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In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, the singer stated: "I believe in gender fluidity and sexual fluidity. I don't really identify as anything." The rock star went viral for a homoerotically charged performance of her song "Masseduction," layered with pop singer Dua Lipa's "One Kiss," at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

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Bessie Smith

Known as the Empress of Blues, Bessie Smith rose to fame during the Harlem Renaissance for her strong, low vocal tone.

Although it seemed more or less common knowledge to her peers that the famous rapper was queer, Queen Latifah didn't officially come out until the 2021 BET Awards. Read the Exclusive Interview

Known for donning gender-bending looks on and off stage, the artist calls tracks like "Rub" a "celebration." "Seriously," she told PrideSource.

The man is said to have inspired many songs on Ocean's first album.

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St. His many love letters to tenor, Sir Peter Pears, were later used in an exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of The 1967 Sexual Offences Act, the law that started the revolutionary process of decriminalising homosexuality in England and Wales.

The Most Iconic LGBTQI+ Music Idols Of All Times

Freddie is not only a global musical icon, but is considered, by many, as a national treasure for the United Kingdom.

Also read: 20 Minutes That Changed The History Of Music: Remembering Live Aid

When interviewed by NME magazine about his sexual orientation, he playfully responded: “I’m as gay as a daffodil, my dear!” And even if he did not openly talk about his private life, it is well known that he spent the last of his years living with his longtime partner Jim Hutton.

Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, also stated in a 2008 interview: “I know that all through his life Fred didn’t think that whether he was gay or not was important.”

Ryan Butcher, editor of LGBT website PinkNews, also stated: “It wasn’t just about sexuality with him; it was about his whole identity and the flamboyant persona he projected on stage, which is one of the main things Queen is known for.”

Why he inspires us: Freddie was not only a global rock music icon for the world and an inspiration for the LGBTQI+ community, he was also known for being a huge cat lover, so much that he actually dedicated an entire album in the name of his cats.

Mr.

During the years of glam rock, Reed's onstage persona embraced androgyny, like his friend David Bowie, with whom he was rumored to have had a close yet tumultuous friendship.

Though Reed never fully confirmed his sexuality, despite widespread whispers in the music scene that he was queer, two years before his death, he remarked: "Guys walking around in makeup is just fun.

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Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Brownstein is best known for her work as a guitarist and vocalist for the riot grrrl group Sleater-Kinney. Lady Gaga returned to pop with the acclaimed album "Mayhem" in March. In a 2005 interview with AfterEllen, Gore revealed that she never felt she had to come out because she was living her life in the open.

Benjamin Britten

This late, great composer and pianist penned the score for several classical works, including 1945 opera, Peter Grimes, and ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ (1946) – a playful piece that was recently adapted for the 100 young musicians in National Orchestra for All.

Although Britten lived in a time and place where homosexuality was illegal, the Suffolk-born composer was an openly gay man.

In a 1995 interview with The Advocate, Ian explained that she had been outed by the Village Voice in 1976, but wanted to talk about her lesbian identity on her own terms.

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Chappell Roan

Few artists have exploded as quickly as Chappell Roan has.

Though some claim Mercury hid his sexual orientation from the public, others say he was openly gay or bisexual on the music scene. Read the Exclusive Interview

March 2008

keyboardist/guitarist/singer-songwriter

DAN MANJOVI

Robert Urban interviews DAN
for Gay Guitarists Worldwide.

Read the Exclusive Interview

January 2010

guitarist/singer-songwriter NHOJJ.

Robert Urban interviews New York City-based CORINNE for Gay Guitarists Worldwide.

In 2020, the singer spoke of the relief he felt at the time and how he's "been super happy ever since."

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Janis Ian

If you grew up in the '70s, there's no way you don't remember Janis Ian's classic "At Seventeen." It spent 20 weeks on the Billboard charts, topping out at #3, and has since been used in a variety of shows and movies.

To honor that responsibility, Stacker researched music history to highlight 25 icons you might not know are members of LGBTQ+ communities.

From classic gender-bending rockers to Afrofuturism pop stars—continue reading to learn which of the world's most beloved singers and songwriters are also LGBTQ+.

You may also like:Country-pop star Kelsea Ballerini salutes fans who have followed her from small venues to arena shows

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Ma Rainey

Posthumously deemed the Mother of Blues, Ma Rainey rose to stardom in the early 1920s through her raspy voice.

But while acting in the Max series "The Sex Lives of College Girls," Rapp also started releasing music, with her well-received debut album "Snow Angel" dropping in 2023.

"I had no problem with people knowing I was bisexual," he told the now-defunct Blender magazine. Despite this, she's been infamously cagey about her romantic and sexual relationships. Read the Exclusive Interview

June 2008

bassist/guitarist songwriter/singer

DON HARVEY

Robert Urban interviews DON
for Gay Guitarists Worldwide.

Then read on…

Here at Orchestras for All, we value equality, diversity and inclusion. "I don't know how much more you can declare," the singer stated.

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Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah remains an enduring and groundbreaking hip-hop pioneer, boasting a music catalog filled with tracks describing her struggles as a Black woman.