February may be all too short a month, but the music world has been celebrating Black LGBTQ+ contributions 365 for a minute now.
In an age where so much of Black queerness has been watered down and disseminated amongst the masses, it’s important to remember how deeply rooted the culture is in history — especially in the U.S., and especially in the arts.
Below are five fave selections from our full playlist celebrating Black History Month, with the full 40-track version embedded at the end for your convenience.
Check out some of the iconic musical moments from LGBTQ+ Black history:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“B.D. Woman’s Blues” by Lucille Bogan (1935)
Long before the appropriative concept of the “hey mamas” lesbian was born, the Black butch “B.D.” woman was singing her blues. Alongside other queer women singers like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, Lucille Bogan (sometimes singing as Bessie Jackson) was helping bring about a new musical era.
“I Love You Madly” by Charlie & Ray (1954)
This campy pop vocal duo made their mark not despite their overt homosexuality, but because of it. Underneath the novelty surface that straight audiences admired them for was undeniable talent and unabashed queer fun.
“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Sylvester (1978)
Before the homophobic whitelash that was the “Disco sucks” movement, flamboyant and energetic artists like Sylvester ran the feel-good club nights of the ’70s.
“U.N.I.T.Y.” by Queen Latifah (1993)
Even before being out as a queer woman, Queen Latifah was flexing both masculinity and femininity as her power. She sought to unify the culture past lines of gender or sex, a unity she already carried just in the swagger of her walk.
“911/Lonely Boy” by Tyler, the Creator ft. Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy (2017)
Tyler, the Creator informally came out through the “Garden Shed” track on this same album — or at least, informally came out again — but it’s this trio of him and fellow Black and bi musicians Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy. Lacy wasn’t even in Odd Future with the other two, but they all found their way to this harmonic contemplation of loneliness in the 21st century.
Check out these and other tracks on our full playlist celebrating Black History Month:
abfab
The Queen has had it up to here-
Give it to em QUEEN!
My favorite line of hers….”besides I don’t know you from a can of paint”
bachy
“You gotta let ’em know: you ain’t a bitch, you a ho!”
abfab
”when I’m in town I give the boosters booster shots”
Kangol2
Sooo many more people and songs you could have included but this is a start!
abfab
Endless~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
As is always the case people such as Gladys Bently, Mary Wells, Millie Jackson along with a few other artists whose hits made it to nor one but for dome reason with them it like poof, their forgotten.