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ease my mind



The official music video for Ben Platt’s “Ease My Mind” from his debut album ‘Sing To Me Instead’ – Out March 29th! Pre-order Now: https://benplatt.lnk.to/SingToMeInste... Directed by Nick Lieberman Featuring Charlie Carver Subscribe for more official content from Ben Platt: https://benplatt.lnk.to/Subscribe

I usually put my money where my mouth is. Or in this case, my cursor. I ten to support LGBTQ artists whether by buying their music or by giving them clicks online. I think representation matters, and if someone finds themselves seeing a queer character fall in and out of love in a music video for the first time while reading my little blog, then my day is done.

I grew up reading between the lines in mainstream music, art and movies looking for something that would let me know that I was not alone, that me wanting to have another man holding me, kissing me, fucking me, was not weird or abnormal or wrong. And I was a nerdy kid who loved to read and I quickly found ways to go where I wanted to find info and background knowledge on who I was and why I was who I was: the public library.

But still, there was not a wealth of images or representation of the kind of love I wanted. Oh, I read Baldwin and White and Leavitt and Maupin and saw movies by Derek Jarman and Almodovar and Bidgood. But I wanted the whole nine yards: I wanted romance and sex, not only the coming of age in the time of AIDS story, or the tortured gays of Boys in the Band. I watched the Celluloid Closet seven times with my friends, wrote essays plucking apart gay representation in Willa Carter and and Fitzgerald. There were very few stones left unturned when I was a student that did not have a queer character to be found.

And I wanted more. I wanted to see the love that spoke its name to me in the big screen, where the two men would live together an epic love story a la The Notebook. Or on the radio, or on TV. And now we have the chance to see ourselves when Ben Platt sings about his love life. Or when Sam Smith sings he wants to dance with somebody who loves him.

I think we need to support queer artists. There's talent there to be admired. And yes, we can have our divas. Our Beyonces and our Arianas and our Kylies and our Dollys. And our Madonnas. But there's queer artists out there who would profit from our listening to them because they speak our language. They sing and write about our struggles and our desires. And we should reward them for that. If not with money, then with clicks. Because in a world where hatred and bigotry rear their ugly heads every thirty seconds, representation matters.



xoxo


Comments

  1. It is so important that everyone sees representation of the queer experience. We need to see that queer couples lead normal lives. We have wants and desires just like straight people that go beyond sex, like you pointed out in a previous post. So yes, we need to support queer artists wherever we can, and however we can. We need to get these images trending and in the mainstream.

    XOXO 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

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  2. That's the best way to break down the walls; to see yourself in movies, or TV,or music, and to know you're not so different.

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  3. I love this song. I'm still hooked on 'Kissing Boys In The Street". But, I think QAF was one of the biggest life changers for all Americans gay and straight in the US.

    As long as music/tv/movies have a happy ending, we will be good. No AIDS, no murder. I disliked intensely the movie "Boys In The Band" and glad the play flopped on Broadway (sorry Mat Bomer). My favorite feel good movie is a comedy called "What Happens Next".

    another wonderful post!

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  4. I don't listen to ariana, or beyonce, or any of the artists you listed since I think they all sound as though they have helium escaping their lungs. I do listen to Matt Fischel though... he plays rock and roll.

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