Author : Jennifer Stone
June has finally arrived and this month is celebrated as Pride Month, an empowering movement by the LGBTQ+ community where they celebrate the hardship and achievement of being authentic to their sexual identities without any worries of oppression, homophobia, and conventional norms of the society.
Music is considered one of the best mediums to express self and many music artists also do that. There a a lot of music artists in the industry who have come out after spending ample time with music. While many artists found themselves through music, many gay artists have always been vocal about their sexuality from the beginning of their musical careers.
Good music does not depend on the sexual orientation of the artists but on their creative psyche, individuality, and creativity. Music artists have always been vocal about their sexuality and they openly advocated for it. Although the heteronormative society can sometimes be very rigid and disrespectful, music artists have proved that passion can help to find a suitable way. Let’s find some of the best music artists in the industry who are also a part of the LGBTQ+ community. They have fought for their identity, name, and life.
1. Sam Smith
‘Unholy’ singer Sam Smith is a heartthrob in the music industry. Hailing from London, this highly talented music artist has offered numerous great releases that helped them reach the top of the charts. They are the first ever openly non-binary singer to have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 many times. Their songs like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not the Only One’, ‘As I Can’, etc are the greatest example of their musical works that captivated the mass. They were born on 19 May 1992 and came out with their sexuality in 2014.
2. Lil Nas X
Born in Lithia Springs, Georgia; Lil Nas X is one of the new-age music artists who rose to fame with his usual blend of country and rap through the track ‘Old Town Road’ that topped all the charts. He was openly gay from the beginning of his career and perhaps the first ever gay artist to do that in his debut music career. ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’ is perhaps the most buzzing project by Lil Nas X that sparked much controversy as he could be seen lap dancing on someone like the ‘Satan’. Nas X has a bad and boujee aura along with kindness which makes him stand out.
3. Lance Bass
Lance Bass is one of the famous American music artists who possesses a versatile creative aura as a singer, dancer, actor, as well as a podcaster. Born in Laurel, Mississippi, Lance was quite talented from a young age and he quickly became the bass singer for the popular American boy band NSYNC. Justin Timberlake was also a major part of the band. He was also one of the contestants from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 7. He is a proud gay music artist who married Michael Turchin in 2014. Other than music, Bass is also famous as a gay rights activist who actively advocates.
4. Adonxs
Adonxsis highly talented singer from Slovakia who is best known for his versatility and amazing fashion sense. He is also a songwriter, a model, and a dancer who collaborated with others on many projects. He also used to be the lead singer of the band of alternative band PACE which is based in London. Some of his most famous tracks are ‘Moving On’, ‘Cold Summer’, ‘Hunt Me Down’, etc to name.
5. Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken is a popular American singer who is also well-revered as an actor, television personality, as well as politician, and activist. Clay came out and declared himself gay in September 2008, through an interview with the People Magazine. Some of his best studio albums include ‘A Thousand Different Ways’, ‘Merry Christmas with Love’, ‘Measure of a Man’, etc many others.
6. Pablo Alborán
Spanish Pablo is well known for winning the hearts of his fans and he is not afraid to come out. Hailing from Málaga, Spain, this singer-songwriter came out in 2020 and has made significant progress in his prolific music career. Till now, Pablo has released a total of five studio albums and two albums. Each of the album projects became a hit with the love of his fans. This music artist has won the Goya Award for Best Original Song which makes him one of the best among all.
7. Omar Apollo
Hailing from Hobart, Indiana, Omar Apollo is one of the greatest music artists with Mexican roots. The influence of mixed cultures does not hamper his musical journey but only makes it more successful. His parents moved to America from Guadalajara Mexico when he was quite young. Born on 20 May 1997; Omar is one of the most loved LGBTQ+ music artists who started his musical career with SoundCloud. He has successfully garnered more than 15 million streams online.
8. Alfie Arcuri
Alfie is from Australia and grew up in the Central Coast region. This versatile music artist was born on 19 April 1988 and quickly rose to fame by winning the fifth season of The Voice Australia which took place in 2016. After winning the show, the artist wasted no time and came up with his debut album ‘Zenith’ which was released on the same year only. Other than being a fine music artist, he is also a great architect. The artist came out to his family in 2013 when he was only 24 years old.
9. Rob Halford
Well, a lot of people think that people who are gay are not meant to be badass but Rob has broken the stereotype with his powerful presence. Rob Halford is one of the legendary heavy metal singers who is revered as the lead vocalist from the metal band Judas Priest. Due to his paramount musical contributions and influence, Rob was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. He also won the Award for Musical Excellence. The veteran metalhead has been open about his sexuality since 1998 when he first came out through an MTV interview.
