The Pet Shop Boys have released a new single that takes aim at President Donald Trump and Brexit, calling out “bigotry.”
The pop duo, comprised of out singer Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, are hardly newcomers to pointedly political lyrics—many of their 1980s songs were inspired bythe AIDS crisis, while the band have also released a musical tribute to Alan Turingand set a speech about gay equality to music.
However, their latest track “Give Stupidity a Chance” is more avowedly political than ever, putting leaders on blast on both sides of the Atlantic.
Pet Shop Boys: Let’s shock and awe the world with idiotic bigotry
A thoroughly sarcastic response to political populism, the song includes the lyrics: “Forget political correctness/I mean W-T-F/I don’t wanna think about the world/I wanna talk about myself.
“Instead of governing with thoughtful sensitivity/Let’s shock and awe the world with idiotic bigotry/Let’s lead this world a merry dance/And give stupidity a chance.”
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys perform as part of HM Tower Of London Festival Of Music’s inaugural jazz and opera festival at HM Tower of London on June 28, 2006 in London, England. (MJ Kim/Getty)
The track from upcoming EP Agenda calls out US President Donald Trump and references his infamous “Grab them by the pussy” quote, adding: “Forget political correctness/Let’s talk man to man/Chicks are always up for it/You gotta grab whatever you can.
“We need a leader who knows that money means class/With an eye for a peach-perfect piece of ass/Not a total dumb-cluck, just one of the guys/Let’s give stupidity a prize.”
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The song also takes aim at Brexit, lampooning UK government minister Michael Gove’s infamous claim that “the people of this country have had enough of experts.”
The Pet Shop Boys sardonically agree: “We’ve heard quite enough of experts and their dealings/Why face the facts when you can just feel the feelings?”
Pet Shop Boys aren’t the first to put Trump to music
While it may be the first time anyone’s quoted Michael Gove in a pop song, there’s plenty of competition for the pair when it comes to songs about Donald Trump.
Gay internet comic Randy Rainbow has reached millions with his musical theatre send-ups to the president, with frequent releases taking inspiration from the day-to-day news agenda surrounding Trump.
Rainbow recently released a parody of Chicago‘s “Cell Block Tango,” featuring the Trump-affiliated officials who have pleaded guilty to crimes as a result of the investigation carried out by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Punk Lust: Raw Provocation 1971-1985 is an exhibit at NYC’s Museum of Sex. It explores the intersection between sexuality and the punk movement.
When people think of punk, images of skinny white boys (Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious) might come to mind. However, this exhibit will feature lesser-known punk icons, including LGBTI punks.
The Exhibit
Curated by cultural critic Carlo McCormick, writer/musician Vivien Goldman, and artist/Museum of Sex curator Lissa Rivera, the large exhibit includes over 300 objects. These items include rare photographs and personal objects, such as Johnny Thunders’ leather jacket, owned by Manic Panic founders Tish and Snooky. It will also feature visual pieces by LGBTI artists like David Wojnarowicz.
‘The exhibition explores everything from punk’s intersection with the sex industry, gay leather culture’s influence on punk fashion, the deep impact of queer culture on punk’s roots, and more,’ writes Emily Colucci for Them.us.
‘More than sheer shock value, Punk/Lust asserts that punk’s transgressive aesthetics were a radical and rebellious political critique of heteronormativity, which continues to resonate today.’
The exhibit begins with punk’s queer influences, including John Waters, Divine, Andy Warhol, and more.
In the Curator’s words
‘I wanted to be able to connect everything back to Andy Warhol and David Bowie,’ Lissa Rivera told Them.us. ‘If you read all the history, especially of British punk, they all worshipped Bowie and androgyny in general. Similarly, Warhol did exciting things with the Velvet Underground and their intersection with the queer and trans community in the 1960s, with songs like “Venus in Furs” or “Candy Says.” It would be completely revelatory to any young person that listened to them. Another person who often gets lost in this history is Jayne County, who was roommates with Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis, and was also a part of the Stonewall riots.’
‘It was also interesting to see who Malcolm McLaren was looking at. He was looking at Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising and leather culture. There’s more of an intersection with gay leather culture than you would normally assume.’
