LGBTQ representation in jazz

Since the Jazz Age, the genre has been popular with LGBTQ audiences. In Chicago, the Bronzeville and Woodlawn neighborhoods were home to several gay bars that hosted jazz performers and drag balls. These events on the South Side were often racially integrated with working-class queer crowds and provided a space for diverse identities at jazz clubs, until the clubs closed by the 1960s.{{Cite web |last=Edgar |first=Hannah |date=2022-06-30 |title=Decades Before Boystown, South Side Jazz Clubs Were A Haven For Queer Chicagoans |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/06/30/decades-before-boystown-south-side-jazz-clubs-were-a-haven-for-queer-chicagoans/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Block Club Chicago |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506204124/https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/06/30/decades-before-boystown-south-side-jazz-clubs-were-a-haven-for-queer-chicagoans/ |url-status=live }}

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| image1 = Patricia Barber Nasjonal Jazzscene 2017 (212649) (cropped).jpg

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| footer = Patricia Barber (top left), Fred Hersch (top right), Billie Holiday (bottom left), and Ma Rainey (bottom right).

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Patricia Barber,{{Cite web |title=Who the F Is … Jazz Musician Patricia Barber? |url=https://www.pride.com/who-f/2014/08/08/who-f-%E2%80%A6-jazz-musician-patricia-barber |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.pride.com |language=en |archive-date=2017-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923100418/https://www.pride.com/who-f/2014/08/08/who-f-%E2%80%A6-jazz-musician-patricia-barber |url-status=live }} Spencer Day,{{Cite web |title=This Gay Jazz Singer Has Performed for Mike Pence's Mother |url=https://www.advocate.com/music/2019/6/15/gay-jazz-singer-has-performed-mike-pences-mother |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en |archive-date=2025-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216123001/https://www.advocate.com/music/2019/6/15/gay-jazz-singer-has-performed-mike-pences-mother |url-status=live }} Tiny Davis,{{Cite web |last=Cherry |first=Nina |date=2022-06-03 |title=The Forgotten History of a Leading Lesbian Jazz Trumpeter Driven from KC |url=https://kansascitymag.com/the-forgotten-history-of-a-leading-lesbian-jazz-trumpeter-driven-from-kc/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Kansas City Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213193807/https://kansascitymag.com/the-forgotten-history-of-a-leading-lesbian-jazz-trumpeter-driven-from-kc/ |url-status=live }} Fred Hersch,{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Gregg |date=2022-06-07 |title=Q-Music: All that (queer) jazz |url=https://epgn.com/2022/06/07/q-music-all-that-queer-jazz/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Philadelphia Gay News |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125032547/https://epgn.com/2022/06/07/q-music-all-that-queer-jazz/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Fred Hirsch's Life In & Out of Jazz |url=https://www.out.com/music/2017/10/02/fred-hirschs-life-out-jazz |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.out.com |language=en |archive-date=2024-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205190410/https://www.out.com/music/2017/10/02/fred-hirschs-life-out-jazz |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Memoir addresses jazz and sexuality |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/books/2017/11/12/memoir-addresses-jazz-sexuality/17074140007/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}} Billie Holiday,{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Michelle Hyun |date=2021-01-12 |title=Watch Andra Day as Black, Bisexual Icon Billie Holiday in New Biopic Trailer |url=https://www.them.us/story/billie-holiday-biopic-hulu-trailer-andra-day-natasha-lyonne |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Them |language=en-US}} Tony Jackson,{{Cite web |date=2019-06-12 |title=The Openly Gay Pianist Who Dazzled Chicago in the Early Twentieth Century |url=https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2019/06/12/tony-jackson |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=WTTW Chicago |language=en |archive-date=2025-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212203906/https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2019/06/12/tony-jackson |url-status=live }} Dave Koz,{{Cite web |title=Jazz Musician Dave Koz on Going Silver and Gay Cruising |url=https://www.advocate.com/music/jazz-musician-dave-koz |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en |archive-date=2025-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216154528/https://www.advocate.com/music/jazz-musician-dave-koz |url-status=live }} Allison Miller,{{Cite web |date=2022-08-30 |title=How Unapologetically Queer, Feminist Jazz Drummer Allison Miller Built a Career Based Around Truth-Telling |url=https://pridesource.com/article/how-unapologetically-queer-feminist-jazz-drummer-allison-miller-built-a-career-based-around-truth-telling |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Pride Source |language=en}} Ma Rainey,{{Cite web |last=Friederich |first=Brandon |date=2017-06-07 |title=Ma Rainey’s Lesbian Lyrics: 5 Times She Expressed Her Queerness in Song |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/ma-rainey-lesbian-lyrics-7824784/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Gertrude “Ma” Rainey Biography |url=https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/gertrude-ma-rainey |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Gertrude “Ma” Rainey Biography |language=en}} and Billy Strayhorn{{Cite news |last=Mohamed |first=Suraya |date=November 3, 2016 |title=The Lush Life of Billy Strayhorn |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/03/500504682/the-lush-life-of-billy-strayhorn|access-date=June 5, 2025}} are among LGBTQ jazz musicians. Sammy Rae & The Friends is a "multi-genre pop/rock/jazz septet fronted by a charismatic queer- and bisexual-identifying female singer-songwriter."{{cite web |last=Rule |first=Doug |date=December 28, 2024 |title=D.C.’s Hottest Gay Bars for Your New Year’s Eve Party Plans |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/12/d-c-s-hottest-gay-bars-for-your-new-years-eve-party-plans/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117054342/https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/12/d-c-s-hottest-gay-bars-for-your-new-years-eve-party-plans/ |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |access-date=May 6, 2025 |website=Metro Weekly}}

