Turn and face the strange: what the LGBTI community owes to David Bowie
IN one of those rare defining moments of history akin to the outpouring of grief over Elvis Presley or John Lennon, the untimely death of David Bowie — perhaps music’s most influential artist of the 20th century — has caused a rift in many hearts.
[showads ad=MREC] We all recognise his looks and hairstyles as wild and iconic as the sounds he created, the larger-than-life characters he portrayed you could swear were all real, his timeless film roles and most importantly, the music that — to unashamedly use a fairly worn out cliché — defined a generation.
The fact that Bowie, who was bisexual, appeared to be one of the oddest (and queerest) artists around during his early career yet he still enjoyed mainstream popularity and appeal is a testament to his magic and creative influence.
However, as social media tributes indicates, it is the LGBTI community that may be the most thankful to Bowie.
With a presence, sense of style and vision that advocated for and raised the visibility of many forms of gender expression and sexuality, Bowie’s influence was not only felt musically but also socially.
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David Bowie is a character that a lot of queer individuals saw when looking in the mirror. The outcast and weird, your weirdos salute you.
— Mohammad Taha (@TahaSciencing) January 12, 2016
In remembrance of #DavidBowie. In the early 1970s, he challenged gender stereotypes, pioneered bisexual visibilty & supported LGBT equality
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) January 11, 2016
In Bowie’s honour everyone should vow to work towards making the world queerer than when they found it — Bec Shaw (@Brocklesnitch) January 11, 2016
Following some mixed reporting of his sexuality in the 70s, Bowie later confirmed he was bisexual but his own identity seemed to pale in comparison to the waves of societal change and sexual and gender freedom that his work championed.
Rather than accept a norm of how men should present to society, Bowie dared to tear apart the boundaries and defied all conventions of hypermasculinity.
He essentially bet everything against the house and he won — spectacularly — for the entire LGBTI community’s benefit.
Several LGBTI celebrities took to social media to thank Bowie/Ziggy/Aladdin/the Thin White Duke for the space he had created for them to be proud of who they are.
I love how Bowie challenged people’s perception of gender stereotypes and what an Outsider truly was. He was SO ahead of his time — ADAM LAMBERT (@adamlambert) January 11, 2016
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As far as his countless LGBTI fans go, the dream pairing of Bowie with Freddie Mercury and Queen for Under Pressure was a defining moment for the community.
David Bowie: The cleverest and most interestingly brilliant man of our time. What a vacuum he leaves, and how he will be missed. Roger
— Queen Official (@QueenWillRock) January 11, 2016
Being proud or at least at peace with being different was a common theme found throughout Bowie’s defiantly and appropriately queer (defined as “different”, “strange” or “odd” in this context) music and glamour.
He made it okay to stand out, to feel like you were from another planet like Ziggy. It seemed to be destiny that the LGBTI community would come to see Bowie as a pioneer and embrace him as one of their own.
Renowned trans poet and novelist Roz Kaveney said Bowie gave her permission to be “loud, queer and happy”.
I fell in love with Bowie in 1971. He gave me permission to be loud queer and happy. And dance in fishnets. My Bowie hadn't fucked up yet.
— Roz Kaveney (@RozKaveney) January 11, 2016
“I learned how to be a glamorous weirdo to a Bowie soundtrack,” wrote pop culture writer Jennifer Stoy.
“And as I realised that I wasn’t only a glamorous weirdo, I was a lesbian, I had Bowie, too. Being different, finding pleasure in being strange and beautiful, simply having fun while dancing and wearing a metric ton of glitter – these are all gifts the music of David Bowie gave to me.”
In daring us to “turn and face the strange” — my all-time favourite lyrics of his — Bowie implored the world to embrace and explore the freaks inside and around us, to love difference and be loved by the different, and have the courage to craft our own destinies.
Vale.
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The Freddie Mercury David Bowie song of course was Under Pressure.
An interview with Freddie Mercury revealed that although David Bowie joined in backing vocals, he quickly wanted his name removed from the credits, something Freddie could not understand. Also, when Bowie wrote and recorded the song Time he afterwards declared that the song sounded gay; perhaps it was the dilemna common to all bisexuals. When I was in Gay Liberation in the 1970’s Ziggy Stardust said it all for me. But I think the legacy will be more complex than we now believe.
We will miss you mate R.I.P
It was not just the Trans and gay people he helped with his expressions of freedom and self acceptance. When i felt lost and alone his songs, as well as a few others from that era, helped me to learn to ‘be the me’ i was and not what parents and others expected of me.