Which musician (gay or not) broke LGBTQ barriers?

I consider myself straight. Now I don't lead with that out of homophobia (my daughter is gay and has never been given any grief over it) but because I want to make it clear I welcome answers from everyone. The question is "which rockers (gay or not) broke LGBTQ barriers?"
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I find the history of barriers breaking for topics and minorities (and women) to be interesting. In the music world many defied racial stereotypes (Charley Pride, Arthur Lee, Jimi) or gender (Grace, Janis) just by their very presence in certain genres. However, breaking the gay barrier seems to have a history of being difficult due to a heavy stigma. We didn't suddenly have Jobriath, something led to that point.

I don't just want a list of all the people we now know were gay or bi, I'm asking for those that were more or less open about it at the time, or even straight rockers who teased it in their lyrics and look. I have my own thoughts on who some of the pioneers are (you likely saw the picture of one recently) but I'll hold off for a bit.

On a tangent, this topic has a parallel in film. Many had to go indie to break taboos like Roger Corman casting unsuspecting bigots and getting run out of town in 1961's The Intruder, Night of the Living Dead casting a black man in a role not written to be black, the precode 1932 film Female going feminist (before caving in), most Ernst Lubitsch films messing with prudes and all the subtle Hollywood gay references in classic films shown so well in documentary The Celluloid Closet. That sort of thing. Basically people breaking the silence when it was unpopular, the root of revolution.

 

Laura Jane Grace coming out as transgender in a 2012 Rolling Stone article was a big, bold move. And then her next record was explicitly about trans issues. Obviously she wasn’t the first trans artist to come out and write about her experiences but I think it was a very public step that other artists hadn’t taken.

 

Of course:



Falvey Library Exhibits :: Ziggy Stardust vs. David Bowie: How the LGBT Community can relate

How David Bowie’s “I’m Gay” Interview Helped Redefine Sexuality

 

Or for an album cover:

 

Freddie. (RIP).

 

Bobby Marchan...Esquerita...Little Richard, of course.

 

Elton John

 

How open was Little Richard about it at the time? I know the original lyrics to Tutti Frutti was obvious, but not the released version.

Same question really. Is there a lyric he addressed it, or a statement at the time?

 

Bowie was not gay.

 

Freddy Mercury springs to mind. More in the looks department, he never said he was gay, but it was pretty obvious.
Morrisey as well. He wrote a lot lyrics that alluded at being gay.

 

Not a “rocker” but Patrick Haggerty of Lavender Country. Actually maybe even a bit more groundbreaking/revolutionary since Country music is a lot more conservative than Rock.

 

He casually admitted to his homosexuality in the 1970s to Rolling Stone magazine.

Another example would be Rob Halford. He opened up about his sexuality about 25 years ago.

 

Indigo Girls were pretty important to a generation of college women that went on to successfully push for things like gay marriage in the US.

 

Having the Tom Robinson Band in the mix during all of the rock ferment and energy of the late '70s was a big deal. No pussyfooting around — he told you straight out who he was and the music was strong.

 

Just to throw a wrench into the works here, this from 1957:

Number 47 said to number three
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company
Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me"

 

For trans folks, I’d say Wendy Carlos and Sylvester (of “You Make Me Feel Mighty Mighty Real” fame. They were the first trans people I was aware of as a kid in the 70s.

You may not consider “Switched On Bach” rock, exactly, but it was hugely influential on synth rock to come.

 

Rob Halford

One of the first Metal musicians to come out.

 

Toronto ON Canada’s very own Rough Trade.


“Birds of a Feather” - Rough Trade.

 

First openly gay star on a major label,Jobriath in 1974 on Midnight Special,brief intro by Gladys Knight. Glam rock in the Bowie/Ziggy mould. `I`maman`:

 

Wayne/Jayne County played a role.

 

But bisexual.

 

Elton John.

 

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy come to mind.

I sort of made a mistake not changing my title to musician rather than rocker.

Neither was Alice Cooper, and they both wore dresses at some point. Oh you Pretty Things

 

dUg Pinnick (King's X) came out in a band that was tangentially Christian and was immediately shunned by the Christian community. He stood strong against it and showed others they could too.