Punk vs. Disco
Rivera goes on to discuss the differences between the punk movement and the disco movement, both of which were influenced heavily by queer culture.
‘With disco, it was about an ecstatic release coming out of Stonewall. Pre-Stonewall, LGBTQ+ people were used to horrible abuse, having to be in mob-run bars and pay off the cops in order to exist. Disco came out of this opportunity to be public,’ Rivera explains.
‘It was feminine, queer, and embraced people of color. If you’re repressed for a long time and all of a sudden being celebrated, you become much more expressive and realize there’s so much more to discover about life. It was about creating a world to explore that didn’t just relate to heteronormative expectations. It was also a way to transcend the music charts, because Billboard was controlled by a few white men in a really corporate world. There weren’t many ways to break through, but in clubs, when they were spinning records, they could compete. There was immense power.’
‘Punk was very anti-commercial; I relate it more to the sex industry,’ Rivera continues. ‘If you think about the landscape of New York City at the time, people were working in peep shows, and as professional dommes and sex workers. It wasn’t necessarily seen as taboo, but as an exciting way to explore your identity. This was a group of people who worshipped Rimbaud, Jean Genet and William S. Burroughs. There was freedom because rent was so low. You could do phone sex a couple nights a week and have enough money to go out every night. And because it all worked to combat moral norms, there was a sense of excitement.’
Punk’s subversiveness
‘Punk looked at the hypocritical society of the 1970s, which was simultaneously a return to the restrictive morals of the 50s while Deep Throat became the highest-grossing film of 1972. Punk engaged with these conflicting ideologies and the absurdity of it all. There’s also a certain level of nihilism in punk and a desire to see how far you could push yourself. This is actually true of disco as well. There’s a desire to see how much you could experience life, whether your pleasure was risk or ecstasy.’
New York Dolls
One band in particular, The New York Dolls, started to play with gender-bending. They’d often perform in makeup, heels, and women’s clothing.
‘The New York Dolls were directly influenced by Warhol and the Theatre of the Ridiculous, for sure,’ Rivera says of the group. ‘It’s really interesting because if you listen to Johnny Thunder’s solo work, he has a song called, “I’m A Boy, I’m A Girl.” I wonder what they were tapping into. In the early 1970s, there was a certain level of ambiguity that the movement evolved away from. It seemed to evolve into something that was more specifically geared toward queer offshoots of punk. Like homocore or Derek Jarman’s films. There were more directly queer works that weren’t necessarily ambiguous.’
From the 70s to Now
‘With our current cultural climate being less dependent on gendered binaries, many people I talked to were able to speak more freely about their attractions or their desire to be between binaries,’ Rivera says of putting together the exhibit.
‘The literature in rock magazines at the time was very misogynistic. Now it’s much less so. Looking at it now, there is a kind of freedom this 1970s generation is feeling. There’s not as much shame now about the spectrum of sexuality or desire.’
Saturday February 23 @ 11 am. Gospel Brunch at Occidental Center for the Arts.
Please join us for a festive and inspirational event celebrating Black History Month at OCA! featuring the Joyful Noise Gospel Choir and traditional Southern cooking by West County’s own ‘Saucy Mama’! This event is generously sponsored by The Sonoma County Gazette and The Mirabel Lodge. OCA Art Gallery offers the stunning private collection of Raynetta James and a juried exhibit by local artists celebrating Black History; Feb. 1-24th. Tickets to the brunch (advance registration required): $35 Adults; ages 14 and up. $15 Youth 9-13 years; Free to ages 8 and under. Wheelchair accessible. www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org for reservations and information. 707-874-9392. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465
On February 9, 10 and 11, 2019, the Santa Rosa Symphony (SRS) presents “Love Letters,” celebrating women and love. Guest conductor Sarah Ioannides will lead the orchestra for this concert, which begins with Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C major and ends with her brother Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, Scottish. After Fanny’s overture, Out Trans Artist Sara Davis Buechner plays Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Clara’s husband Robert’s Overture to Manfred completes this Valentine’s weekend concert.
