Cyndi Lauper, Todrick Hall, and other gay icons and allies will be performing at a charity livestream to give back...
The B-52s
Friday, June 28, 8 p.m.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
Gay factor: Lead singer Fred Schneider and guitarist Keith Strickland are both gay, as was founding member Ricky Wilson (brother of B-52s member Cindy Wilson), who died of AIDS in 1995. Member Kate Pierson operates a funky Catskills resort with her life partner, Monica Coleman.
The B-52s headlined Atlanta Pride in 2000, driving what still may be the festival’s largest ever single-day attendance. The band, and Fred Schneider solo as a DJ, have performed for multiple gay and HIV causes.
It seems like every time I turn on my radio there's a gay-affirming song blaring from the speakers.
Even though I'm not a fan of the repetition — even good songs can be worn out — we're lucky to live in a time where we are inundated with positive messages thinly veiled (or not) by pop pulp.
Maybe I'm leaving a song out, but a look at Billboard's radio charts shows that celebrating individuality, and in some cases our sexuality, is very en vogue, especially for straight performers.
“I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay. Apparently the prerequisite to being a gay public figure is to appear on the cover of a magazine with the caption ‘I am gay.’ I apologize for not doing so if this is what was expected.”
— Jonathan Knight of the now-reunited boy band New Kids on the Block, responding to questions after ‘80s pop star Tiffany, who he once dated, discussed his sexual orientation in a recent television interview. (MSNBC.com, Jan. 31)
“He became gay later. I didn’t do it. I had issues with that. I was thinking maybe I did. Now looking back when we were dating, he was so much fun. We used to do facials together. He was so easy to talk to.”
— ‘80s pop singer Tiffany, discussing former boyfriend Jonathan Knight from boy band New Kids on the Block, on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.” (MSNBC.com, Jan. 31)
Cyndi Lauper released her first album in 1983, instantly becoming one of the most recognizable musicians of the decade. From amusing hits like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “She Bop” to ballads like “Time after Time” and “All Through the Night,” the album won her a Grammy for Best New Artist and legions of devoted fans.
The album’s title, “She’s So Unusual,” proved particularly apt for gay fans — not only were Lauper’s quirky style and knock-out vocals far from typical, but so was her outspoken support for LGBT rights from the early days of her career.
80's icon performs tonight at Chastain Park Amphitheater