To be sure, Droste has a few good excuses for not getting more involved. Obviously, if Droste starts doing activist-ey stuff, no right-winger is going to suddenly change his mind. Also, his fans are probably already pretty pro-gay. So you might think that whether or not Droste does activist-ey stuff makes no difference.

Still, Droste’s participation in activist-ey stuff would probably make his fans feel a bit more passionately pro-gay, if only because people tend to identify w/their musical idols (or maybe they just needed a reminder to care about gay stuff). Plus, getting involved would be relatively painless, and with potentially great rewards. For example, at the march, all he needed to do was show up and do a solo acoustic cover of “The Book of Love” and (1) it would have been awesome and (2) the crowd would have been pumped for *the rest of their lives.* Hell, maybe it would have gone viral on youtube — you never know.

One person commented that most in the entertainment industry are pro gay which I do not think is the case. Being associated with queer/gay people still comes at a risk and does not equal money. Sexist/ homophobic comments are still very much a part of the music industry, perhaps less so in indie music that seems popular for this site but mainstream music still welcomes it.

Nice post.

Maybe you’d wish that your queer indie artists would speak out more, but good lord, that doesn’t mean you have to elevate Lady GaGa just because she gave an impassioned, drunken speech at an equality rally in DC. Zack, this post seems more about your resentment of how your queer indie artists handle their queerness than it is about Lady GaGa.

If your favorite queer artists were speaking out more about their queerness, would you ever have decided that Lady GaGa was the shit?! I don’t think so.

While she made it through without few noticable hitches, she didn’t seem 100% coherent at either the dinner on Saturday or the march on Sunday. Her voice was slurring and it’s hard for anyone in a position of political influence to take her or anyone seriously when they present themselves to the public in such a manner. Sorry to rub some wrongly that may read this comment, but having people speak forthrightly and clearly with conviction serves us better in the longterm.

I speak as someone who has always been out when I say that real gay liberation is about not having to wear yr sexual identity on your sleeve, or make at an issue for anyone else.

Excluding those who are actively nasty toward the LGBT community, I would say that one should support whomever one likes to listen to. If you like her music and her flashy performances, more power to you. If it’s not your thing, then listen to whom you want to.

This will date me severely, but nevertheless the Gaga schtick reminds me of a conversation I had in college. A guy was going on and on about how much he liked Kiss, and I told him I preferred Pink Floyd. He looked stunned, and said, “But I heard their shows are boring. All they do is stand there and play their instruments.” Each to his own, I suppose.

Lady GaGa is a “look at me, look at how loud and different I am” type of artist. It isn’t surprising then, that she spoke the way she did and in the manner that she did. Droste is a completely different type of artist. While he may not be as loud or outspoken as GaGa, we have no idea if he donates money or volunteers in his local community. I think just by being out and being a serious artist, Droste is a wonderful role model.

Being loud and vocal doesn’t mean everything (see: the birthers and the healthcare-right-wing-nuts).

Look you know how much I adore you, but you are your own undoing. How? Because the “post-gay” that you espouse is the reason why there can even be casually-out people. It has always been my thought, even since I heard Michael talk about issues like this that you guys make a couple strange assumptions: one – all gay men have taste, oh g-d spend one hour in a gay bar in DC and you will see this is nowhere NEAR the case. This explain that feather boa syndrome you mention. two: being “post-gay” will be good for gay people, especially those that are not in the gay mainstream. I tend to disagree, with the merging of gayness into the mainstream we are losing some of the things that made us interesting to begin with. Without struggle there is no progress has a corollary, with out suffering there is only bad art. Just wait…you will see.

The good news is the easier we make it for people to be “truer” to themselves, we all win. That isn’t going to make people stop being sleazy entertainers to make a buck. I guess I differ from you and see the base of so many of my arguments with Michael right now: I do not think of these peopel as artists, I think of them as paid monkeys and whores for money. Hmmm…pondering.