10 Important Celeb Moments Helping To Pave The Way For The LGBTQ+ Community
11 June 2021, 10:02 | Updated: 9 November 2022, 17:46
Promoted by giffgaff
From Beyoncé to Harry Styles to Demi Lovato - these celebrities are making moves to help represent the LGBTQ+ community.
This Pride Month we're taking a look at celebrity moments that helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ community – the likes of Harry Styles to Lili Reinhart are continuing important conversations online.
Celebrities have huge platforms and many are using them for good by shining a light on topics from representation to equal rights to pushing gender norms...
Olivia Rodrigo's 'Hope Ur Ok' Lyrics Reach Out To LGBTQ+ Community
Artists like Beyoncé, Demi Lovato and Lil Nas X have been trailblazers for years whilst amplifying voices within the queer community.
Harry Styles Says "We're All A Little Bit Gay" On Stage
Let's delve into the top moments that your favourite celebs have advocated for LGBTQ+ rights...
Demi Lovato comes out as non-binary
In May, pop sensation Demi Lovato announced that they identify as non-binary.
Demi took to Instagram to make their statement alongside a snippet of their new podcast 4D With Demi Lovato, a project that aims to create a safe space to discuss 'identity, activism, philanthropy and beyond'.
The first episode centred around the 'Dancing with the Devil' singer's identity, journey to self-discovery and the importance of pronouns.
Demi said: "To me it would mean the world if people could start identifying me as they/them. I will also be accepting if people slip and say her/she, because I know being in my position, it’s going to take a while for people to get used to."
Lil Nas X comes out during Pride Month
On the last day of Pride in 2019, Lil Nas X confirmed his sexuality online with a tweet stating that he wanted his fans to pay special attention to the lyrics in his track 'C7osure (You Like)'.
The track is a confession of love as the 'Old Town Road' singer proudly puts his sexuality at the forefront of his artistry.
Lil Nas sings: "Brand new places I'll choose and I'll go, I know. Embracin' this news I behold unfolding."
some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more. but before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure. 🌈🤩✨ pic.twitter.com/O9krBLllqQ
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) June 30, 2019
Lil Nas has been vocal about how homosexuality is not readily accepted within certain genres and continues to speak on the homophobia that can be prevalent in hip-hop, country and rap.
The young rapper consistently addresses these issues, in turn making the industry a more accepting place for queer artists.
Beyoncé addresses LGBTQ+ graduates
Beyoncé celebrated 'beautiful queerness' in her commencement speech to the graduates of 2020.
The legendary songstress took moments throughout her Dear Class of 2020 tribute to speak to people who feel 'different'.
"Your queerness is beautiful. Your blackness is beautiful. Your compassion, your understanding, your fight for people who may be different from you - is beautiful."
Beyoncé Commencement Speech | Dear Class Of 2020
Elliot Page comes out as transgender
In December 2020, Elliot Page publicly came out as a transgender man with a heartfelt post to his social media pages.
Elliot spoke candidly about his identity and sexuality, writing to his followers: "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive."
Elliot Page opens up about being trans
The actor also used his announcement to shed a light on the struggles of the trans community: "Despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and the violence."
He spoke on the alarming statistics surrounding hate crimes to transgender individuals, especially Black and Latinx members of the community.
Elliot is doing a world of good by brining trans issues to the forefront of the mainstream media.
Joshua Bassett gets candid on sexuality
Joshua Bassett posted a snippet of an unreleased song to his Instagram in May and captioned it with some heartfelt words about sexuality.
The post came after there had been much speculation in the media surrounding Bassett's sexuality, the Disney star seemed to neither officially confirm nor deny the rumours but instead, he spoke sincerely on why he felt he didn't need to.
"Love who you love shamelessly. It’s ok to still be figuring out who you are. Life’s too short to let ignorance and hatred win. I choose love."
Billy Porter portrays genderless character
Billy Porter is well known for the gender-nonconforming outfits he graces on the red carpet, but his refusal to appease the binary is now being reflected in his filmography too.
Porter is set to play a non-binary Fairy Godmother in the newest live-action iteration of Cinderella, the flick is set to hit cinemas later this year.
In an interview Porter spoke on the film role's significance: "It hit me when I was on set, how profound it is that I am playing the Fairy Godmother. Magic has no gender."
Harry Styles helps fan come out during concert
In an unforgettable moment during the tour of his debut album, Harry Styles took some time out of his set to help a fan come out to her mother as bisexual - now that's allyship!
The appreciative fan took to Twitter to gush over the singer and praise him for how he makes his shows a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Harry Styles Helped A Fan Come Out As Gay Live On Stage
GottMik becomes first trans contestant on Ru Paul's Drag Race
The 13th season of Ru Paul's Drag Race saw an important moment for the transgender community - GottMik became the first-ever trans man to compete on the iconic show.
In the past, the show had faced critiques on its approach to gender and how it did not always represent a fluid spectrum of contestants.
Judge Michelle Visage stated in an interview: "The inclusion of Gottmik is wonderful for trans men out there who might think that they don't have a place on the show; they do."
Seeing more transgender and non-binary representation on our screens is a long overdue and welcome change.
Jonathan Van Ness talks about HIV diagnosis
Jonathan Van Ness publicly came out with his HIV diagnosis in September 2019, a year later on World Aids day he took to Twitter to educate his followers on what it means to live with HIV.
Jonathan Van Ness on Learning to Live with HIV | Body Stories | SELF
It’s #WorldAIDSDay - I’m HIV positive & have access to my antiretroviral therapy that suppresses my HIV viral load, keeping me healthy & at an undetectable level which makes it almost impossible for me to transmit HIV.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) December 1, 2020
Jonathan has consistently been outspoken throughout his career on topics surrounding homosexuality, prejudice and drug abuse - he even has a book detailing his experiences to help others, Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love.
Lili Reinhart on bisexual erasure
Lili Reinhart has been honest with fans about how she is "bi and proud" - the Riverdale actress is deconstructing harmful narratives that exist around bisexuality.
She publicly came out in June 2020 and has been using her platform since to discuss the stereotypes that society has plagued bi-culture with.
Lili wants young audiences to feel represented in the media, the actress spoke on the issue:
"I think it's important to make it more normal, as I feel in cinema and TV, the characters are usually gay or straight, there's not a lot of bisexual characters - but it should be normalised."
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