The Troubles of Coming Out in the Music Industry

words by: Daisy Gaunt design by: Priyansha Kamdar

Coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community has never been easy, and although the legal restrictions on homosexuality have lessened, the societal restrictions somewhat remain.

The process of owning your sexuality publicly is never easy; unfortunately it is the nature of the world we live in, although there are relatively new anti-discrimination laws that protect members of the LGBTQ+ community publicly, revealing one’s true self can often be met with social prejudices and apprehensions. Speaking at a Stonewall event in 2018, Years & Years musician Olly Alexander revealed that during the band’s media training, he was advised "maybe its better not to say anything about your sexuality at all", adding "I’m sure she said it with the very best intentions", yet, pop songs created by straight musicians can often be graphically sexual and open; clearly discriminatory behaviour still exists. Despite gay culture being the underlying force behind most popular music trends in the 1970s and 1980s, being open with one’s sexuality was massively frowned upon. At this point, it is important to remember that homosexuality was actually illegal until 1967 under the Vagrancy Act of 1898.

As a result, the majority of the consumer population had grown up switch the view that homosexuality was an illegal lifestyle choice rather than an unshakable element of identity. On an episode of Top of the Pops in 1972, David Bowie was filmed putting his arm around producer and guitarist Mick Ronson, which, according to The Guardian, sent "Middle-England reeling", and a storm of complaints ensued accusing the show of promoting homosexuality.

It seems confusing then, that although the music industry was dominated by male flamboyance, members of the LGBTQ+ community could not express themselves fully. By the mid-seventies, Elton John was one of the biggest pop-stars of all time, releasing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in 1973 and singing it at the top of his lungs in bright orange, jewel-encrusted sunglasses, and a fluorescent jacket. His flamboyance and grandeur was second to none, and he could embrace stereotypically homosexual aesthetics. Even though, throughout his career highs in the sixties and seventies he had sexual relationships with other men, in 1984 he married a woman, Renate Blaue. A disturbing trend surrounding those in the public eye - especially in the creative industries - was having a "beard"; the term used to describe a woman who accompanied men to social events in an attempt to hide their sexuality, such as singer Little Richard, who in 1995 announced in an interview that he always knew he was gay, but married a woman in the fifties to prevent the press gossip which would have at the time ended his career.

The early eighties brought slight solace for those wishing to come out in the music industry. In 1979 Heaven nightclub in London first opened its doors, now an iconic staple for many, its opening symbolised progression and acceptance. A home for all LGBTQ+ community members to listen to the music of their peers and live their authentic selves, even if it was only for a few hours. Madonna’s Vogue was being played out of every car and storefront, a song based around the dancing of gay ballroom culture, the gravity of these moments cannot be underestimated.

However, as tempestuous as it was abrupt, liberation and acceptance ground to a halt with the arrival of what was known as the "Gay Cancer"; HIV and AIDS. London had its first AIDS-related death in 1981, which was only confirmed to be such later on. After this, the numbers continued to rise uncontrollably. This ultimately lead to Section 28 coming into law in 1988, where anything deemed to be "promoting homosexuality" was banned in schools. To put this into perspective, if a child was being bullied on the premise they were gay, teachers would probably not intervene based purely on the fact they didn’t think it was even legal to do so. However, underneath all the outward homophobia, members of LGBTQ+ circles in the music industries came out sneakily; in 1984, Bronski Beat released a single about a gay man fleeing his homophobic small town and this charted globally; a middle-finger to the permeating prejudice gay people were subject to; almost reminiscent of Lil Nas’ controversial latest music video release, where he takes the "all gay people go to hell" trope to a whole new level.

It must be stressed that the process of coming out, especially in the public eye, is never easy, and is something an LGBTQ+ person doesn’t just do once; it is a repeated process. So even though it is a hell of a lot easier to live authentically in the music industry today, we still have a long way to go. Section 28 was only eradicated in England and Wales in 2003, just eighteen years ago, so LGBTQ+ people in the music industry would have predominantly grown up experiencing the scarring effects of this law first hand. Their struggles, according to musician Andrea Di Giovanni, make the music far more pure; ‘it made my art more real, raw, honest, and less manufactured’.

