To Queer Or Not To Queer? 7 LGBTQ Spoken Word Artists You Need To Hear
Start writing a post
Sports

To Queer Or Not To Queer? 7 LGBTQ Spoken Word Artists You Need To Hear

Their truths will not be silenced.

 Leslie Shakira Garcia
Jun 20, 2016
Lipscomb University
56
To Queer Or Not To Queer? 7 LGBTQ Spoken Word Artists You Need To Hear
Wallpapercave

In honor of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) pride month, here are seven spoken word artists who use their platform to educate, inspire and motivate both the members of the LGBTQ community and their allies.

1. "Dear Straight People" by Denice Frohman

"Dear straight people, you're the reason we stay in the closet, you're the reason we even have a closet. I don't like closets! But you made the living room an unshared space, now I'm feeling like a guest in my own house."

2. "Today" by Danez Smith


"Today, the diagnosis does not own me. Today, I am more than HIV positive. And my blood is just blood, and not poisoned or the river sticks or God-less... I have become a garden and what grows here is not dead."

3. "A Letter to the Girl I used to Be" by Ethan Smith

"In therapy, you said you wouldn't make it to twenty-one. On my twenty-first birthday, I thought about you. You were right."

4. "Unbuttoning My Boy Shirt" by Joy Young

"My life has felt like I'm doing the hokey pokey while everyone else just dances to the tune of what it means to be a man or a woman."

5. "Like Like" by Theresa Davis

"There are two kinds of like: there is like, and there is like like. Like is, 'I like you.' Like like, 'yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I like you.'"

6. "Maybe I Need You" by Andrea Gibson


"I loved you from our first date. At the batting cages, when I missed twenty-three balls in a row and you looked at me like I was a home-run in the 9th inning of the World Series. Now everytime I hear the word love, I think 'going... going...'"

7. "People You May Know" by Kevin Kantor


"When my rapist showed up under the 'People You May Know' tab on Facebook, it felt like the closest to a crime scene I'd ever been... No one comes running for boys who cry rape."
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Health and Wellness

Exposing Kids To Nature Is The Best Way To Get Their Creative Juices Flowing

Constantly introducing young children to the magical works of nature will further increase the willingness to engage in playful activities as well as broaden their interactions with their peers

Rutgers University
1253495
Exposing Kids To Nature Is The Best Way To Get Their Creative Juices Flowing
Pixabay

Whenever you are feeling low and anxious, just simply GO OUTSIDE and embrace nature! According to a new research study published in Frontiers in Psychology, being connected to nature and physically touching animals and flowers enable children to be happier and altruistic in nature. Not only does nature exert a bountiful force on adults, but it also serves as a therapeutic antidote to children, especially during their developmental years.

Keep Reading... Show less
Health and Wellness

5 Simple Ways To Give Yourself Grace, Especially When Life Gets Hard

Grace begins with a simple awareness of who we are and who we are becoming.

Florida Gulf Coast University
785436
5 Simple Ways To Give Yourself Grace, Especially When Life Gets Hard
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

If there's one thing I'm absolutely terrible at, it's giving myself grace. I'm easily my own worst critic in almost everything that I do. I'm a raging perfectionist, and I have unrealistic expectations for myself at times. I can remember simple errors I made years ago, and I still hold on to them. The biggest thing I'm trying to work on is giving myself grace. I've realized that when I don't give myself grace, I miss out on being human. Even more so, I've realized that in order to give grace to others, I need to learn how to give grace to myself, too. So often, we let perfection dominate our lives without even realizing it. I've decided to change that in my own life, and I hope you'll consider doing that, too. Grace begins with a simple awareness of who we are and who we're becoming. As you read through these five affirmations and ways to give yourself grace, I hope you'll take them in. Read them. Write them down. Think about them. Most of all, I hope you'll use them to encourage yourself and realize that you are never alone and you always have the power to change your story.

Keep Reading... Show less
Entertainment

Breaking Down The Beginning, Middle, And End of Netflix's Newest 'To All The Boys' Movie

Noah Centineo and Lana Condor are back with the third and final installment of the "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" series

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
779890
Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky
Netflix

Were all teenagers and twenty-somethings bingeing the latest "To All The Boys: Always and Forever" last night with all of their friends on their basement TV? Nope? Just me? Oh, how I doubt that.

I have been excited for this movie ever since I saw the NYC skyline in the trailer that was released earlier this year. I'm a sucker for any movie or TV show that takes place in the Big Apple.

Keep Reading... Show less
tv and film
Lifestyle

4 Ways To Own Your Story, Because Every Bit Of It Is Worth Celebrating

I hope that you don't let your current chapter stop you from pursuing the rest of your story.

Florida Gulf Coast University
503962
4 Ways To Own Your Story, Because Every Bit Of It Is Worth Celebrating
Photo by Manny Moreno on Unsplash

Every single one of us has a story.

I don't say that to be cliché. I don't say that to give you a false sense of encouragement. I say that to be honest. I say that to be real.

Keep Reading... Show less
Politics and Activism

How Young Feminists Can Understand And Subvert The Internalized Male Gaze

Women's self-commodification, applied through oppression and permission, is an elusive yet sexist characteristic of a laissez-faire society, where women solely exist to be consumed. (P.S. justice for Megan Fox)

Texas A&M University
313466
How Young Feminists Can Understand And Subvert The Internalized Male Gaze
Paramount Pictures

Within various theories of social science and visual media, academics present the male gaze as a nebulous idea during their headache-inducing meta-discussions. However, the internalized male gaze is a reality, which is present to most people who identify as women. As we mature, we experience realizations of the perpetual male gaze.

Keep Reading... Show less
advocacy
Lifestyle

It's Important To Remind Yourself To Be Open-Minded And Embrace All Life Has To Offer

Why should you be open-minded when it is so easy to be close-minded?

Florida Gulf Coast University
448887
person in black tank top standing on mountain during daytime
Photo by Eleonora Patricola on Unsplash

Open-mindedness. It is something we all need a reminder of some days. Whether it's in regards to politics, religion, everyday life, or rarities in life, it is crucial to be open-minded. I want to encourage everyone to look at something with an unbiased and unfazed point of view. I oftentimes struggle with this myself.

Keep Reading... Show less
Swoon

14 Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts Your S.O. Will Love

If they love you, they're not going to care if you didn't get them some expensive diamond necklace or Rolex watch; they just want you.

Miami University
303530
14 Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts Your S.O. Will Love
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Let me preface this by saying I am not a bad girlfriend.

I am simply a forgetful one.

Keep Reading... Show less
Student Life

10 Helpful Tips For College Students Taking Online Courses This Semester

Here are several ways to easily pass an online course.

Miami University
204433
10 Helpful Tips For College Students Taking Online Courses This Semester
Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels

With spring semester starting, many college students are looking to take courses for the semester. With the pandemic still ongoing, many students are likely looking for the option to take online courses.

Online courses at one time may have seemed like a last minute option for many students, but with the pandemic, they have become more necessary. Online courses can be very different from taking an on-campus course. You may be wondering what the best way to successfully complete an online course is. So, here are 10 helpful tips for any student who is planning on taking online courses this semester!

Keep Reading... Show less
Facebook Comments