20 Rockin Gay Moments

**Bec** · 06-13-2007, 12:34 AM

http://www.spinner.com/2007/06/08/20...moments-no-20/

Pretty fun to look what got included in an overview of gay moments in rock and roll.

**Jasun** · 06-13-2007, 11:06 AM

I think a couple of those are kinda off.

The Eminem/Elton thing isn't a "rocking gay moment" but a publicity stunt dreamed up by Eminem's people. It wasn't him saying "I like gay people" becuase he said later that he didn't even know Elton was gay.

And the Madonna/Britney thing was just exploitive.. neither one is gay.

**LavenderLounge** · 06-13-2007, 12:25 PM

Arrggh! I want to strangle someone!

The list was obviously made by a committee with the intention of getting as many saleable contemporary artists mentioned in key words - and then penned by a straight girl who was the only one on staff who knew an actual gay (but it was back in college...)

**Jasun** · 06-13-2007, 01:10 PM

I have to agree.

Let's come up with our own...

1) Queen releases "Innuendo"

Freddie Mercury was so sick he sang most of the vocals on Queens last real studio album while sitting in a wheel chair. Although it does have a bit of a "goodbye" message, most of the album is from such a positive stand point the album comes across as a bitch-slap. You can almost hear Freddie screaming "I'm about to die and I'm still happier than you. Stop whining and love your life, you're not going to live forever."

2) Rough Trade sings "High School confidential"

Carol Pope would joke that only gay people got the joke. It was hard to miss a song sung by a woman about how the blonde bombshell in high school made her "cream my jeans" but most people were so clued out they thought Carol was just a man with a slightly higher voice. Gay audiences ate it up, however, and it still works as a gay anthem of un-requented high school crushes.

3) Frankie goes to Hollywood discovers edging

While most of the UK and the world were laying back in their easy chairs, recovering from punk rock and listening to Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney politely argue over which one of the "the girl" wanted, five young men from Liverpool grabbed radio by the balls, turned it around, stuck amyl nitrate up its nose and fucked it up the ass. Frankie would tell men of the world it was cool to be gay, have hot steamy sex and not cum too fast. We would listen.

4) Boy George shocks America

Not by dressing as a woman. Oddly enough, the shock of that wore off very quickly. But while accepting an award for Best New Artist via sattellite, Boy George called himself a "Drag Queen," thus waking America up from their denial that he was even into guys.

5) George Michael finally comes out

Nothing shocking about that. But gay fans had a giggle at the expense of the rest of America who actually fell for all the making out with girls he did in his videos. Straight people are so clueless.

6) Mika tells gay people they're boring but they should buy his album anyway.

While being interviewed for a cover story on Out magazine, one-hit-wonder Miak commented that "talking about your sexuality is so boring" but still lamented that he didn't have any gay fans. Apparently unaware that simply being "flambouyant" wasn't enough to get a gay audience, Mika insulted the very audience he wanted to get by refusing to come out himself. THAT isn't he moment that rocks. What rocks is how the gay press outed him anyway, told him he was a lame-ass and sent him packing.

**Lee** · 06-15-2007, 12:02 AM

Im kinda with Jasun on this, the list really does look like it was put together by a PR person rather than someone interested in actual 'gay' landmarks in music.

Regards,

Lee

**XXXWriterDude** · 06-15-2007, 03:33 PM

I actually like the list. Apart from the Madonna/Britney thing (which, Jasun is right, isn't gay) and the Eminem/Elton thing (blah), the other choices are pretty cool. "Glad to be Gay" and Hedwig are definitely two that would have been on my list as well. There were several things that were included (including the "Tutti Fruitti" thing) that were very interesting.

The Homocore movement was left out completely, probably because it was such an underground phenonmenon.

I also would have chosen Extra Fancy's video for "Sinnerman," which MTV ran on "120 Minutes" a few times. It was a hot video with Alexis Arquette.

Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" video should have been on there. Anything by Dead or Alive. Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" video and, of course, Duran Duran's "Wild Boys," which was gay gay gay!

And I still think that moment when Bono whispered in The Edge's ear for that video "Numb" was pretty damned gay.

**SPACE GLIDER** · 06-16-2007, 04:08 AM

There was an MTV video awards ... on of the earliest telecasts fromm the early 80's. It had Boy George dressed in his usual girlish clothes ... and Annie Lennox performed dressed as ELVIS!

Is Annie gay?

**SPACE GLIDER** · 06-17-2007, 03:43 AM

anyone?

Okay, I'll google ...

**Jasun** · 06-17-2007, 03:48 AM

No.

she's not.

married with kids.

in the 80s everyone dressed crazy just to get on MTV/.

**BuzzWestChris** · 06-17-2007, 04:03 AM

No Offense, Why is Rufus Wairight<sp> #1???? After all these "Centuries" ok Many Many Years is he number 1?

Just my thought, and also the Extra Alcahol I had tonight....LOL

P.S. gotta luv the weekends

Chris

desslock · 06-18-2007, 01:19 AM

Man.... I guess my websites in my 30s really pulled me out of pop culture. I don't ever remember hearing Michael Stipe's official coming out. (Like that's surprising news tough....)

I agree with LavenderLounge Mark that the list reads like a committee project.

I mean.... come on - no Bronski Beat / Jimmy Sommerville? Or what about Marc Almond? My association with "gay pop" for the 1980s was fueled by those guys... but I guess they probably weren't widely known in the US outside of gay disco circles.

On a related note - the other day I ran across some tracks from Soft Cell's Non Stop Erotic Cabaret. I originally picked that LP up in a bargain bin like in 1985 at age fifteen. I played it all through high school. I hadn't really heard it in years (except maybe some 50 millionth Tainted Love remix)

Listening to it the other day, I found it very intriguing to hear all these portents to things I had subsequently become much more familiar with in life --- seedy / sleazy films, nights in smoky bars, frustrations with age, and, of course the "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" torch song.

Steve

**SPACE GLIDER** · 06-18-2007, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by desslock

Man.... I guess my websites in my 30s really pulled me out of pop culture. I don't ever remember hearing Michael Stipe's official coming out.

On VH1 years ago he said. "I stood on stage wearing a skirt and eye makeup". I really didn't think I needed to make a grandstatement telling people what they didn't already know."