10. Troye Sivan
Troye is one of the most talented music artists in the industry who was quite open about his sexuality from the beginning of his music career. He decided to come out publicly through a YouTube video which was premiered on 7 August 2013. However, his first musical recognition was when he performed a duet in 2006 with Guy Sebastian, the winner of Australian Idol. Sivan is also famous as an actor who appeared in multiple movies like ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, ‘The Idol’, as well as multiple TV shows.
11. Elton John
It is hard to find a music lover who does not know the name of Elton John. This veteran British music artist has been captivating his fans for years with his magical vocal skills and the songs that offer positive energy. With a list of extraordinary contributions, Elton has been reigning in the industry for many years now. He is not just openly gay but also a true advocate for equal rights, and LGBTQ+ rights and also helped many people to get over homophobia as well as drug addiction.
12. Ryan Dolan
Born on 22 July 1985, Ryan is one of the revered Irish pop singers who has offered some of the best music projects throughout his career till now. The artist has released a handful of albums and the most famous ones are ‘Frequency’ and ‘Deep Covers.’ Ryan is best known for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with Only Love Survives where he represented his nation Ireland. Ryan came out in 2014.
13. Ed Droste
Hailing from Massachusetts, United States, Ed Droste is famous as the band member of the popular rock band Grizzly Bear. However, Ed embarked on his solo musical adventure long ago with his debut music project. His first studio album was ‘Horn of Plenty’. Ed came out as gay when he was 21 years old. Music is his passion but he is currently involved in an independent practice as an associate therapist at a clinic in Los Angeles.
14. Luke Evans
Luke is another talented person from England. Hailing from Pontypool, United Kingdom, this artist was born on 15 April 1979 and he has been openly gay for many years now. Luke Evans also dated actor and model Jon Kortajarena for a long time. However, the couple broke up in 2016. Evans has released two studio albums and numerous covers for the songs like ‘Horizons Blue’, ‘Love Is a Battlefield,’ and ‘Say Something’.
15. Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert is perhaps the most active activist for the LGBTQ+ community when people were not even completely socially aware. Born on 29 January 1982, Adam is one of the most famous queer singers who offered precious contributions to the community. He has also collaborated with the back Queen after Freddie Mercury passed away. He became the lead vocalist for ‘Queen + Adam Lambert’ in 2011. He is also the founder of the Feel Something Foundation which advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and human rights with a huge amount of charity.
16. Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin is one of the most popular singers in the industry for both Latin music as well as English. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico; this singer and actor is considered one of the most talented Latin artists who set a new bar. This highly talented singer is capable of singing in five different languages including English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. He came out publicly through a message shared on his official website.
17. Victor Garber
Victor Garber is a popular Canadian-American artist who is popular as a singer and an actor as well. He had a knack for artistic mediums from his childhood and he started acting at the age of 9 years only. After his acting career started in 1958, he started his musical career in 1967 and the initial time was spent on folk singing only. Highly creative and versatile, Victor is quite a private person when it comes to his personal life. The artist came out in 2012 and publicly announced himself as gay.
18. Andy Bell
Born in Peterborough, Andy is a proud gay British singer who was born in 1964. He has been making music for a long time and offered listeners some of the most captivating songs like ‘Fountain of Youth’, ‘My Precious One’, ‘Weston-Super-Mare’, etc to name some. The artist had long-time partners before and he publicly announced that he has been suffering from HIV since 1998.
19. André De Shields
Andréis a multi-faceted artist with his dynamic skills as a singer, dancer, choreographer, and director as well. Due to his precious contributions to the industry, Shields has earned multiple awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and many others. He is a proud gay person who is currently working as a professor in Gallatin. His first debut work in the Chicago production was ‘Hair’ in 1969.
20. Matt Doyle
American actor and singer Matthew, better known as Matt, is an influential figure in Musical theater. The artist has worked on multiple live shows and also successfully released two EP projects namely ‘Daylight’ and ‘Constant’ which gained much attention from the listeners. His first full-length album was released in 2016, called ‘uncontrolled’. Matt is openly gay and he is having a wonderful time with his fiance Max Clayton.
Final Thoughts
Music artists who belong to the LGBTQ+ community have always utilized their career and fame to shed more light on the community while spreading more awareness among the fans as well as the world. These proudly gay singers have offered their advocacy and helped many others to come out.
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