Summary Of How Pop Music Broke The Gender Binary

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Young people and marginalized communities have historically used music, fashion, and style to express who they are, protest against injustice, and resist oppressive systems. Within these cultural movements, diverse gender identities are also celebrated by disrupting societal norms and promoting inclusivity. The multifaceted roles of music, fashion, and style serve as outlets for self-expression and can be leveraged to challenge the hegemonic standards of the ever-changing society. Different genres of music such as rap and hip-hop have paved the way for political progress, by advocating for change through an art medium. Numerous marginalized groups have found their voice in the hip-hop community due to the shared experiences within this avenue …show more content…

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and Bessie Smith pioneered the subculture of queerness in music in the 1920s and 1930s (Geffen & Carpenter, 2020). Their art allowed future generations to produce music that shows diverse expressions of gender identity being accepted. Challenging the gender binary and heteronormative standards of society through music can also be a form of political protest and resistance. Within the past few years, record-breaking numbers of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the United States, with each year having more bills introduced than the previous (Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2024, n.d.; Choi, 2024). The prevalence of queer artists has also increased in recent years, which acts as resistance against these legislations. It has been noted that hip-hop has witnessed “unprecedented visibility” in recent years, according to Lauron Kehrer, assistant professor of ethnomusicology. Newer artists of the hip-hop scene include Lil Nas X, Ice Spice, and Saucy Santana who diversify the genre through their queer self-expression (Segarra,