“Love Letters” will be performed on Saturday, February 9, at 7:30 PM; Sunday, February 10 at 3 PM and Monday, February 11 at 7:30 PM at Weill Hall in Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center. Additionally, the Discovery Rehearsal, which is general seating, happens at 2 PM on Saturday, February 10. The concert experience is further enhanced with pre-concert talks, given by SRS Cultural Historian and Musicologist Kayleen Asbo PhD, one hour prior to performances (except the Discovery Rehearsal). These informative 30-minute talks conclude with a Q & A period.
Program notes, a Spotify playlist of the works and an overview video with Dr. Asbo are available on the concert event page. Tickets range from $24 to $87 and may be purchased online, in person or by phone (see below). In addition, for each adult ticket purchased, the ticket holder may request a free ticket for a youth, ages 7 to 17, to accompany them.
Sara Davis Buechner has been praised worldwide as a musician of “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess” (New York Times); lauded for her “fascinating and astounding virtuosity” (Philippine Star), and her “thoughtful artistry in the full service of music” (Washington Post); and celebrated for her performances which are “never less than 100% committed and breathtaking” (Pianoforte Magazine, London). Japan’s InTune magazine says: “When it comes to clarity, flawless tempo selection, phrasing and precise control of timbre, Buechner has no superior.” In her twenties, Davis Buechner won awards from the world’s première piano competitions – Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Leeds, Salzburg, Sydney and Vienna. She won the Gold Medal at the 1984 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, and was a Bronze Medalist of the 1986 Tschaikowsky International Piano Competition in Moscow.
A dedicated Yamaha Artist for more than 30 years with a repertoire of more than 100 concertos, Davis Buechner has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s prominent orchestras. In 2016, she joined the piano faculty of the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia. She has presented lectures and masterclasses worldwide, notably at the Royal Academy in London, the Juilliard School in New York City, Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, Shanghai Conservatory and the Kobe-Yamate Gakuen in Osaka, Japan. Read her full bio here.
Described by the New York Times as a conductor with “unquestionable strength and authority” and “magic,” Sarah Ioannides’ dynamic presence on the podium has won praise from audience and critics internationally. Ioannides, now in her fourth season as Music Director of Symphony Tacoma, has gained recognition as one of the most engaging and respected conductors of her generation. She previously served as music director for the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (2005-2012) and the El Paso Symphony (2005-2011). Ioannides, whose guest engagements span six continents, was listed as one of the top twenty female conductors worldwide by Lebrecht’s “Woman Conductors: The Power List” in 2016. The Los Angeles Times declared that she is “one of six female conductors breaking the glass podium” and she was praised in the New York Times as part of “a new wave of female conductors in their late 20’s through early 40’s.” In addition, she was awarded the JoAnn Falletta award for the most promising female conductor. Read her full bio here.
Concert Times and Location
Saturday, February 9, and Monday, February 11, at 7:30 PM, Sunday, February 10, at 3:00 PM
Discovery Open Rehearsal is Saturday, February 9 at 2:00 PM All performances are at Weill Hall, Green Music Center, Sonoma State University.
Tickets are available by phone, online and in person as follows: (707) 546-8742; srsymphony.org; or Santa Rosa Symphony Patron Services, 50 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa (Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, opening at 10:30 AM Wednesdays)
Free tickets for youth, ages 7-17. Patrons may request ONE FREE ticket for a youth 7-17 with each paid adult ticket to a Classical Series concert. This offer is not available online, but may be requested by phone or in person.
