So I found an article about how Prince's song "I Would Die 4 U" is now labelled as a song "of survival" for the LGBTQ community:

https://cnews.danhngon.pr...LaLIXCSPmg

Now Prince was known for being androgenous, though he never clearly showed same-gender scenes in his music videos (even his more raunchier ones). That said, he had never said anything derogatory towards gay people.

He liked to dress as a girl, but he always claimed that he was being "free" as exclusively himself - he wasn't trying to be a woman or a man. This mindset would click with genderfluid or non-binary people today.

So he never clearly addressed gay people and their political issues, but he was not derogatory towards them. So maybe he was pro-gay but simply undisclose this?

SoftSkarlettLovisa said:

So he never clearly addressed gay people and their political issues, but he was not derogatory towards them.

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Apart from telling Wendy & Lisa to renounce their homosexuality in public. There was also once a news item on his official site where he complained about a fan being "too fabulous" when they approached him, and I recall Vicki from 7 Magazine posting other evidence on the PPML back in the late 1990s.

The general ethos around Prince and the Revolution in the early 80s seemed pretty supportive, at least for its time. There was a general vibe of "do what you want, love who you want" and also tacit support of lesbianism via Wendy and Lisa. I think about the anecdote of Prince making sure Wendy and Lisa's arms were around each other in the photo accompanyting Purple Rain. Again, for it's time, it was progressive, although it was argualbly motivated more by Prince's desire to push the envelope than any articulated political stance.

It's also important to clock that his support only extended to girl-on-girl imagery, in the leering 1980s fashion that you might see two girls writhing together in a Aerosmith video, or something. You'd be hard pressed to find any pro man-on-man messages in Prince's work, or any major artist's work from the 80s, save for Madonna. The men who wore makeup on stage were the most doggedly in pursuit of females, and they let us know it.

As he aged, his became more critical. There was some bullshit, mentioned above, about Wendy and Lisa renouncing their sexuality? There was more religious conservatism in lyrics, and more a sense that he was not an ally. He lived through the legalization of gay marriage, and I think he remained silent on the issue, which given his track record was maybe a blessing to his LGBT fans.

Da Bourgeoisie was from the last era of his life, and comes off as pretty homophobic.

Here's a medium article, about all this:

https://medium.com/@msullivangates/was-prince-a-homophobe-probably-how-much-does-that-matter-1299befc2121

[Edited 6/25/26 19:18pm]

"..you know that Wesley Snipes character in the video?
That was supposed to be me.
Now, the first line in the song is, '...your butt is mine'
Who's gonna sing that to to whom, cuz it ain't gonna be ME!"
(paraphrased from the 1996 Chris Rock interview)

Some ppl say he would queer bait for shock value but didn't care for LGBTQ rights, as a matter of fact, once he became religious, he told W&L to renounce their sexuality. Til this day, many ppl say that he became homophobic.

Once art is put out there its meaning no longer belongs exclusively to its creator. So I don't mean to yuck anyone's yum because as a kid I got a lot out of Prince's utopian lyrics in songs like Uptown or Paisley Park and you relate to music and art through your own lense. So yes, if you wanted to take a non-binary view of IWD4U you could, it makes sense thematically. But lyrically the song is quite explicitly about Jesus, no need to read between the lines there.

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As much as I could see, Prince was always traditionally conservative and had a strong moralising streak that was shaped by his particular religious background and later conversion. So as much as he expressed in his music a desire for personal freedoms, self-expression and a general egalitarian worldview, imo it was usually with a hypocritical slant. His freedoms and his self-expression - not necessarily anyone elses.

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So no, I don't think he was an "ally" even if at times it suited him to project a live and let live attitude. And I certainly don't think he would've ever identified as trans or non-binary even if some people like to squeeze those labels on to celebrities for their own agenda. Prince's style and dress sense was surely flamboyant and often androgynous, again that's in the older sense of genderf*ck, not trans/NB which is an identity not an outlook, there is a difference - I get the impression younger people especially miss these nuances and want to claim everything under their own flag.

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Prince was a showman. Androgyny and mystique was in in the 80s. He read the room and hooked in to that and used it brilliantly, not to say it was a skinsuit he was wearing cynically, but he turned all the dials of his personality up to 11 because he knew how to market himself. Again, that doesn't make him trans or NB.

I would say no. When he was younger he was more inclusive and, as with many men, was intrigued with "girl-on-girl" relations. As he got older he became more conservative. I don't think he ever outwardly embraced male homosexuality. However, I also don't believe he ever came from a perspective of hate and therefore as a young man finding himself, he seemed more open to people different than himself.

As others have mentioned the image of his bands and his style was carefully curated to be ambiguous and to be inclusive because he understood the appeal. He knew it would help him crossover. He was willing to risk alienating some to reach a wider audience. If he was truly anti-LGBTQ he wouldn't have done that but in a way he was selling a dream he may or may not have believed.

whodknee said:

he was selling a dream he may or may not have believed.

When you think about it, Prince did whatever it took to crossover. And for someone who liked to sing and talk about God, this was the actual definition of "selling your soul to the devil" = compromising your morals, beliefs etc...for fame.

And that's why he felt he was being "punished" later in life when things did not work out the way he'd planned and he became a devout JW.

SoftSkarlettLovisa said:

So I found an article about how Prince's song "I Would Die 4 U" is now labelled as a song "of survival" for the LGBTQ community:

https://cnews.danhngon.pr...LaLIXCSPmg

Now Prince was known for being androgenous, though he never clearly showed same-gender scenes in his music videos (even his more raunchier ones). That said, he had never said anything derogatory towards gay people.

He liked to dress as a girl, but he always claimed that he was being "free" as exclusively himself - he wasn't trying to be a woman or a man. This mindset would click with genderfluid or non-binary people today.

So he never clearly addressed gay people and their political issues, but he was not derogatory towards them. So maybe he was pro-gay but simply undisclose this?

He had alot of LGB people in his crew and working at Paisley I heard, but why care anyway??
It's noit like these people are special need or something.
Most of those headcases with there delusions that count themself in the LBGTQ community and tarnish it should be ignored. Like these idiots trying to claim something that has nothing to do with LGBTQABC-=+% whatever. In a month they'll claim Prince being homophobe or whatever again so just ignore them.

I think when you look at his life as a whole, he was overall neutral. Clearly his chosen religion is not tolerant, but he also preached love rather than hate.

Maybe the most important things are he had a platform to promote hatred of LGBT+ people but didn't. He also didn't choose the time of his death, so who knows if his views would have changed as he aged further and continued to be more introspective.

There was clearly some tension there in his mind, JW say gay people bad... but also he wasn't exactly shunning Wendy Melvoin.

Mintchip said: