Madonna and the LGBTQ+ community

[Husam Elzien 600]

This was on Twitter today and I found it to just be blatant disrespect towards Madonna. The fact that this person had the nerve to even try to downplay Madonna's contributions towards the community when she was doing more than Janet probably ever did.

 

I love Janet but her earliest known support for the community is 1997, a time where it was slightly more acceptable to discuss LGBTQ issues in the mainstream versus Madonna who has a track record of showing her support for the gay community as far back as the 70s when she Christopher Flynn's dance student. Also the fact that this person was trying to rebuttal by saying that Janet releasing an AIDS tribute song as a single did more for the community than Madonna just relegating hers to an album track is just downright idiotic. Plus, the closest thing we got from Janet before that was Let's Wait Awhile in 1986 and that song was more about safe sex/ virginity. Clearly this person didn't pay attention in history class otherwise they would've known not to say this outlandish shit. We've heard about and seen Madonna attending the AIDS benefits, paying her friends' medical bills when they were dying from the disease, providing safe sex information on stage, television and in the original LAP liner notes, donating concert proceeds to AIDS research and putting herself in situations to be arrested for discussing LGBTQ+ rights in certain countries. Also, before Together Again, there was In This Life. 

They're also not making a good case for Janet by saying releasing an AIDS tribute song as a single does more than just making them album tracks because that's just insinuating that performative activism is the most effective type of activism. Janet did donate proceeds of the sales of the single to AmFAR but Madonna just donated, she didn't need a big commercialized tie-in. Also, trying to say Madonna stole Vogueing.... really? Janet has probably done amazing things to support the community that we might not know the entirety of, but no one in pop music can hold a candle to Madonna's impact. 

[professormouse 2,677]

Diva fights are so Pre-Covid.
 

[Karma 1,961]

The absolute NERVE and disrespect is genuinely upsetting...It's easy to act fake "woke" behind the computer now but besides Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor, I can't think of another outspoken high-profile supporter of the LGBT community in the 80s / 90s before it was the "trendy "thing to do. You know it was a different time when superstars like Michael, Prince or Donna (RIP) got away with homophobic remarks and even CHER found it very difficult at first to accept her transgender son. I'm tired of people pitting women against each other and spewing ignorant shit for Twitter clout (ironically, a huge chunk of Madonna's haters are gay men). Madonna was incredibly ahead of her time and these are just a few examples (someone with enough followers should make an informative thread):

- Public health pamphlets were handed out at the Who's That Girl Tour (1987), including a handwritten note urging for greater awareness of AIDS and an end to prejudice against those who contract it or who are HIV-positive.

- Every copy of Like A Prayer (1989) included a leaflet called “The Facts About AIDS", as part of her commitment to end HIV stigma, at the time when Republicans were blocking research and education into the epidemic.

- "Vogue" (1990) helped bring gay culture into the mainstream, featuring real dancers from the Harlem community that she hired as virtual co-stars on tour.

- She brought female sexuality front and centre and promoted same-sex couples on early videos like "Open Your Heart" (1986) and "Justify My Love" (1990).

- When many people saw a gay kiss for the very first time on Truth Or Dare (1991), a documentary film that also paved the way for reality TV.

- She championed safe SEX (1992) at a time when people were terrified of it because of the AIDS pandemic.

- She  sparked conversations through her work, including other controversial social issues such as racial injustice ("Like A Prayer"), teenage pregnancy ("Papa Don't Preach"), sex-positive feminism ("Express Yourself") and childhood trauma ("Oh Father").

- Attitude Magazine put it best: "She’s a gay icon that doesn’t really do “camp” and rarely accidentally falls into that field. She doesn’t “play up” to her gay fan base – she doesn’t need to, and she also realises they’re much smarter than that. She doesn’t need to condescend, as many since have. She hasn’t, for example, ever needed to write a song that was intended to be a “gay anthem” from the outset, nor one listing sexual preferences in order to find favour with the community".

