Published in Thread Magazine on March 20, 2024, my special project feature on nonbinary musicians was a finalist for the 2024-25 Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence Award in Feature Writing.Taking the music industry beyond the binary
With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation targeting genderqueer people across America, nonbinary musicians represent a hopeful future.
To music listeners everywhere, the music industry has long been romanticized; the glitz and glamor, raucous partying in Beverly Hills, glowing city lights, and flashing cameras lighting your walk on the red carpet are highly attractive. Who wouldn’t want to build a legacy of songs and albums that will outlast whole generations?
Chasing the next great American record might seem like a welcoming undertaking to musicians, but it may not be as ideal to queer musicians. The most famous industry titans—Rick Rubin, Dr. Dre, Jack Anontoff—are historically cis-gendered, heterosexual men. In some cases, like that of Dr. Dre, homophobic language in their music is not a rare occurrence. In all genres of music, from mainstream hip-hop to Broadway to metal, being queer and being highly successful are often mutually exclusive.
Luckily for the music industry and LGBTQIA+ audiences, progress has been made in including queer artists on stage. However, this progress has not necessarily been extended to nonbinary artists. Even the biggest nonbinary musicians of our time, people like King Princess and Sam Smith, are failed by their own audiences who are often ignorant of these artists’ gender identities.