Jazz has been known as "notoriously macho", but there were more openly gay and lesbian musicians by the 2000s, such as Barber, Andy Bey, and Gary Burton, who have inspired later generations of LGBTQ performers.{{Cite web |last=Gavin |first=James |title=Provincetown’s busiest jazz player is ready to reintroduce himself to Boston - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/arts/provincetown-mike-flanagan-scullers-jazz-club-debut/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506204940/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/arts/provincetown-mike-flanagan-scullers-jazz-club-debut/ |url-status=live }}

The first queer jazz festival in the United States took place in Philadelphia in 2014.{{Cite web |date=September 15, 2014 |title=A Queerly Cool Jazz Festival in Philadelphia |url=https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2014-09-15/a-queerly-cool-jazz-festival-in-philadelphia |access-date=May 4, 2025 |website=WRTI |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525084803/https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2014-09-15/a-queerly-cool-jazz-festival-in-philadelphia |archive-date=May 25, 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Petenbrink |first=Troy |date=September 3, 2014 |title=Philly celebrates gay jazz artists |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2014/09/philly-celebrates-gay-jazz-artists/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Metro Weekly |language=en-US |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026160707/http://www.metroweekly.com/2014/09/philly-celebrates-gay-jazz-artists/ |url-status=live }} Queer Jazz launched in London in 2023.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |date=June 1, 2023 |title=London Event Series Queer Jazz Launches {{!}} News |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/london-event-series-queer-jazz-launches/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602163640/https://www.clashmusic.com/news/london-event-series-queer-jazz-launches/ |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |access-date=May 4, 2025 |website=Clash Magazine |language=en-GB}} The group's monthly LGBTQ jazz night started in Dalston in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Hansford |first=Amelia |date=January 13, 2025 |title=Queer jazz night launching in London |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/13/queer-jazz-monthly-show/ |access-date=May 4, 2025 |website=PinkNews |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328103432/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/13/queer-jazz-monthly-show/ |archive-date=March 28, 2025}}

Various LGBTQ-friendly bars have hosted jazz nights and queer jazz performers, such as Scandals in Portland, Oregon,Scandals in Portland, Oregon:

• {{Cite web |title=Portland’s Best LGBTQ+ Bars and Parties |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/portland-best-lgbtq-nightlife-gay-bars-dance-guide |access-date=May 6, 2025 |website=Portland Monthly |language=en-US |quote=It hosts karaoke, drag shows, dance parties, art shows, jazz concerts, the odd TV viewing party—you name it. |archive-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605002945/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/portland-best-lgbtq-nightlife-gay-bars-dance-guide |url-status=live }}
• {{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Thom |date=April 21, 2017 |title=The Liveliest LGBTQ Bars and Clubs in Portland |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portlands-best-queer-bars-lgbtq |access-date=May 6, 2025 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |quote=Scandals features art shows, DJs, jazz nights, karaoke... |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022700/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portlands-best-queer-bars-lgbtq |url-status=live }} and Petra's Bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, which uses jazz nights to be both an artistic and queer space and shape the local music scene.{{Cite news |last=Ruller |first=Kayleigh |date=June 28, 2024 |title=Queer-friendly music venue and more: Petra’s Bar in Charlotte is full of life |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-things-to-do/article289359655.html |work=Charlotte Observer |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628125218/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-things-to-do/article289359655.html |archive-date=June 28, 2024 |url-status=live |quote=Another event locals really look forward to occurs every Monday: The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session}} The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has also hosted drag queen brunches.{{Cite web |last=Brasted |first=Chelsea |date=2024-04-25 |title=Drag queens go big at Jazz Fest 2024 |url=https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/04/25/drag-queen-brunch-jazz-fest |access-date=May 4, 2025 |website=Axios New Orleans |language=en |archive-date=2024-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521231618/https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/04/25/drag-queen-brunch-jazz-fest |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Choum |first=Bun |date=April 26, 2024 |title=New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival welcomes back drag brunch |url=https://www.wdsu.com/article/drag-brunch-returns-to-new-orleans-jazz-and-heritage-festival-at-the-fairgrounds/60623390 |access-date=May 5, 2025 |website=WDSU |language=en |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508125758/https://www.wdsu.com/article/drag-brunch-returns-to-new-orleans-jazz-and-heritage-festival-at-the-fairgrounds/60623390 |url-status=live }}

{{Portal|Jazz|LGBTQ}}

• LGBTQ representation in country music
• LGBTQ representation in hip-hop

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Category:Jazz

Category:LGBTQ-related music