 

[professormouse 2,677]

"Dance away the heartache, dance away the fear..."

[proxy 1,272]

Why censorship let everyone knows who this is, it's public and his not ashamed of his statement! 

 

[Maddyone 98]

Ummm in 1992 on Erotica there is a song called "In This Life" which was also performed on her Girlie Show tour, which was about friends of hers who died of AIDS. Let's not forget Warhol stating that Madonna shared a cupcake with one of her friends who was dying of AIDS long before they knew how AIDS was shared. Let's also not forget the fact that Christopher Anderson wrote that shitty book that stated Madonna had HIV from someone she had sex with back in the day and was suppose to tell everyone at American Foundation For AIDS Research With Luke Perry in 1991.  Janet NEVER, Madonna's been there from the start.

[RUADJAI 11,060]

I get it, it's frustrating... and Madonna wins this battle hands down. But it's not a competition. They're both great artists who are great allies in their own ways. Fight the REAL ENEMY!!!

[professormouse 2,677]

"and Madonna wins this battle hands down. But it's not a competition"

[Ian 1,517]

mentally challenged people shouldn't be allowed to post on twitter/social media

 

[professormouse 2,677]

1 hour ago, Ian said:

mentally challenged people shouldn't be allowed to post on twitter/social media

 

"mentally challenged people" wouldn't be bothered with this drivel.
 

[devilpray 2,319]

Don't feed the trolls

[bedtimestory 690]

Madonna is the PIONEER. Sorry Janet...

[Voguerista 7,602]

No one beats Madonna on this. No one. I remember Elizabeth Taylor doing a lot too. 

[me1981 1,229]

We shouldn't forget Princess Diana either. It was a massive deal for her to actually hug AIDS patients at time when people were still afraid to be in the same room with someone with the Virus.

Liz Taylor did so much as mentioned

M didn't just support AIDS causes, but supported loving who you want to love and being yourself. As a young gay man she helped me in some dark times. Just knowing someone out there accepted me. 

A lot of young people are ignorant to the past. There are still Gaga fans who want to credit her for total LGBTQ+ acceptance and even blamed M for spreading AIDS. 

I find in general it is best to just ignore them. We as fans just need to stop fighting and instead do what M won't do. Share her legacy far and wide. I am in the process of putting together some YT vids and other stuff. Might take some time but will get it out there. I would rather that than fighting with people who are ignorant and don't want to acknowledge what M did for us, regardless of receipts. They are not worth the energy

[deathproof 6,105]

8 hours ago, RUADJAI said:

I get it, it's frustrating... and Madonna wins this battle hands down. But it's not a competition. They're both great artists who are great allies in their own ways. Fight the REAL ENEMY!!!

Exactly. I always ignore this nonsense on Twitter. Who the fuck cares?

[professormouse 2,677]

[Roland Barthes 2,140]

Janet fans been pushing her since day one. they can't acept people see her for what she is : a derivated product of the Jackson trademark with a repetitive discography. She has nice bops but except for her first album, which is perfect, the rest did not age well especially Janet and Rhythm Nation. How many times can you sample "thank U fallentin me be mice elf again" by sly & the Family Stone ? All the time according to Jam & Lewis.

 

[Blue Jean 4,360]

Is this the same Janet that in 1992 made Tupac get an HIV test before a kissing scene in Poetic Justice?

[brank000 1,930]

On 5/1/2021 at 12:38 AM, Husam Elzien said:

 

 

Can someone please explain to me why "woke" is being used as an insult lately?

I normally see it used by right wing people when they are attacking anything LGBTQ+ or BLM and it gets under my skin.

[professormouse 2,677]

6 hours ago, brank000 said:

Can someone please explain to me why "woke" is being used as an insult lately?

I normally see it used by right wing people when they are attacking anything LGBTQ+ or BLM and it gets under my skin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke

[brank000 1,930]

16 hours ago, professormouse said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke

Yeah...read that yesterday and it still doesn't explain properly why it's used as an insult.  

