Episodes
Bronski Beat - Smalltown boy
June 20, 2026
A song written like a film script: the story of the daily life of a young gay man who has to leave his town to escape ostracism and violence.
Charles Trenet - The Extraordinary Garden
June 20, 2026
Legendary French singer Charles Trenet’s song uses poetic imagery to depict the Jardin des Tuileries, a gay cruising area in Paris.
Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix
June 20, 2026
In 2014 Conchita Wurst became the first bearded drag queen to win the Eurovision Song Contest with an affirming anthem of queer identity.
Eddy de Pretto - Kid
June 20, 2026
French singer Eddy de Pretto talks about homophobia and unrealistic expectations of masculinity in a very personal song.
Girl in Red - I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
June 20, 2026
Straight to the point, Girl In Red sings of her same-sex desire and her love for another woman. I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend went viral and became an anthem for a generation of lesbians.
Gloria Gaynor - I will survive
June 20, 2026
The classic breakup song by Gloria Gayner is a feminist song that was adopted by the gay community as a anthem against adversity.
Indochine - Le 3eme Sexe
June 20, 2026
1985. In an atmosphere of rising homophobia and moral panic around AIDS, French rock group sing about non-binary identities.
Jean-Claude Pascal - Nous Les Amoureux
June 20, 2026
The first queer song to win Eurovision was a crooner’s calling out of discrimination against homosexuals.
Judy Garland - Over the Rainbow
June 20, 2026
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz is a song of hope and a symbol of a better world for the queer community.
Juliette Greco - Les Pingouins
June 20, 2026
In an era when female homosexuality was invisible, Juliette Gréco sings about lesbians with animal metaphors and mischievous humour.
Klaus Nomi - The Cold Song
June 20, 2026
With his countertenor voice and synthesisers, Klaus Nomi created an alien persona that blurred the lines between genres and challenged conventions.
Lil Nas X Montero - Call Me By Your Name
June 20, 2026
How can you be black, gay and believe in God in America in 2021? Lil Nas X has the answer.
Little Richard -Tutti Frutti
June 20, 2026
What if one of the most famous songs from early rock and roll was about gay desire? Consummate entertainer Little Richard was a queer presence in the early fifties.
Ma Rainey - Prove It On Me
June 20, 2026
Ma Rainey sang candidly and confidently about her relationships with women in the 1920s. As a black and bisexual woman, she turned the blues into a space of queer freedom.
Pomme - Grandiose
June 20, 2026
One of the first songs in French to deal with a young lesbian’s desire to have children. It was written in the wake of the major anti-gay rights protests in France in 2013.
Sexy sushi - Sex Appeal
June 20, 2026
Sexy Sushi celebrate lesbian desire with racy lyrics as part of a queer scene that’s all about humour and fun.
Sylvester - You Make Me Feel
June 20, 2026
In 1978 a high-energy disco track burns up the dancefloors of San Francisco in a frenzy of fulfilment, power and authenticity.
Troye Sivan - One of Your Girls
June 20, 2026
Troye Sivan plays with drag, desire and gender roles in his pop songs which are steeped in queer tradition.
Village People - YMCA
June 20, 2026
What’s the link between Christianity and queer club culture? In 1978 the answer was Village People’s YMCA.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
June 20, 2026
In the 1980s, one song celebrating gay sexual climax became a worldwide hit.
