Music and the Queer Community: How Music Has Helped Us Love Ourselves written by Austin Mendoza illustration by Nieves Winslow, layout by Shay Suban What does a queer person turn to when struggling to love themself in a heteronormative society? For me, the answer is music: songs by Lady Gaga, Sia, and Troye Sivan defined my journey to self-love and acceptance. Indeed, music has inspired queer people and defined queer culture for decades. Many queer artists have used their platforms to defy societal gender expectations. Marlene Dietrich, who became a widely acclaimed cabaret performer after her extensive film career, was openly bisexual for the duration of her musical career that spanned the 1950s and 60s. In
addition, she openly defied gender norms in her cabaret, dressing in both masculine and feminine clothes during every performance. Sylvester was an openly queer disco artist whose androgynous appearance and drag performances were singularly unique in the 1970s. His 1978 hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” became one of the best-selling disco tracks of all time, earning him the moniker “Queen of Disco.” In 1993, RuPaul emerged from the New York drag scene into the national consciousness with “Supermodel (You Better Work).” His later albums, eponymous 90s talk show, and RuPaul’s Drag Race have all helped 15
