In a recent interview, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen discussed Freddie Mercury’s sexual orientation.
Music fans were treated to the debut of Adam Lambert’s new documentary, Adam Lambert: Out, Loud, and Proud, on ITV on June 19.
In an intimate series of interviews with MNEK, Andy Bell of Erasure, and Skin of Skunk Anasie, the former American Idol winner delves into the long struggle that British LGBTQIA+ musicians have faced in order to be treated equally in the music business.
Adam Lambert: Out, Loud and Proud is a stirring tribute to the tenacity and revolutionary spirit of LGBTQ+ artists who have revolutionized the music industry while battling for equality, according to the synopsis.
Along with the previously listed musicians, the documentary includes a lengthy interview with May and Taylor of Queen, who discussed Mercury’s enormous influence and how he would have responded to the term “queer.”
The lexicon has evolved significantly. It was not a word you wanted to use, queer. According to The Sunday Times, Brian told Lambert, “I would never have used it to Freddie, and he would have been upset if we had.”
“I’m not queer, darling; queer meant strange and weird,” he would have responded. It’s challenging to discuss Freddie as a gay musician. “Darling, I’m a musician,” he would add. I just have one thing to say to you.
Many LGBTQIA+ people have reclaimed the term “queer” over time as an umbrella term that is positive and accepting.
The iconic pair discussed the homophobia they encountered while touring in the US at several points in their interview, citing MTV’s denial to air their music video for “I Want To Break Free” as a perfect example.
Mercury and his bandmates are seen in the classic image, which was inspired by the venerable UK serial opera Coronation Street, dressed completely in drag. The frontman of Queen is seen with a wig, a sleeveless top, and a black miniskirt.
It was a jest. According to Taylor, it was intended to be a satire of a well-known soap show in the UK.
May continued by asserting that the band’s commercial success in the US was negatively harmed by homophobia in the US.
A series of blockbusters that were huge everywhere but in the US were absent from the US. He clarified, “Until Freddie [died away], we didn’t get a hit.
“Freddie said, ‘We won’t get the States back until I f***ing die,'” in my memory.
They normally respect Freddie’s privacy and don’t feel comfortable talking about his sexual orientation on TV. However, we managed to have a polite conversation about it,” the “Runnin” singer said, according to The Mirror.
“Secrets weren’t being revealed. It was the way it shaped him as a human, a musician, and an artist.
The over ten-year Queen performer and collaborator Lambert continued by praising May and Taylor for being vulnerable with him.
“I make it a point to honor Freddie. “Every performance I have is an homage to him,” he continued.
“I’m honored that they were at ease with me and willing to discuss their relationship with Freddie and his experiences as a gay man during a period when it was not widely accepted.”
