LGBTQ+ Media Lens: The Representation of Queer Artists in the Media

  Rina Sawayama (Photo Credit: Damienfry.com ) The Revolution of Rina Lately the word "special" has been used to describe our most recent content, but today's post might just be even that much more special (and for many good reasons). In our last post we secretly hinted toward who the next LGBTQ+ artist would be and we are more than excited to be talking about our next world changer. So far, we have explored media on both the big screen and the bookshelf, but we have yet to chart into the territory where LGBTQ+ representation is making huge breakthroughs and certainly has been for decades. Despite what you may have seen on screen or read in-between the lines, this LGBTQ+ artist is changing the way that the world both  hears and listens to representation. And she is doing it one hit song after another. Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer/songwriter superstar who is using her stage as a platform to create inspirational music and bring awareness to important issues of

  Ezra Miller on the cover of GQ Magazine (Photo Credit: Gq.com ) A Star Born, A Supernova Made If you are looking for a name in the entertainment business that you have yet to hear but should most definitely be aware of, then this is the blogpost for you. Let us formerly introduce you to a star that has been shining across the silver screen for years and only seems to be shining brighter with each film. Ezra Miller is a twenty-eight year old supernova actor who has built an influential career for themselves with a portfolio full of performances stacked to the sky. With a wide range of roles under their belt, chances are that you have most likely seen one of their films at one point of another. Miller is an actor who came out as queer in 2012 and uses they/them pronouns. Their career launched to takeoff in the year 2008 when they starred in their film debut, Afterschool . Since that time, Miller has proven that they are capable of taking on all kinds of various and demanding roles, sho

Audre Lorde (Photo Credit: Oprahmag.com )  The Legacy of Lorde We have an extra special blogpost for you today and it features an artist who not only was a leading figure for civil rights, but is a legendary artist for LGBTQ+ representation all over the world. And had she still been alive today, she would have turned eighty-seven years old. Today is Audre Lorde's birthday and because she deserves all of the recognition that she receives, it only seems fitting that an entire post be made in her honor. As we celebrate one of the world's most praised writers, we hope that you will join us in reflecting on not only Lorde's artistic skills and talents, but for her leading contributions and fearless work she achieved to give a voice to the voiceless and raise up a hope in this lifetime that might have otherwise been dimly lit. Yet, the power in her writing was more than enough to keep the blaze burning for representation and allow those who felt unseen, to finally have a place to

  Ballet Dancers (Photo Credit: www.nytimes.com) Defenders of Dance If you have been keeping up with some of the earlier posts on our blog, you might have noticed that we have dived into many sources of media where LGBTQ+ representation is happening. If it is one media source that we have yet to discuss here on the  LGBTQ Media Lens , let us move you toward the direction of where the representation is happening - centerstage! We are devoting today's blogpost to some of the LGBTQ+ artists who are paving the way for representation in the media, one swift movement at a time, and they just so happen to be professional dancers. When one hears the word "dancer" many things might come flashing through their mind. As an art, the world of dance has long served as a creative channel for professionals to express themselves through various forms of movement. In the entertainment business, dancing is not only respected for its disciplined, demanding and sometimes, delicate arrangement

  Fran Lebowitz (Photo Credit: Vanityfair.com ) Fran from the Start Our next featured artist who is paving the way to more LGBTQ+ representation in the media needs no introduction. However, she does deserve to have more recognition for her contributions to not only the world of media and entertainment, but for her efforts to make the world a more equal place to exist in. And she does it all while getting us to think . Fran Lebowitz, who identifies as a lesbian, is an American author/public speaker who has been making a name for herself since the early 1970s. As an avid reader growing up, it seems that Lebowitz was destined to have her pen to the paper as a way to comment and contribute to a wide range of topics happening within the world. Her career as a writer built her much recognition with other artistic minds such as Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe and was even a frequenter of the infamous Studio 54, a popular house for entertainment. However, she was not always one who fit the

  Aaron Philip (Photo Credit: Dazeddigital.com) The fashion industry is notorious for changing seasons like the weather. It is a business that many have come to attach the quote: "One day you are in, and the next you are out" to. It is also an industry that is widely responsible for the representation of the many faces we see circulating throughout the media. From magazines, to runways, to advertisements and commercials, chances are you have seen the face of not just a model, but a model who is being represented by an agency. Perhaps we might be asking ourselves at this point, why does it matter? I would like to try to answer this in one sentence: representation in the fashion industry is still a work in progress. For as long as the fashion industry has been thriving, we have seen the many of faces constantly being switched up on billboards and blockbuster posters, and they have long only shown one face that most definitely does not fit all. The point to be made here, is that

  Ocean Vuong  If you remember from the last post, where we mentioned which sources of media seemed to be the best when it came to LGBTQ+ representation,  you will recall that the answer was basically, all of the above. Today's post is another opportunity to introduce you to an artist who is changing the way that LGBTQ+ representation is being made, and he is doing it with words, one publication at a time. Ocean Vuong is an openly gay, Vietnamese-American poet, essayist, novelist, and professor, having earned much recognition and praise for his literary achievements. He is probably an artist you have been hearing about lately as well. Chances are, you might even own a copy or two of his written work (my bookshelf can proudly vouch for this). In the written world, he is a writer that has captured the attention of many, earning him much attention for his contributions to the literary and arts realm. With publications of his poetry collection,  Night Sky With Exit Wounds and his debut

  With various sources of media fighting to get your attention these days, it can seem like a daunting task to consider where you might look to first to get your media fix. Perhaps just as challenging, is trying to figure out which sources of media are the best of the best when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation. From television series to books on the best-sellers lists, to even up-and-coming musical artists, it would seem like the possibilities of LGBTQ+ representation are endless (which is a good thing). The good news is: you do not have to choose just one . Whether it is through film, literature, or music, LGBTQ+ representation in the media can be found across a large spectrum ranging from all kinds of different sources. One question worth considering, however, is which sources of media is LGBTQ+ representation primarily happening? Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) While literature and music are certainly just as wonderful as film, it seems that LGBTQ+ representation mainly exists wi