Lady Gaga, Katy Perry & Taylor Swift - LGBT in the Top 40 Over Time | TaraElla & Friends #8

TE: Welcome back to TaraElla and Friends. Today, we have my friend Simply Happy again, who is a proud top 40 radio person. We are going to discuss LGBT attitudes and support in the top 40 scene, and see how attitudes have evolved over time.

I still remember that, back when I was in college and gay marriage was generally opposed by majorities across the world, not many top 40 artists and personalities dared to speak up about that topic either. Things began to change around the turn of the decade, around 2009 to 2012 or so. Suddenly, it was cool to be pro-marriage equality. I think several personalities who emerged around that time, like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, were some of the first to be vocal about their support for gay marriage and other associated rights.

SH: I also remember the change around that time. Gay representation on TV also greatly increased at around the same time, with shows like Glee. I guess people just became aware of the issues around that time.

TE: Perhaps it's partly due to the gradual awareness. That said, gay marriage was already a big culture war issue around 2004, when it was politicized with the 2004 US elections. And Prop 8 in California in 2008 caused a big wave of discussion too. So it was somewhat disappointing that more celebrities didn't state their support for LGBT rights earlier. Perhaps that could have averted the Prop 8 result, for example. I guess most celebrities were afraid of receiving backlash from more conservative parts of society if they spoke out. I mean, even in 2010 or so, it was only personalities with a more 'edgy' image, so to speak, who were comfortable voicing their support for LGBT issues. While Lady Gaga and Katy Perry were outspoken, Taylor Swift was quiet on these issues, for example.

SH: You know, I was a big fan of Taylor Swift, and I was quite disappointed with her lack of public support for LGBT issues back then. But I forgave her, and I still do, especially since she is now very vocal about supporting things like the Equality Act. I think you've got to remember that it was a different time. You've got to remember that this was back during a time when the top 40 scene was much less political than it is now. This had its pros and cons. But people were simply not used to their favorite celebrity speaking up about political issues. And those who do often get punished, like how the Dixie Chicks, now simply known as The Chicks, were subject to a boycott back in 2003, during the heated arguments around the Iraq War. You know, people don't want to lose their careers just like that.

TE: That whole drama around the Dixie Chicks, I was so angry back then. Especially since I was vehemently against the Iraq War. I guess it was back then that I started to form a strong opinion against what we call 'cancel culture' now. It's probably why I'm so against cancel culture in all its forms. I mean, one thing that's better about where we are now compared to two decades ago, is that people don't feel as compelled to stay silent on controversial political or social issues. However, my worry is that the rise of cancel culture could completely reverse that progress. We have to remember that many of the reforms we have achieved, things like marriage equality, were made possible by people being comfortable enough to speak up. We should cherish that.

SH: A related point is the unhealthy polarization. This divisiveness makes people uncomfortable, and it means people aren't going to be as comfortable discussing political issues in the future. Many people are already avoiding political topics during family gatherings. If this trend continues, I think we may indeed see a reluctance to discuss controversial issues return among public figures, especially those in the mainstream entertainment industry. And if that happens, I think it will be the fault of those pushing their extreme views on all sides.

TE: I suspect we may even be beginning to see some of this. For example, while many celebrities profess their general support for the LGBT community nowadays, they don't discuss many of the controversial issues dividing the LGBT community itself. I guess events like the 2019 attempted cancellation of ContraPoints, over some personal opinions about pronoun introductions, have taught mainstream celebrities to stay away, for the sake of their careers. You see this strategy of superficial support but no deep engagement in the whole JK Rowling controversy last year, for example. Many celebrities distanced themselves from Rowling's stance and professed support for trans rights, but it was in a shallow way, without engaging deeper in the issues at hand. What I'm worried about is that, in the future, supporting the LGBT community will mean shallow virtue signalling and nothing more. This, in turn, means that nobody ever changes their mind, and no progress is ever made.