Popular teen movies Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Love Simon (2018) brought together worldwide audiences to the experience of young LGBTQ+ persons. However most of these films pushed male-narratives of coming out experiences or struggling sexual identity, leaving a rather large gap for other LGBTQ+ representation. My first encounter with lesbian representation within mainstream television was Orange Is the New Black (2013). The rawness and normalisation of homosexual relationships within the show helped me start exploring my own sexuality as the experiences I watched resonated with an incredible sense of comfort with me. I hope to see more LGBTQ+ characters that serve as role models for children and young adults so that they have someone to look up to. I always wonder if I had accessed LGBTQ+ representation earlier on in my life, whether I would have started exploring my sexuality earlier as well.

Britney Spears’ Conservatorship: Explained

Britney Spears’s private life has once more become the most talked about topic in both American and international media. First entering the world of music and glamor with her song ‘Baby One More Time’ in the late 1990s, Spears has been in the public eye ever since, becoming a household name. She’s been considered as one of the most celebrated American stars and one of the highest earning celebrities. Unfortunately, she has become embroiled in a legal battle that concerns both her public and private affairs. A court approved conservatorship has been imposed since her public unravelling in 2008, which gives her legal guardians full rights to manage her financialand private life. A conservatorship is granted in America for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions due to serious mental health conditions, and is similar to a deputyship or power of attorney in the UK. Her conservatorship is split into two parts- one is her business and financialaffairs, while the other is for her personal self. Under this agreement her father, Jamie Spears, legally controls her estate, career and private life.

This case gained enormous media attention with the premiere of the Framing Britney Spears documentary in February 2021, which prompted a series of accusations towards her father alleging that the star is essentially being held hostage. Even though sources close to the pop star have dismissed these claims, and other conspiracy theories, her fans continue to push the #freebritney campaign on social media and have been seen during her court hearings. Even after Britney herself insisted that she’s okay in 2019, the Free Britney machine developed in a way that she had to hire a damage control team to curb these claims. Her attorney, Stanon Stein, has also rejected the claims that she had been coerced or manipulated in any way.

A Timeline of Britney’s Conservatorship:

In 2008, Britney’s pictures went viral when she was seen driving with a baby on her lap. An outburst which culminated with her hitting a paparazzi’s car with an umbrella, and her freshly shaved head, further attracted controversy. She was later twice committed to a psychiatric ward, known in California as the 5150 hold. After her second hold, her father, Jamie Spears petitioned in the L.A. County Superior Court for an emergency temporary conservatorship of his daughter’s estate and wellbeing, which was subsequently made permanent. From 2009 to 2019 the conservatorship was reviewed yearly, and was granted a regular extension. In 2019, Jamie requested to have the conservatorship extended to three more states, including Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii. Later in the year, Jamie faced accusations that concerned the physical exploitation of Britney’s 14 year old son, Sean. He stepped down as Britney’s primary conservator and her long-time manager, Jodi Montgomery, temporarily took over his duties. However, he still continued to be a co-conservator for his daughter. During 2020, the conservatorship was extended twice. Firstly, in February, it got extended until 30th April with Montgomery being the temporary conservator, before the L.A. County decided to extend the conservatorship until at least the 22nd of August. In the following autumn, Britney’s lawyers filedto oppose sealing parts of the conservatorship. She fought her father’s move to appoint a co-conservator of her estate and instead wanted somebody independent to take up the role. Around the same time, the US media was reporting that As February rolled around, Framing Britney Spears was released by the New York Times. After the premiere of this documentary, Britney had her first court hearing of 2021, which saw Jamie Spears object to sharing control of his daughter’s property and investments. This was subsequently rejected by the court. The case is currently being handled in a probate court with Jamie Spears and the Bessemer Trust both being the co-conservators moving forward. In order to end this conservatorship, Britney needs to prove that she can manage without the imposed assistance.

While the documentary may have sparked a resurgence of attention, support for Britney from her fans has been constant during her conservatorship period. Since 2009 her fans have objected to the conservatorship arrangement and have wanted Britney to be both independent and solely responsible for her affairs. Even during the time of her conservatorship, Spears was releasing an album every two to three years, and was still embarking on global tours. Her last album, Glory, was released five years ago. Following the release of the documentary, she tweeted "I love being on stage... but I am taking time to learn and be a normal person. I love simply enjoying the basics of everyday life." words by: Shivika Singh design by: Maja Metera