Everybody’s Gay: How Lizzo Champions Pride
With joyful hits that celebrate self-love and acceptance, Lizzo isn’t afraid to champion pride all year round.
Written by Hasina Shah
Illustrated by Sophie Beasley
Six months following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and with anti-LGTBQ+ legislation, including the many anti-Trans bills affecting LGBTQ+ youth passing rapidly throughout the United States, it’s clear that many of the protections like marriage equality, freedom of expression and freedom of choice that LGBTQ+ communities have fought for are under attack. With so much heartache surrounding the queer community, paired with the fear of decades-long legislation being rolled back in a matter of minutes, the glaring need for acceptance has never been more apparent. Artists like Janelle Monáe and Harry Styles have used their status and image to bring light to these issues by owning their own gender fluidity and sexuality and putting it centerstage in their live performances and red carpet appearances. At the forefront of these celebrity allies is Lizzo, who espouses joy through her music and own self-expression in the costumes she chooses to wear and the genders in which she chooses to identify.
In her latest album, Special, Lizzo’s song “Everybody’s Gay” is the celebratory anthem many were looking for. With swelling instrumentals, high energy beats, and lyrics like, "It’s a happy place in here, baby you’re safe / We can take our mask off / We can all ball and parlay,” it’s hard not to feel immense pride in one’s queer identity. Lizzo calls back to iconic pride anthems like “I’m Coming Out,” by Diana Ross and Cher’s “Believe” with her emphasis on a hit that everyone can dance to and use to escape the current realities of our political landscape. Lizzo further combats the anxious minds and heavy hearts of her fans with songs like “About Damn Time” and “Special,” which remind listeners that they should love and celebrate themselves as they are. The hit single was released right after a brutal lockdown during a global pandemic and amidst several civil rights uprisings. This, along with the growing attacks against transgender women and other queer people of color, displayed clearly that centering joy was necessary. Lizzo answered the call with this hip-swinging, carefree anthem that allowed for anyone listening to take a deep breath and let go.
The artist’s third album was released following an onslaught of proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bills, like Florida’s "Parental Rights in Education” bill, which prohibits schoolteachers in grades K-3 from teaching students about sexual orientation or gender identity. This occurred just a month after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s public letter accusing parents who allow their children to receive gender-affirming care of child abuse and calling on federal agencies to criminally investigate their actions. At her SXSW keynote event, Lizzo spoke on the matter saying, "They're taking away the right for young children to have a chance to live authentically as themselves. It's a violation of human rights. Trans rights are human rights."
This isn’t the first time Lizzo has expressed support for people in the LGBTQ+ community. In a 2019 interview with Variety magazine, Lizzo spoke openly about being an ally and shared her beliefs about gender and sexuality, characterizing them as fluid, not simply boxes to squeeze into. “It’s called Pride, not hide,” she said. “It’s time to represent and it’s time to persist and keep going. There’s progress to be made and we’re moving forward.” When asked later in the Variety interview if she identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community, she said she “leaned heterosexual” but that, in the future, society would likely regret the “binary boxes” we assigned to ourselves and others. “I also think it’s unfair to human existence to limit the spectrum of what you’re capable of sexually,” she said.
Though Lizzo identities as straight, many of her recent songs have caused increasing speculation about her sexuality due to their intense hinting at the artist’s own sexual fluidity. In her bop “Rumors” featuring rapper Cardi B, the musician addresses gossip about her by confirming its validity, “All the rumors are true, yeah / What ya heard, that’s true, yeah / I f*ck him and you, yea / If you believe that I do that.” In “About Damn Time,” she belts, “In a minute, I’mma need a sentimental / Man or woman to pump me up.” Her lyrics show how her attraction for others is unconstrained and as smooth as the trombone transitions in her music.
Lizzo’s use of dramatic costumes, perfectly choreographed dance numbers with her famous back-up dancers, “The Big Girls,” and passion for showmanship and audience participation has landed her a spot amongst the ranks of queer icons like Diana Ross, Cher, and Brittney Spears, who although openly identify as heterosexual, have songs on gay Pride playlists across multiple music streaming platforms. In her shows, Lizzo is known to change costumes multiple times — from sequin rompers and floor length gowns to feather boas and lingerie sets. The way that Lizzo is undeniably herself as she stands in front of thousands of fans in iconic looks that aren’t celebrated on bigger bodies lends even more inspiration to LGBTQ+ fans to embrace themselves for who they are, no matter what. Lizzo’s live performances remind every single person in attendance that they are enough as they are and that they don’t need to change to love themselves. Add in the fact that she dances, sings, plays the flute, and even brings audience members up onstage, it is no wonder that Lizzo has been so influential in the queer community. Her commitment to excellence, love and pure happiness are what Pride is rooted in.
While the future for queer communities is uncertain, unwavering sanctuary can be found in Lizzo’s music, through her heartwarming lyrics about self-love and acceptance. With her energetic instrumentals and powerful songwriting, the singer’s discography establishes a tone of unapologetic self-love and comfortability in your own skin. With songs that range from touching and emotional, to fierce and fiery, she manages to create art that emphasizes and embraces LGBTQ+ pride at every intersection. No matter your racial, ethnic, gender or sexual identity, her music builds on the idea that people should have a safe space for themselves rooted in self-love and celebration, and turns it into a reality.