Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month 2023
By: Garrett Levin, DiMA President and CEO
June 22, 2023
June is LGBTQIA+ Pride month – a time to recognize and celebrate the incredible LGBTQIA+ community. For DiMA, that means focusing on the continuous culture-shaping contributions of LGBTQIA+ artists and songwriters. To celebrate Pride Month, DiMA curated a playlist of tracks representing LGBTQIA+ artists through the years, accessible on your favorite music streaming platforms. The playlist includes recent hits and older classics spanning from “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X (2021) to Lesley Gore’s rendition of “You Don’t Own Me” (1963). The compilation of tracks honors LGBTQIA+ artists, from global superstars to lesser-known, groundbreaking artists, who have brought vital representation and incredible music to all of us.
Some of these songs will likely be well known to you, and you might re-discover some old favorites along the way. Classic throwback tracks like Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” speak to the experience of the LGBTQIA+ community in a less-than accepting world. These tracks gave artists an opportunity to introduce their listeners to new ideas around gender and acceptance with their musical contributions. You might also find artists and songs you didn’t know before. Artists like Jobriath, the first openly gay rock artist to sign a major record label deal, paved the way for future creators like Lil Nas X to take the world by storm.
Streaming’s unique ability to connect artists with new audiences has amplified the community-building power of music, bringing more and more incredible music from the LGBTQIA+ community to fans around the world. Newer tracks like Janelle Monae’s “Lipstick Lover” combine messages of queer strength with catchy tunes, solidifying the LGBTQIA+ community’s place in the larger music industry. And thanks to the unlimited shelf space of digital platforms, listeners can discover LGBTQIA+ history through streaming’s deep catalogues of music. Go on a journey from the incredible harmonies of the Indigo Girls to the pathbreaking music of Brandi Carlile to one of my personal favorite newer artists, Joy Oladokun. Streaming allows fans to trace these musical lines like no technology before.
See how DiMA’s member companies are using the power of streaming to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community by creating unique, interactive resources for streamers and artists.
DiMA’s 2023 Fan Engagement Report explored how listeners value streaming’s power of discovery. With streaming, fans are discovering more than music, they are discovering community. Streaming’s customized listening process, including recommendations that 86% of streamers find useful, turns the shared experience of relating to a song or album on the first listen into an opportunity for exponential discovery of music, and empowerment of self.
Take the time to check out playlists on DiMA’s members’ platforms featuring LGBTQIA+ Artists and Advocates and discover the growing community that so many call home.
Playlist in Chronological Order:
- “You Don’t Own Me,” Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts, Lesley Gore (1963)
- “I’m A Man,” Jobriath, Jobriath (1973)
- “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” Rock of the Westies, Elton John, (1975)
- “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” Step II, Sylvester (1978)
- “Karma Chameleon,” Colour By Numbers, Culture Club (1983)
- “Careless Whisper,” Make It Big, George Michael (1984)
- “Closer To Fine,” Indigo Girls, Indigo Girls (1989)
- “The Definition of Love,” Shane McAnally, Shane McAnally (2000)
- “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’,” Ta-Dah, Scissor Sisters (2006)
- “Forrest Gump,” channel ORANGE, Frank Ocean (2012)
- “True Trans Soul Rebel,” Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Against Me! (2014)
- “N.O. Bounce,” Just Be Free, Big Freedia 2014
- “Wherever is Your Heart,” The Firewatcher’s Daughter, Brandi Carlile (2015)
- “YOUTH,” Blue Neighbourhood (Deluxe), Troye Sivan (2015)
- “Stay High,” Jaime, Brittany Howard (2019)
- “Melody,” Dur&, Durand Bernarr (2020)
- “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”, MONTERO, Lil Nas X (2021)
- “Out Loud,” Broken Hearts Club, Syd feat. Kehlani (2022)
- “Bad Habit,” Gemini Rights, Steve Lacy (2022)
- “Somebody Like Me,” Proof of Life, Joy Oladakun (2023)
- ”Lipstick Lover,” The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monae (2023)
- “Unholy,” Gloria, Sam Smith and Kim Petras (2023)
