Celebrating diversity and rights equality music knows absolutely no boundaries. Colour, nor religion, nor nationality, nor sexuality could possibly stand in the way of music that goes beyond prejudice, inequalities and discriminative laws. At the threshold of the second decade of 21st century we still care exceedingly too much on who goes to bad who with. Like vultures medias point out the odd ones, pigeonholing them for the sake of some pointless organizations with depository missions instead of a good will. But still, there are those proud men and women who are out and proud. That is why I decided to spend some time with a series of OUT AND PROUD musicians, who have had some influence on contemporary music...and culture as a whole.
The first edition is dedicate to some of the best known bisexual female singers, who have officially stated their sexual preferences and don't mind how you would take it. The order is in no way strict or final!
15. Lindsay Lohan - the real bad girl of teen pop music, who began as a promising child actor, but as years passed she indulged into the pleasures of drugs, alcohol and promiscuity. Despite being categorized as lesbian Lohan is closer to the bisexual description, going on and off with guys and gals.
14. Missy Higgins - the Melbourne-born singer-songwriter was one of Australia's best music exports for 2005, giving her some serious career push. She has established as one of the best known Australian alternative singers for the last few years and a promising young musician who is just about to make another major breakthrough.
13. Meshell Ndegeocello - a fine instrumentalist, an experimenter and a style innovator Meshell is one of those smooth jazzy voices that make you dream of realms set far out of any modern boundaries. She may not be your regular million-copies seller, but has more to offer than your average MTV-diva.
12. Skin - open-minded, scandalous and talented are just some of Skunk Anansie's lead vocalist's traits that make her visible in the crowded sea of female singers. Even if you are not into alternative you just can't have missed out her shaved head.
11. Billie Holiday - having a seminal influence on jazz and contemporary pop music she has been referred to as one of the most important GLBT figures for the first half of the 20th century.
10. Amanda Palmer - The Dresden Dolls' lead vocalist and solo performer Palmer brings the spirit of the 30s back on track. She is quite open about her sexuality and leaves no doubt with her original lyrics which deal sexuality, self-expression and outstanding oneself.
9. Ani DiFranco - her songs center around GLBT topics, the atrocities of life, the joy of being oneself and knowing the sole reason of one's existence. One of the most talented and prolific in the folk genre DiFranco has made the way for other aspiring GLBT musicians who are open about themselves and know good music.
8. Dusty Springfield - one of England's most beloved 60s and 70s singer she has always had her personal life secluded, protecting herself from all the dirt that tabloids had in store. Struggling her entire life with personal dramas, Dusty has managed to keep her head up and become a role model for every female musician.
7. Janis Joplin - a controversial public figure, a driving force for the hippie movement and a life ending too early she lived for the moment and made music that lasted decades after her fatal encounter with heroin. Never truly understand during her lifetime Joplin remains an enigma for many, but still is considered as one of the most important bisexual musicians of all time.
6. Pink - being one of the most successful pop singers of the last decade Alecia Beth Moore sexual ambiguity to a new more commercial level freely using a lesbian outfit and openly demonstrating her support for the GLBT community. Not that she was the first one to back up bisexual musicians, but she was one of the few to be there from the very start up to now.
5. Debbie Harry - an inspiration for almost three generations music was her flirt with the world. With Blondie she went beyond her wildest dreams, becoming one of the best known female singers of the late 70s - early 80s and iconic figure for the music industry dominated back then by men.
4. Peaches - boys wanna be her! Bad girls had to learn some new tricks to keep up with her. Outrageous, spontaneous and disturbingly sexually charged Merrill knows no stops. Livin' la Vida Loca of her own she has continuously defended the honor of the GLBT community, even she goes to extremes.
3. Sinead O'connor - going through some major lifestyle changes, she never did shift sexual preferences and kept playing for the same team. Neither scandals, nor her deep theological explorations took Sinead of track, and despite not being that commercially successful her traces in the music business are still visible.
2. Bjork - although she has never said "I am bisexual" she has talked extensively on the boundless flow of sexuality, as well as expressed her sexually ambiguous thinking through her songs and videos. Soothing to some and annoying to other Bjork remains one of the most controversial musicians of the last two decades and certainly a basis for the adequate development of GLBT music.
1. Madonna - she is bisexual, she is lesbian, she is straight. Madonna knows no sexual boundaries and still I have placed her in this list as easily going both ways. She has never kept a secret her numerous encounters with other women, as well as the joy of trying as many tastes as one can. Not your butch feminist dyke, nor your regular vanilla heterosexual Madonna is the sole description for the freedom that bisexuality represents.
