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Etheridge says her songs not gay enough for “Glee”
The newly single Melissa Etheridge is out promoting her new album, Fearless Love, and chatted with PopEater about a host of topics.
I’ve pulled out a few that I found of particular interest:
Did you separate from Tammy [Lynn Michaels] before writing this album?
It was written before we actually physically separated, but you know, breakups just don’t happen overnight.
It must suck having the album and the separation emerge at the same time. Do you wish the timing was different?
[Laughs] Absolutely! When I saw these things were about to collide for a while there I thought, I don’t want this to come up on top of the album, and then I started doing interviews and they’re like, “You’re such a family girl, your marriage is great, what’s the key to a great marriage?” and I was like, “Oh, I can’t sit here and lie.” But I would have definitely made the timing different.
Have you been accused of not being gay enough?
Oh sure. I’ve had the gay community say, “Why don’t you write a song saying ‘her’? Your lyrics are non-gender.” They’re never happy. And the straight folks, they just assume the lyrics are about a woman, and they assume that if they go to a concert it’s going to be all gay people. There are stereotypes we all have. But there’s no us and them. Good God, we’re all the same.
Have you ever been approached to have your songs on ‘Glee?’
No, I don’t think they’re gay enough. [Laughs]
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
alli says:
Well Melissa, the point is that watered down sexuality from LGBT singers (all how many, 5?) is useless. So far, only the fearless Adam Lambert at age 27 having been in love exactly once in his life, has been brave enough to remind America that he is gay. The rest of you, including Ellen most of the time keep it nicely tucked away. No, they will not like us more if we are “nicer” or more “palatable”. /And for God’s sake, do you really write [love] songs without a pronoun of “she”? OMG. I don’t know because I don’t listen to your music but that’s pathetic. Your closet is just a bit bigger than all the others, but it’s still a closet.
Tina says:
For gods sake alli, are you saying that because we’re gay we have to shout about it all the time? How about reminding people that we are the same as them instead of highlighting our differences. I’m proud of Melissa, and I DO listen to her music.. Ellen sold her wedding photos to a magazine, she came out on an internationally viewed TV show for crying out loud and she talks openly about her sexuality when it comes up as does Melissa.
And maybe if you paid more attention you would know that Adam Lambert constantly refers to himself as bisexual NOT gay. If being an over the top queen is more of what you want to see then you have a pretty messed up view of what it means to be out and proud. These women are strong, beautiful and talented and they should be celebrated for being who they are not what they are
Laurie says:
I always loved Melissa’s music. I’m straight so maybe I don’t get it, but why does it have to be specifically “gay?” Isn’t a gay singer/songwriter allowed to come up with songs everyone can relate to no matter what their sexual orientation is? Is music supposed to be divided into gay and straight categories now? Seems silly.