[Semtex1 684]

My favourite thing about Madonna is that she is unique in never sucking up to the gay community to get them onside...like all the rest of them. She is just as likely to tell gay fans to go fuck themselves as she is with straight ones. 

[professormouse 2,677]

On 5/1/2021 at 2:25 PM, Karma said:

The absolute NERVE and disrespect is genuinely upsetting...It's easy to act fake "woke" behind the computer now but besides Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor, I can't think of another outspoken high-profile supporter of the LGBT community in the 80s / 90s before it was the "trendy "thing to do. You know it was a different time when superstars like Michael, Prince or Donna (RIP) got away with homophobic remarks and even CHER found it very difficult at first to accept her transgender son. I'm tired of people pitting women against each other and spewing ignorant shit for Twitter clout (ironically, a huge chunk of Madonna's haters are gay men). Madonna was incredibly ahead of her time and these are just a few examples (someone with enough followers should make an informative thread):

- Public health pamphlets were handed out at the Who's That Girl Tour (1987), including a handwritten note urging for greater awareness of AIDS and an end to prejudice against those who contract it or who are HIV-positive.

- Every copy of Like A Prayer (1989) included a leaflet called “The Facts About AIDS", as part of her commitment to end HIV stigma, at the time when Republicans were blocking research and education into the epidemic.

- "Vogue" (1990) helped bring gay culture into the mainstream, featuring real dancers from the Harlem community that she hired as virtual co-stars on tour.

- She brought female sexuality front and centre and promoted same-sex couples on early videos like "Open Your Heart" (1986) and "Justify My Love" (1990).

- When many people saw a gay kiss for the very first time on Truth Or Dare (1991), a documentary film that also paved the way for reality TV.

- She championed safe SEX (1992) at a time when people were terrified of it because of the AIDS pandemic.

- She  sparked conversations through her work, including other controversial social issues such as racial injustice ("Like A Prayer"), teenage pregnancy ("Papa Don't Preach"), sex-positive feminism ("Express Yourself") and childhood trauma ("Oh Father").

- Attitude Magazine put it best: "She’s a gay icon that doesn’t really do “camp” and rarely accidentally falls into that field. She doesn’t “play up” to her gay fan base – she doesn’t need to, and she also realises they’re much smarter than that. She doesn’t need to condescend, as many since have. She hasn’t, for example, ever needed to write a song that was intended to be a “gay anthem” from the outset, nor one listing sexual preferences in order to find favour with the community".

 

Donna....Summer ?
She never got away with homophobic remarks.
'coz she said she never made any.
It ended her career all the same.
Annie Lennox says remixes are for gay junkies and it caused not one ripple in the press.

[professormouse 2,677]

On 7/22/2021 at 2:21 PM, brank000 said:

Yeah...read that yesterday and it still doesn't explain properly why it's used as an insult.  

'coz keyboard warriors are making out it's a suddenly discovered thing.
People are jumping on a bandwagon and it's not how they really are.
They just wanna look PC online.
Even in here many have their brain set to tw@t as a default.

[RinoTheBouncer 1,112]

Madonna accomplished more for the LGBT+ community than any other artist and more so than even LGBT+ activists. She spoke out against the injustice and discrimination towards us, gave us a platform and representation and normalized our existence in a time decades before it was socially and politically acceptable in the west, and she did so at the detriment of her own career, because she believed in us. 

People keep undermining her all while praising new singers and corporations who pretty much use our name and the flags of our movement and suffering as tokens to sell, and it’s all so evident from how they spam everyone with LGBT flags in the west but their middle eastern and Russian social media accounts pretend we don’t exist, because our movement doesn’t sell there.

I’m genuinely tired of this. Madonna deserves much more recognition and appreciation for her support to our cause than any other, and not only ignoring her, but invalidating her work like they’re doing here is just too disrespectful and unfair.