Summary
For centuries musicians have defied gender boundaries to create some of the most evocative and provocative art and music.
Journalist and culture critic Laura Snapes joins the dots of a fascinating musical history that encompasses musical icons such as Ma Rainey, Little Richard, Lou Reed, the Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones and Madonna, and looks at how today's musicians use music and performance to express who their own gender and sexuality.
In recent years the issue of gender and identity has been a hot topic in the musical landscape and beyond. From niche publications to tabloids and political debate, issues surrounding gender identity and how it influences both personal and social life have been widely publicised.
Amid the deeply complex personal world of gender identity and the often ruthlessly myopic world of the music industry, a new generation of artists are using music for fearless expressions of their gender and sexuality that break beyond the archetypes set by their forebears.
Rock Transition speaks with artists such as garage maverick Ezra Furman, Canadian pop stars Tegan and Sara, musician and author CN Lester, and musician and activist Ryan Cassata to understand why music offers an exciting platform to express and explore gender identity and sexuality - and asks how these artists can resist being marginalised and commodified by an industry keen to capitalise on a hot topic.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This was an impregnable fortress. The only way you get out was in a wooden box. |
| 0:05.0 | The controversial maximum security prison impossible to escape from. |
| 0:09.0 | And one of the duties of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.0 | The IRA inmates who found a way. of a political prisoner is the escape. |
| 0:12.5 | The IRA inmates who found a way. |
| 0:14.5 | I'm Carlo Gableer and I'll be navigating a path |
| 0:19.5 | through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in British and Irish history. |
| 0:25.0 | The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by them. |
| 0:28.5 | Escape from the Maze, listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:34.0 | This is the BBC. |
| 0:40.0 | David Bowie, Grace Jones, Madonna, Adamant. |
| 0:45.0 | Music often goes hand in hand with exploring sexuality and gender. |
| 0:50.0 | I wanted to wear feminine clothes since I was a teenager but when I first started to |
| 0:58.1 | was in public anyway was on stage and it felt like that was a safe place to try it because it's like it's a show it's a show |
| 1:07.2 | musician Ezra Furman identifies as bisexual and gender fluid and his identity is wrapped up in his music. |
| 1:16.0 | Because music is an outlet and it's also somewhere to find someone to look up to. |
| 1:22.0 | Being a teenager, you know, by necessity, most of the most trans people don't come from trans families. |
| 1:27.0 | In fact, I don't know any trans people that come from trans families. |
| 1:29.0 | Musician and author, CN Leicester, found solace in music. |
| 1:33.8 | And suddenly you have these people like Michael Stipe or Patty Smith or Lou Reed or a skin |
| 1:39.5 | from skunkenazzie was a big deal for me or Brian Molko and they're on stage and they're defying all these gender stereotypes and they're |
| 1:46.3 | so rebellious and they're so courageous and it really does stir something in you. |
... |
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