Social attitudes and streaming have helped LGBTQ+ artists thrive in the mainstream this decade
The 2010s was a turning point in LGBTQ+ history. The UN, for the first time, formally condemned discrimination based on sexuality. Countries across the world, from Greenland to Bermuda, legalised same-sex marriage. And in May this year, the World Health Organization reframed “gender identity disorders” as “gender incongruence”, sending a clear message that being trans is not an illness that needs curing.
Alongside these legal and social changes, LGBTQ+ entertainers have gained a foothold in the mainstream. In truth, they were always there: Dusty Springfield, Sylvester and George Michael, just to name a few – and that’s not to mention the countless LGBTQ+ songwriters and producers who have worked behind the scenes. But in the 2010s, greater acceptance and legal protections have made it possible for LGBTQ+ artists to come out earlier in their careers, tell explicitly queer stories in their
music, receive respect from the press, present authentically, and speak directly to their communities.