Seems we as a public are getting more homophobic when it comes to buying music

I know this has been discussed before, but iam wondering if homophobia in music, and in particular, the black community, is getting better.

Why should we care? U could say that, but i do get pissed off when people like tevin campbell dissapear and even the orgs beloved mechell get cast aside too because of their sexuality.

Rnb and hiphop really need to grow up. Even 50's black acts were derogatory to women with "hey woman" sorta lines etc....

Prince, luther, sam cooke and babyface do speak about women in a sensitive way and on a different level, but as most rnb and rap acts are not the most sensitive towards women in general, can this be blamed for artists afraid to come out?

It's the last frontier for mainstream music.
I'm just waiting for that person to came and break the barrier, The first gay r&b/hip hop superstar. (and no Luther, Tevin, Missy, Prince and any other closet cases do not count, although i do respect their decesion not 2 came out)

twink69 said:

so,you're saying that Prince is a closet homosexual?

Well Elton John is the only one i can think of off hand.
Though he did come out after his great success.

Would he have acheived the same success had he come into the business as an open homosexual?
Who knows.

DavidEye said:

I have heard for years that he was Bisexual. what I'm saying isnt "law", just what I have heard (just like Missy, tevin and Luther rumors)

I guess you never heard of Elton John or KD Lang, huh? ONLY in Hip-Hop would it be devastating to an artists career if he came out. Women can get away with it much easier in all of music though.

TheCrucialExperience said:

I don't think so. I think it would likely have more of a negative impact on a hip hop artists career, but it would others as well. Can you imagine if all of N-Sync came out? All the gay boys would be laughing and all the girls would be crying and burning their autographed bras.

Indeed, it seems the 70's and 80's were a lot more homo friendly.

I'm eagerly waiting for the day 70% of songs on the radio are going to be homosongs. Just for compensation, and more varied art.

Novabreaker said:

That was back in 1987.

Homosexuality and popular music don't mix.

TheCrucialExperience said:

There will always be a few exceptions.

RipHer2Shreds said:

You mean they AREN'T gay?

This thread is really so very gay.





"Not that there's anything wrong with that" - Seinfeld

TheCrucialExperience said:

I said if they came out!

RepoMan said:

Remember also Tatu (even if they were faking it). Its acceptable in popular music, but if anything, homosexuality and hiphop dont mix.

TheCrucialExperience said:

Not Justin.

I'll vouch for JT since with he's with us now.
[Edited 10/10/05 11:53am]

RepoMan said:

You know, there will be a moment when all these silly lines will blur. Openly gay will be considered 'just being honest' and as soon as there is a guy that does not wear make up and high heels (not refering to Prince, btw) stands up and woo's the crowd with just great, fun music, another line will blur in our lifetime.

GO, Robbie!

HamsterHuey said:

Pop music is about so much more bullshit than just the song that I don't expect to see a lot of successful gay artists.

Homosexuality has always been latent on music...Bowie did simulate blowjobs live in the Ziggy Era!

Also only gays like Barbra!

GangstaFam said:

TheCrucialExperience said:

I think in any extreme genre, it'd be devastating, unless it was some form of Alternative, Dance Music or Pop.

Country & Western, Heavy Metal, Gangsta-Rap or Roots Reggae just aren't transient enough to embrace change. They are fixed mediums, whereas what is alternative, what you can dance to or what is popular constantly morphs to public taste.

You know, Morrissey, Michael Stipe, Bowie, Bob Mould and Lou Reed would all have been considered "alternative" at one point. Now you hear their music on "Gold" radio stations all the time. Three homosexuals and two bisexuals... Just what is alternative music anymore? The varying MTV stations vampirise every new musical niche that arises and instantly popularises it.

Dance Music is gay music. There's too many gay artists and D.J.s to list. Why should gay men be so partial to clubs? Because they frequent clubs more than their straight counterparts for three main reasons:

01) The tribal aspect of safety in numbers and social aspect of meeting others;
02) Because gay people (historically) had more disposable income;
03) Dating opportunities that may not be available in the outside world.

As for Pop music - anything goes, so long as it's popular. Tracy Chapman, Boy George, k.d., Elton...

TheCrucialExperience said:

God, I wote a really long essay about this and it's disappeared into space. Never mind.

Oh - it reappeared again. Weird.
[Edited 10/10/05 14:32pm]

Rob Halford is back on tour with Judas Priest.

so anything is possible.

BinaryJustin said:

I think these are some very interesting points here. In some genres, it's more acceptable to be gay or bi-sexual. And in others it's the kiss of death.

Here's one thing I think is a factor : Elton John, Boy George, kd lang, and Tracy Chapman (never heard about her being gay, but it's possible) are not Sex Symbols in any conventional sense of the term . I never heard women swooning of Elton or Boy George or even Michael Stipe the way they swoon over, say Rob Thomas or LL Kool JJ or Fiddy Cent or even Mick Jagger . So a kd lang could be accepted while being a lesbian, whereas Beyonce or Britney could never be. It ruins the fantasy. I mean , who didn't know Luther was gay ? But since he NEVER SAID IT, his audience, which was mainly women, could maintain the fantasy that he was singing "just to them ".

jjhunsecker said:

Well.....could that be that is a little more to do with appearance than oritentation?

Prospect said:

tatu doesnt really count, everyone knows that people get off on FEMALE homosexuality. dont know why and dont care. male homosexuality is a whole nother story, it'll take a while for that to be openly accepted, unfortunately. too many issues to deal with. gender roles would have to looked at in a totally new light. that whole male macho bullshit would have to go.



well u heard it here first, cuz i in all seriousness i think boy george is hawt! i reallllly do

godalmighty said:

Well, of course it does . That's why it was much easier for those people to be "out". Women weren't really lusting after them to begin with

ehuffnsd said:

He didn't leave the group because he was gay. People knew even in the early 80s - before he came out - that he was gay. I remember hearing that as far back as 1983.

Boybands have appealed to gay people.

Take that (brit boyband) for example were like the chippendales on stage and in the videos. Big gay following. Funnily enough, some good pop music too.

Maybe boybands appeal as it is just fluffy music that u can dance too.


Abba, well. U know how gay it is to love them. Yet really, why is it? (Funnily enough i dont like abba)