[OutVoice] Gay Music

[Freddy Freeman]

Oh Taylor, you are so correct, he is so right , yet so wrong. There is a point to what he is saying, but some of us would prefer to be in a genre based on who we love as much as on our music. I prefer to be as out as can be as a musician. I think the problem is primarily how "gay music" is defiined. I dont consider Madonna, Cher, Barbara etc to be gay music. Gay music is music created by individuals who identify as LGBTQ that speaks not only to human experience, but to thier unique experinces as queer people. Maybe the term outmusic should not only represent an organization but a genre, to distinguish it from what the Mega-Corps are calling gay music and trying to shove down the throats of predominatly upper-middle class white urban men, who dont even represent the majority of real queer experience. 

I have just touched on this issue and will probably have more to say after digesting it a bit. Again it's a real tricky issue, I see his point but I think it ( as usual) neglects an entire segment of quuer culture who dont live in NYC, and drink martinis at splash with thier pretty freinds who all look like they stepped out of a mens catalog and use "product " in thier hair. What about the women, the people of color, the bears, gay seniors, et al .... I wonder what "gay music" would be if we were all represented.     

Freddy Freeman 
Winner of the Stonewall Society 2005 Genre Award for "Steam" 
2004 Outmusician of the Year Award Nominee 
Promoter of Bearapalooza - a Celebration of Fur in Music 
615 -366 - 0145
www.freddyfreeman.com