Sponsors
Supporting sponsor: The E. Nakamichi Foundation
Sarah Ioannides underwritten by Ava & Sam Guerrera
Sara Davis Buechner underwritten by Linda Castiglioni
Media sponsor: The Press Democrat
Discovery Open Rehearsal Series sponsored by The Stare Foundation and David Stare of
Dry Creek Vineyard
Pre-concert talks sponsored by Jamei Haswell and Richard Grundy
Additional support provided by the County of Sonoma – Board of Supervisors
Saturday February 9 @ 8 pm. Stella Heath Quintet presents: The Billie Holiday Project at Occidental Center for the Arts. Evocative songstress Stella Heath (French Oak Gypsy Band) fronts a stellar band of local musicians for a cabaret-style musical tribute to the life and art of the legendary singer for Black History Month at OCA’s acoustic sweet spot. $20 Advance/$25 at door. Fine refreshments. Wheelchair accessible. Black History Art Exhibit open for viewing in Gallery. www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. 707-874-9392
Calendar/Singer/Songwriter Music: Friday January 18 @ 7 pm. Occidental Center for the Arts is pleased to present: ‘Words and Music’ with Laurie Lewis, Don Henry, Claudia Russell and Nina Gerber. Join us for a night of outstanding music when three celebrated, award-winning singer/songwriters trade favorite tunes in a Nashville-style song circle, accompanied by virtuoso guitarist Nina Gerber! Don’t miss this special collaboration of talent at Sonoma County’s acoustic ’sweet spot’ OCA! $25 Advance/$30 at the door. Reservations advised. Fine refreshments available. Wheelchair accessible . Art gallery open for viewing. www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. 707-874-9392. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465
Janelle, Hayley, Lil Peep, MNEK and Troye | Photos: Atlantic/Columbia/Because Music/Capitol
10 December 2018
8 MNEK – Language
Fans were taken aback by the poor performance of MNEK’s debut album this year, such was the hype around the 23-year-old. He’d carved a name for himself the decade prior writing and producing for artists like Beyonce, Kylie and Madonna, and for hit collaborations with Zara Larsson and Stormzy.
But what happened with this project? You can’t fault MNEK’s bassy, velvety voice. The music certainly wasn’t lacking, either. The brash Correct and pulsating Tongue are glossily produced, instantly addictive and insanely confident.
They should have gone stratospheric, but didn’t. The nimble, joyously poppy LGBT anthem Colour with Hailee Steinfeld got a decent push via its video (and a superior lyric video), but didn’t connect either.
Language will go down as one of the most-dissected music mysteries of 2018. It’ll be interesting to see how MNEK’s next record does, and there’ll surely be one, as he’s an irrepressible talent.
7 Rita Ora – Phoenix
First things first, the presence of controversy-causing Girls on Rita’s long-delayed sophomore album is galling. What could have been her Lady Marmalade moment with Cardi B, Bebe Rexha and Charli XCX was instead a conceptual and musical low point for all involved. The tempo drags, the melody’s feeble and the lyrics, which clunkily explore same-sex attraction, are at best immature (‘Sometimes I just want to kiss girls!’ they chant like a nursery rhyme) and at worst offensive.
Silver linings, though: the song prompted Rita to disclose her past relationships with women. Phoenix alchemises this emotional honesty into a collection of finely-drawn pure pop songs that are often surprisingly vulnerable.
Half-comprised of pre-existing singles (just like the 90s!), Rita’s song with the late Avicii is Phoenix’s strongest moment: the sad, searching but entirely danceable Lonely Together was one of the best songs of last year.
Elsewhere, Your Song, Anywhere and Let You Love Me are a fizzing, mid-20s, love-induced head-fuck musical triptych. Rita’s got a strong voice but often opts for a delicate delivery here, expressing innocence and confidence simultaneously; one could believe all the songs are about the same person. Other tracks like Only Want You, Velvet Rope also click sweetly into place.
6 Years & Years – Palo Santo
Their million-selling debut Communion made a crowd-pleasing splash in 2015. And while Years & Years’ sophomore effort – a concept album about a futuristic, sexually-evolved world – had less of an impact, it’s the more ambitious and artistic of the two.
‘You don’t have to be straight with me, I see what’s underneath your mask,’ sings fearlessly queer frontman Olly on the spell-like Sanctify, the first cut from the album. It’s a strange, tense song, with tribal drums and beckoning vocals. On it, Olly invites his hetero-identifying lover to ‘sanctify’ his body. There are religious undertones, and yet, it’s as gloriously homoerotic as pop gets.
It’s telling, then, that after Sanctify didn’t light up the charts, the silly, sweet kiss-off If You’re Over Me, with its dangerously catchy chorus, was picked as the follow up single. A top 10 mainstay selling over 400,000 copies, it did its job.
