LGBTQIA+ Music Resources - Department of Music

On this page, you’ll find resources that have been used and recommended by our faculty, staff, and students in LGBTQIA+ inclusion work, specifically in music pedagogy and performance. This list is not exhaustive and will continue to be updated regularly. We acknowledge that this work must be an ongoing and intentional effort, and we are striving to make systemic changes that will last beyond the tenure of any individual currently in the department.

If you have a resource you’d like to recommend, please email us at music@unc.edu with a link to the resource and, if you feel comfortable, a short paragraph explaining how/why this research has helped you in your LGBTQIA+ inclusion efforts.

Articles, Book Chapters, and Blog Posts

Palum, Allison. “A Resonating Story For LGBTQ & Music”. https://blog.songtrust.com/a-resonating-story-for-lgbtq-music?_ga=2.247621703.1323530098.1618258074-1473723547.1618258074.

Ratti, Rakesh, ed. A Lotus of another color: an unfolding of the South Asian gay and lesbian experience. Boston: Alyson Publications, 1993.

Find the book in the UNC Music Library here.

“Understanding Gender.” genderspecturm.org. https://www.genderspectrum.org/articles/understanding-gender.

“Understandings of gender continually evolve. In the course of a person’s life, the interests, activities, clothing and professions that are considered the domain of one gender or another evolve in ways both small and large.” -From genderspectrum.org.

Media

Teenasai Balamu. [TEDxTalks] “Trans-Posing As a Queer Musician”. [YouTube] https://youtu.be/pPmXQ4ZxMtc.

“Teenasai a queer, non-binary trans musician talks about the challenges faced to create an inclusive space for Transgender people. Through her journey she explains the intricacies of this topic, relating to her identity & the experiences of trans musicians in the contemporary music industry/scene in India. She says we can also discuss touching upon similar themes in the wider world. Teenasai Balamu (@grapeguitarbox) is a queer, indie musician based in London, UK (formerly based out of Bangalore, India). They perform under the stage name GrapeGuitarBox. What started out as a simple cover series on YouTube, has built a reputation for putting an interesting twist on popular music. With their music, Teenasai wishes to create a space safe from labels, judgement, and discrimination; a space for all the misfits. As a queer person, Balamu says “I wanted to make queer music videos. And I wanted brown people in it. Growing up, I didn't find queer people who looked like me and often felt isolated. I believe that visibility is super important.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx” -TEDx Talks

Queersounds: A Podcast on Queer folks’ favourite tunes. https://www.queersounds.com/

“A great love for music and the need to offer other LGBTQIAP+ people a place to talk about this is what brought this podcast into being. Music plays a huge role in queer life. With so many memories, anecdotes and other stories that have songs attached to them, it would be a shame if no one would ever share them.” -Queersounds website

Music Catalogs

Institute for Composer Diversity. https://www.composerdiversity.com/.

Find art music by LGBTQIA+ composers and diversify your repertoire.

Websites

Black Trans Femmes in the Arts. https://www.btfacollective.org/.

BTFA is a community-based arts organization that builds community and mobilizes resources to support Black trans femme artists (artists who were assigned male-at-birth and now identify somewhere underneath the femme umbrella). We organize programming that centers and highlights Black trans femme artists, executive produce projects led by Black trans femme artists, and provide direct to support to Black trans artists.” -BTFA website

Muslims for Progressive Values. https://www.mpvusa.org/lgbtqi-resources.

“MPV endorses the human and civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) individuals. We affirm our commitment to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and we support full equality and inclusion of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, in society and in the Muslim community.” -MPV website

National Queer Asain Pacific Islander Alliance. https://pride.naaap.org/cpages/resources.

Campus Resources

LGBTQ Center. https://lgbtq.unc.edu.

The Center has a myriad of resources and opportunities for the LGBTQIA+ community (students, faculty, and staff) and allies.

LGBTQ Center Safe Zone Trainings. https://lgbtq.unc.edu/programs/education/safe-zone-training.

Allies can improve their knowledge of current issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community and improve their allyship skills with this training. Recommended for all who consider themselves an ally or who want to be an ally.