [10]
American singer and actress Madonna is an ally recognized as a gay icon. She was introduced, while still a teenager, by her dance instructor, Christopher Flynn, an openly gay man who mentored her. Since then, Madonna has always acknowledged the importance of the community for her life and career, declaring that she "wouldn't have a career if it weren't for the gay community".
A gay icon is a public figure who is regarded as a cultural icon by members of the LGBT community. Such figures usually have a devoted LGBT fanbase and act as allies to the LGBT community, often through their work, or they have been "openly appreciative of their gay fanbase". Many gay icons also have a camp aesthetic style, which is part of their appeal to LGBT individuals.
The rainbow flag or pride flag is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBT pride began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBT rights events worldwide.
Troye Sivan Mellet is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with EMI Australia in 2013 and released his third EP, TRXYE (2014), which peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, "Happy Little Pill", reached the top 10 on Australian music charts. In 2015, he released his fourth extended play, Wild, followed by his debut studio album, Blue Neighbourhood. The album's lead single, "Youth", became Sivan's first single to enter the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 23.
Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republic Records in 2021.
LGBT representations in hip hop music have existed since the birth of the genre even while enduring blatant discrimination. Due to its adjacency to disco, the earliest days of hip hop had a close relation to LGBT subcultures, and multiple LGBT DJs have played a role in popularizing hip hop. Despite this early involvement, hip hop has long been portrayed as one of the least LGBT-friendly genres of music, with a significant body of the genre containing homophobic views and anti-gay lyrics, with mainstream artists such as Eminem and Tyler, the Creator having used homophobia in their lyrics. Attitudes towards homosexuality in hip hop culture have historically been negative, with slang that uses homosexuality as a punchline such as "sus", "no homo", and "pause" being heard in hip hop lyrics from some of the industry's biggest artists. Since the early 2000s there has been a flourishing community of LGBTQ+ hip hop artists, activists, and performers breaking barriers in the mainstream music industry.
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He has collaborated with rock band Queen as lead vocalist for Queen + Adam Lambert since 2011. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that combine his theatrical training with modern and classic genres.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+(LGBTQ+)music is music that focuses on the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a product of the broad gay liberation movement.
Peppermint, or Miss Peppermint, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, television personality, drag queen, and activist. She is best known from the nightlife scene and, in 2017, as the runner-up on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. In 2018, Peppermint made her debut in The Go-Go's-inspired musical Head Over Heels as Pythio, becoming Broadway's first out trans woman to originate a lead role.
Brian Michael Firkus, better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, and singer-songwriter originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is known for her exaggerated, high-camp style and blend of comedy and acoustic pop. In 2015 she competed on the seventh season of the drag competition RuPaul's Drag Race, where she finished in 6th place. In 2018, she went on to win the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
Emily Marie Consuelo Estefan is an American singer. She is the daughter of producer Emilio Estefan and the Cuban singer Gloria Estefan. She has produced and directed her own debut album, Take Whatever You Want.
Christopher Delmar Caldwell, known by his stage name Caldwell Tidicue, and better known as his drag name Bob the Drag Queen, is an American drag queen, comedian, actor, activist, musician, and reality television personality. He is best known for winning the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. As of 2020, he has more than one million followers on Instagram and was the first Black Drag Race queen to reach the milestone. After Drag Race, he pursued acting, appearing in television shows such as High Maintenance (2016), Tales of the City (2019), and A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019). In 2020, he began co-hosting We're Here on HBO alongside fellow Drag Race contestants Eureka O'Hara and Shangela.
Muna is an American indie pop band consisting of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. They released two studio albums with RCA Records, About U (2017) and Saves the World (2019), before signing with independent label Saddest Factory Records, which released their third studio album, Muna, in June 2022.
Nina West is the stage name of Andrew Robert Levitt, who is an American drag queen, queer activist, actor, and singer-songwriter based in Columbus, Ohio. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality. She was named the Top Local Artist of 2019 by Columbus Underground. Levitt has also created three EPs—Drag Is Magic, John Goodman, and The West Christmas Ever, which were all released in 2019.
Montero Lamar Hill, better known by his stage name Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2019 country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running number-one song since the U.S. Billboard Hot 100's 1958 inception. During the course of this, Lil Nas X came out as gay, becoming the only artist to do so while having a number-one record.
"You Need to Calm Down" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the second single from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Republic Records released it for download and streaming on June 14, 2019. Written and produced by Swift and Joel Little, "You Need to Calm Down" is an upbeat electropop and synth-pop song that is set over steady synth beats and has a refrain of ascending echoes. In the lyrics, Swift addresses Internet trolls and homophobes and voices her support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Daniel Pitout, known professionally as Orville Peck, is a South African country musician based in the United States. He wears a fringed mask and does not show his face publicly. He released his debut album Pony in 2019, followed by the EP Show Pony the next year. His second studio album Bronco was released on April 8, 2022.
Siena Liggins is an Atlanta-based pop musician.
LGBTQ Nation is an American online news magazine headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 2009 and is currently owned by Q.Digital. The website is primarily marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through its parent company, it is affiliated with three other sites: Queerty,GayCities, and INTO.
Many call it an anthem for the LGBTQ community.
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