But it’s not a fair reflection of Palo Santo’s weirdness, best exemplified in the title track. A depression-drenched ode to an ex, Olly sings likes he’s in a turned on trance as he longs for a past love and quite possibly destroys his new relationship (‘Do I look good in this position, just like him?’ he teases).
5 Troye Sivan – Bloom
Troye took a queer leap of faith with his second album. The thirst was real on My My My!, a euphoric celebration of gay sex and love (‘spark up, buzz cut, I’ve got my tongue between your teeth,’ Troye lulls). It’s the perfect introduction to the concise and sexy Bloom.
The sexuality peaks with the title track, labeled by fans an ‘ode to bottoming’ that paints receptive anal sex as beautiful and inviting an experience as walking through a garden. ‘The fountains and the waters are begging just to know ya,’ he says, before comparing his backside to a flower. OK, maybe this is the gayest song of the year.
The second best song is the playful Plum. Here, Troye compares the perfect stage of his relationship to sweet, ripened fruit that might be on the turn. One’s mind wanders to Call My By Your Name’s peach scene; indeed, you can imagine Elio penning lyrics like ‘jealous you can sleep, you’ve been keeping me up and I mouth the words I think I wanna speak.’
For this listener, Troye’s graceful, haunting voice underwhelms on slower tracks like The Good Side and Animal. And I feel his maddeningly underplayed Ariana Grande duet Dance To This was a massive missed opportunity. But otherwise, I’m still enthralled by this album four months later.
4 Lil Peep – Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2
Lil Peep’s second album was released posthumously last month: the ‘trip hop rapper’ sadly passed away of an accidental drug overdose last year. From Amy Winehouse’s Lioness: Hidden Treasures to Michael Jackson’s Micheal, music lovers are often wary of cobbled-together collections of a late artist’s songs. And rightly so. They’re often disappointing.
Not in this case. Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 feels authentic. It perfectly frames the bisexual star’s uniquely sombre sound. That he’s at all affiliated with the modern SoundCloud rap scene is a mystery to me. His music has more overtly in common with 90s grunge and the better 00s emo bands. The tortured, pleading Sex With My Ex could be Nirvana, and is funereal and intoxicating.
On the downtempo Cry Alone and the desolate, echoey Runaway, a lonely-sounding Lil Peep speak-sings brutally honest lyrics exploring messed up relationships, drug use and mental health. Listeners with such issues of their own should proceed with caution. The pessimism and sense of looming tragedy could prove triggering for some.
I should also mention, the guest artist on wistful bonus track Falling Down will give some LGBTIs pause for thought. The late XXXTentacion, who was murdered in July, was of course flagrantly homophobic. Lil Peep brings something gentle and searching out in him on thus bonus track, as two lost souls struggle to decipher their pain (‘your love is like walking on a bed of nails’). Listening to it with hindsight is devastating.
3 Hayley Kiyoko – Expectations
When I first heard about Hayley Kiyoko, nicknamed ‘lesbian Jesus’ by fans, and her song Curious I was…dubious. I jumped to the conclusion that ‘curious’ was being utilized in the most basic of ways. That Hayley was a gimmicky artist feigning sexual ambiguity like many before her. How wrong I was.
After warming to her stunning debut Expectations, and noting the pride and electropop revelry with which it celebrates out and proud lesbianism, I revisited Curious. I finally paid attention to the complex narrative at play. ‘I’m just curious, is it serious?’ Hayley teases the object of her affection, who’s seemingly chosen a guy over her; ‘Calling me up, so late at night, are we just friends? You say you wanted me, but you’re sleeping with him.’
She doubles down on the theme with the infectious sexual confidence of He’ll Never Love You Like Me. Ditto the sweeping, pulsating wall of sound that is What I Need, her chemistry-laden duet with Kehlani. In a parallel universe, this was the Billboard Hot 100 number one of the summer.
She switches gear on the mid tempo Wanna Be Missed, my most-listened to song of the year on Spotify. She sounds defenceless, desperate, ‘fragile like glass’, but also sexy; laying her cards on the table and insisting ‘say you can’t walk, can’t talk, go on without me.’ An amazingly mature debut album.
