Gay black music artist
12 Black LGBTQ Artists Who Shaped the 2010s
With the decade coming to a denouement, Billboard is looking back on the many Black LGBTQ musicians who blossomed in the last decade, people who added to the musical mosaic of the 2010s.
Music hasn’t traditionally been the most forgiving domain for artists of the Black LGBTQ experience, so it’s given us pleasure over the last ten years to see the ascension of often overshadowed talents. From Frank Ocean’s procession up the charts to MNEK’s proficient stylus and arresting voice, here’s our list of 12 Shadowy LGBTQ chameleons who’ve made the 2010s more layered and alluring.
Frank Ocean
Best famous as a member of hip-hop collective Odd Future at the start of the decade, Frank Ocean has grown into the sonic solo powerhouse we adore today. With the release of his 2011 mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA and his subsequent debut album, channel ORANGE, in 2012, Ocean consolidated himself as an immovable force on the edge of music’s future. With 2016 release of Blonde, which soared to the top of the Billboard 200, Frank continued to work with a throng of cultural icons, such as Beyoncé an
Black queer artists like Ma Rainey, James Baldwin, Nina Simone, Lorraine Hansberry, and Essex Hemphill have all made it a bit easier for me to dream. I was born in a perfect era as a feminine black gay man interested in being apart of pop culture and music to possess a fighting chance of making a living off of that desire. The dreams I’m dreaming are large, but tangible. They are made possible because of the legacies black gay artists before me have left.
However, there is no black queer artist that opened up my imagination about who I can be while affirming who I am like disco icon—often referred to as The Queen of Disco—Sylvester.
Sylvester performed as a drag artist early in his career and covered blues classics by Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. He was known on underground drag circuits as the queen with the beautiful, soulful voice able to mimic the jazz and blues legends of the past. In the overdue 1970s he became a sensation with “Do You Want to Funk” and “Dance (Disco Heat),” which turned the world into a discotech and every discotech into a pulpit. His background singers Izora Armstead and Martha Wash would later get their own fame as disco sensation, The Weather Girls (1
Think about how many mainstream hits from the last few years you can easily recall.
Now, how many can you name that were created by openly black LGBTQ+ artists?
Sadly, that number is likely much smaller.
This stark difference highlights the ongoing struggle for true representation and public presence in the music industry. Black LGBTQIA+ artists give unique sounds and stories that should be at the forefront of accepted music – not relegated to the sidelines.
Yet even with this imbalance, groundbreaking queer musicians are out there rewriting the rules. These artists aren't just shaping the future of music, they are inspiring activism, fostering community, and embodying the transformative influence that music holds. They are taking matters into their own hands, displaying the world just how vibrant and vital their voices are.
It is moment to not only help the brilliant black gender non-conforming singers who have carved and are carving their path today but serve actively to dismantle systemic biases so that the next generation of artists can take center stage without boundaries.
It's not enough to simply admire their talent – we must also become active in their support. That me
Today, the LGBTQ+ society can look to several gay musicians for inspiration, but that wasn’t always the case. Several pioneering openly lgbtq+ singers paved the way from a time when sexual orientation wasn’t a topic for general discussion.
Indeed, these legendary gay musicians faced tremendous backlash and damage to their careers because of their honesty and openness.
As we investigate queer performance art, we pay homage to those who came before us. In this piece, we’ll list some of the most influential names in the queer art movement and their impact on our past and present.
Being an Openly Same-sex attracted Musician
Undoubtedly, the business industry has enter a long way in accepting and representing LGBTQ+ individuals. However, it wasn't always this way, especially for musicians.
Coming out as a gay musician in the 20th century was no miniature feat. It required immense courage and determination, especially when the music industry was predominantly hetero-normative.
Sexuality was not only a taboo topic for public discussion but could also result in alienation from fans and even cause harm to one's career. As such, many gay musicians chose to keep their sexual orientation concealed