LGBT in Progressive Rock

Textbook wrote: I don't think you at all need an LGBT artist to make an LGBT song. I mean Peter Gabriel's white so that makes Biko pointless? No. You can put yourself in other people's shoes. For some people, Rod Stewart's The Killing Of Georgie is a key LGBT song.   Also I once had a discussion about which musician had done the most to inject gay culture into music and I think it was David Bowie, a heterosexual. Though not gay he knew loads of gay people and was very familiar with that scene and drew on gay/transgendered culture for inspiration for key periods of his career, paving the way for male musicians to do all sorts of things they "weren't supposed to do".

I do believe David is on record as being bi, but settling for straight.  If there is a gay scene, but don't assume all gays are into it. 


Edited by Slartibartfast - March 15 2012 at 05:20

I don't think you at all need an LGBT artist to make an LGBT song. I mean Peter Gabriel's white so that makes Biko pointless? No. You can put yourself in other people's shoes. For some people, Rod Stewart's The Killing Of Georgie is a key LGBT song.

You know, I mentioned to my students in my music class that Little Richard was gay and they were shocked because, and I am quoting, he didn't "sing like a gay." I asked how a gay sings and they did a sissy, feminine squeak. I was genuinely disgusted.

the object of one's affection is often written about in popular music, even if somewhat less in prog.  That often includes the use of pronouns to imply the sex of that person, and therefore the sexual preference of the writer.  If a LGBT singer/songwriter sings honestly about this, it can be construed as political, just for being mentioned.  But, while equal rights do not exist everywhere, it remains a political issue which happens to be tied up in sexual preference, just as is being disabled in some way and not being provided reasonable accommodation or being treated with dignity.

Edited by kenethlevine - March 14 2012 at 22:21

A question I see getting raised a lot in the last page or so is -- to paraphrase as I understand it -- if we're so enlightened and tolerant of the gay sexual orientation (if in fact we are), then why do we make a point of singling it out, classifying it as if it were different from anything else?  Wouldn't it be better to just say everyone's essentially the same and sexual orientation doesn't matter?

Edited by HolyMoly - March 14 2012 at 22:15

Obviously the Neal Morse thing was a hysterical* joke but there is an interesting thing about artists that people "know" are gay but haven't come out. Michael Stipe from REM was an example of this (until he did come out recently) but anyone close to the band knew that he'd dated only men since the late 80's. Probably the best remaining example is Morrissey who refuses to answer any questions about his love/sex life (and always has) but, well, we all know don't we, largely but not exclusively down to how regularly references to homosexuality pop up in his lyrics. And yet there's this sort of "Well we can't say he's gay because he didn't say it himself first" thing, which I understand, it's someone's decision to come out, what Carrie Fisher did to John Travolta was pretty scummy, but it's wierd to act like you don't know someone is but you do.

colorofmoney91 wrote: The T wrote: As if we didn't have enough categories in PA already... I feel the need to create a thread based on prog rock artists with gastrointestinal problems; hey, I feel identified. I have gastrointestinal problems

Ok we can create about prog fans with gastrointestinal problems then...

darkshade wrote: Andy Webb wrote: colorofmoney91 wrote: Textbook wrote: Neal Morse, though he's closeted. This is not okay to say.

It's not okay to assume he's using the word "closet" in any different way than "cabinet for storing clothing".

Andy Webb wrote: colorofmoney91 wrote: Textbook wrote: Neal Morse, though he's closeted. This is not okay to say.