2 Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
After years of speculation and ambiguity, Janelle came out as pansexual on the cover of Rolling Stone this year, the same week her third album was celebrated by music critics worldwide.
Loaded with razor sharp political commentary and poetic lyrics, Dirty Computer is definitely food for the brain. But that’s not to say it’s weighed down by its own intellectualism. Its bursting with sound you can sing and dance to without much thought whatsoever.
Although you can’t miss the point of the epic, flirtatious PYNK, which conjures images of a vagina with more immediacy than even the above trousers. It also features the musical climax to end them all.
One of Dirty Computer’s best qualities is how different each song is from the next. And yet, each blends into the next seamlessly. The Prince-inspired funk of Make Me Feel is a high point, along with the pop-R&B of Crazy, Classic Life, which some of my favorite lyrics of the year: ‘I don’t need a diamond ring, I don’t wanna waste my youth, I don’t wanna live on my knees, I just have to tell the truth.’
1 Christine and the Queens – Chris
Her graceful debut Chaleur humaine sold over a million copies worldwide. It was a masterclass in top quality, intelligent indie pop. Then French star Christine, who identifies as pansexual, waited four years to release the follow up. But Chris was worth the wait. It has a broadly similar sound to its predecessor, but intensified, and powered by hyper-articulation (she uses the word ‘soliloquize’, foe example) and plenty of sexual exploration.
If that makes the album sound like a chore, an easy in is the arresting Doesn’t matter. The cocky percussion and soaring, ethereal vocals combine to create light-footed dance song, full of strange synths and soaring vocals. The astonishing lyrics deal with weighty themes – suicidal thoughts, the existence of God – with elegance and honesty.
On Girlfriend, Christine plays with gender and sings with a light arrogance: ‘Don’t feel like a girlfriend, but lover, damn, I’d be your lover, girlfriend’. Here, the character she creates wouldn’t feel out of place on Grindr with the words ‘masc4masc’ on their profile…
Then there’s 5 dollars, the most beautiful, angelic-sounding song about sex work you will ever hear. The video ups the androgynous ante; I’m a gay man and the sight of Christine in a harness left me hot under the collar. And yet, for me, her voice is gloriously girlish, and that friction creates new, exciting possibilities.
The coolest, most up-to-the-minute record of the year.
The great queer music artist Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) has joined forces with W Records to release two exclusive tracks for which all proceeds will go to Immigration Equality to further the the rights of LGBTQ immigrants. Immigration Equality is the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization.
W Records is supporting the LGBTQ+ community in other ways, too. Perhaps the first to note is the regular QUEER ME OUT panels as well as a series of destination guides in partnership with them. that explore locations that aren’t always the first that come to mind for queer travelers.
The Pride L.A. spoke with Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader for W Records about partnering with Perfume Genius and advancing LGBTQ+ rights.
Tell me a little bit about W Records. Why would a hotel empire launch a recording label?
W Records is a natural next step for the W brand. Just this year we kicked off our global music festival series, WAKE UP CALL at W Hollywood, W Barcelona, W Bali and soon we’ll be taking the multi-day, multi-stage performance to W Dubai – The Palm. Music has always been a passion for us, which is why we brought on Global Music Directors to curate the music experience at all of our global hotels from background music to on-site performances.
Back in 2016 we started exploring how we could support artists beyond our Living Room performances which each W hotel hosts with local talent. We created W Sound Suites, in-hotel recording studios, to support the creative process that is essential to the music we love. When we saw how impactful our partnerships with musicians like St. Vincent were for our guests, we wanted to build bigger and bigger platforms to highlight the new/next talent we love. Once we had thrown an international music festival, the question became what can we create that reaches an audience beyond the scene at our hotels? W Records was the answer. Now we can not only help foster creative expression but also help get the word out alongside artists we believe in.
Why sign with or partner with Perfume Genius? What does his influence have on the LGBTQ+ community that W Records likes?
Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) stood out to us for a lot of the obvious reasons; his overwhelming skill and artistry as a musician and producer among them. However, like W, he is vocal about his support of the LGBTQ community. We want to support him first and foremost as an artist in partnership with him and Matador (his label), but also beyond the performance. Each artist that works with W Records is given the opportunity to choose a charity. All W proceeds from the streaming of the two exclusive tracks released with each artist are donated to that chosen charity. In this case, Perfume Genius chose Immigration Equality and we are honored to be a part of supporting their vitally important work.
Can you tell me a little bit about the success of the QUEER ME OUT speaking panels?
Since day one, W Hotels has been dedicated to inclusivity and equality and it continues to be core to the brand experience. Each QUEER ME OUT event offers passionate panel discussions that dive into hot button issues as well as the work and play of experts and icons. We launched QUEER ME OUT in 2017 to continue the conversations that are essential to progress with incredible individuals like Mickey Boardman (Editorial Director for PAPER Magazine), Abiezer Benitez and Thomas Jackson (Editors of GAYLETTER Magazine) and Levi Jackman Foster (Photographer) among many others. Last year we hosted these discussions in North America at W Washington DC (June 2017), W Fort Lauderdale (July 2017) and W Montreal (August 2017).
For 2018 we took the QUEER ME OUT series global. As an international company, we want to push the conversation forward everywhere, not only in North America. So far this year, we’ve hosted QUEER ME OUT discussions at W Barcelona (June 27), W London – Leicester Square (July 7) and W Amsterdam (August 4).
Can you tell me more about Marriott’s corporate social responsibility Platform (SERVE 360)and how it correlates to the LGBTQ+ community?
SERVE 360 is a multifaceted initiative from Marriott International that aims to nurture, sustain, empower and welcome guests and global causes. Through partnering and supporting charitable causes, nonprofits, creating and implementing training, advocacy and supplier accountability, including those that are focused on the LGBTQ+ community, Marriott embraces travel as one of the most powerful tools for promoting peace and cultural understanding.
Can you comment on the overall social responsibility (especially with the LGBTQ+ community) of other big businesses?
I can’t speak to the motivations and actions of all corporations. As a global organization rooted in an industry that encourages cultural exploration and appreciation, I feel we as a brand have a responsibility to set an example. We can’t shy away from the difficult conversations that push us forward. We as individuals and businesses have to create the space, time and environment to talk about the real issues. Equality is non-negotiable and there is still work to be done. There was a time when a person, never mind a company, would have been shunned for speaking up for LGBTQ+ rights. We are proud to be supporting a cause we believe in. Supporting LGBTQ+ rights across all our initiatives is a privilege we have not and will not take for granted.
Saturday December 15, 2018 @ 7 pm. Occidental Center for the Arts proudly presents: Guitar VirtuosoPeppino D’Agostino ! Internationally renowned finger picking acoustic guitarist, composer and master teacher D’Agostino will present a dynamic concert covering his original classical, folk, Irish, Italian, Brazilian, flamenco and jazz compositions aka “minestrone music”. Don’t miss this warm and engaging award-winning ‘giant of the acoustic guitar’ as he brings his mesmerizing virtuosity to OCA’s acoustic sweet spot for the fifth time ! “Peppino’s music is deep and beautiful”…Tommy Emmanuel. $25 Adv/$28 at door. Fine Refreshments available. Art Gallery open for viewing and gifts. Wheelchair accessible. www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org; 707-874-9392. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465
Born around a bonfire in the town of Occidental in 1978, the Occidental Community Choir has become a treasured West County cultural institution. Creative, quirky and consistently melodious, OCC celebrates its 40thBirthday this year! So, instead of having a midlife crisis andgetting a tattoo, we’re observing this momentous occasion with a winter concert series celebrating four decades of making original music with our friends and neighbors in beautiful Sonoma County.
Directress Sarah Saulsbury will lovingly leadour 51-member ensemble as we revisit some of the best-loved songs of the winter holiday season written by choir members past and present. Skillfully weaving together song and story, poetry and theatrics, the OCC offers a joyful and eclectic winter holiday concert experience unlike any other. Come 1/2 hour early to see the slide show! Seasonal refreshments offered. Wheelchair Accessible.There will be commemorative pottery and gift items for sale, plus a special exhibit with 40 years of choir photos and memorabilia in the OCA Gallery.
