‘Tis the end of Pride Month and I thought what better way to celebrate than look back on some of the greatest gay anthems ever written … One Direction’s entire discography.
While I say that mainly tongue in cheek, there’s a not so insignificant portion of 1D fandom that is queer. And look, maybe it’s projection on the part of the fans, maybe it’s the fact the band was just Like That, but a connection was made. I mean hell, there was even a fan project (Rainbow Direction) that was started to: “raise visibility and build a community of support for One Direction’s LGBTQ+ fans and supporters across the world”. According to academics, it even helped change the narrative of the so-called heterosexual teenage fangirl — y’all know how much I love a thesis.
And to be clear, I’m not touching the relationship rumours with a ten-foot pole here: do your own research, make your own informed decisions. But like, it feels like there’s a reason there were so many relationship rumours surrounding the boys. Fans saw themselves in them and felt like they understood their feelings. Like any boyband really, making you feel seen and understood with their songs, only this boyband managed to connect with the queer fans. Go figure.
So without further ado, Liz’s Top 5 One Direction Gay Anthems:
But I wanna tell 'em
I wanna tell the world that you're mine girl
On Up All Night and Take Me Home, 1D’s first two albums, the word “girl” is used 55 times. Just in case you needed the reminder they’re interested in girls, girl. But in no song does the girl addition feel more forced than in They Don’t Know About Us. No one would understand this relationship we have, girl. This secret, misunderstood relationship that everyone says we‘re too young to understand, girl. I wish I could tell the world about you without facing opposition, girl.
All I know at the end of the day
Is you love who you love, there ain't no other way
First things first, you mention the moon and you’ve got yourself a lesbian anthem. Thems the rules. Secondly, you love who you love, there ain’t no other way. God did these guys love to write about forbidden, misunderstood love. Which is a very common trait of straight relationships. For sure. And like c’mon: priest thinks it’s the devil? What else am I supposed to interpret from that??
I said, hey, it's alright, does it make you feel alive?
Don't look back, live your life, even if it's only for tonight
We all know Alive, one of 1D’s horniest bangers (another list for another day), discussing the perils of sex addiction … presumably. But fun thought experiment for y’all: switch the pronouns. We then go from a horny song about just wanting to get laid all the time to “hey, why do I want to be with every guy I see? Why does my mom think I need to talk to a therapist about this?”
When you're lost, I'll find a way, I'll be your light
You'll never feel like you're alone
I'll make this feel like home
Home is one of my favourite One Direction songs. It exudes this feeling of belonging, a feeling of home in a person — of acceptance. Which I think is a pretty universal feeling within the community. Finding your people. Finding where you feel at home. Add told myself I kind of liked her / but there was something missing in her eyes and there’s something fishy going on there. What was missing boys? Why’re you convincing yourself you like her? Curious minds want to know.
Waking up, beside you I'm a loaded gun, I can't contain this anymore
I'm all yours, I've got no control, no control
Look, I love No Control. I’m a whore for a Louis-led song. But you have to admit, there’s something a little fruity about making your bandmates sing about your morning wood. What was the deal with that? Care to explain? No? Fine. Whore.
What I’m Reading:
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot
If you want to see what else I’m reading, follow me on The StoryGraph!
Internet Shit:
Our Nails Will Shine Forever: The History of Acrylics and Appropriation
This article from bitchmedia is 4 years old, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot this week with Sha'Carri Richardson securing her first Olympic birth after dominating the 100m US Olympic trials. For those who aren’t familiar, Sha'Carri is often seen with bright, colourful hair (it was orange for the trials) and incredibly long acrylic nails. Due to her personal style and sprinting excellence, she’s FloJo reincarnate. And with FloJo I think of acrylics and what acrylics mean to Black women and the classism and misogynoir attached to acrylics and the appropriation of acrylics by white women.
Additional reading on the absolute icon, Florence Griffith-Joyner: Star-Spangled Fingernails: Florence Griffith-Joyner and the Mediation of Black Femininity
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When Paul Bernardo Stalked My Neighbourhood
This past week Paul Bernardo, a name I think all Canadians (and even several Americans I’m sure) know, was denied bail for a second time pushing his name back into the headlines. With that comes reminders of the absolutely horrific crimes he committed (along with his wife at the time, Karla Homolka). This article that was published in 2013, around the 20th anniversary of his crimes, is a chilling look into life in Scarborough at the time: the police incompetence, the ever-present fear, the ways in which rape culture permeates our society. But what jumped out to me while reading was the way Bernardo’s case didn’t teach us anything. Sure Bernardo is behind bars for the rest of his life but rape kits still go untested, women are still blamed for the violence perpetrated against them, domestic violence still takes tolls on families for generations with limited resources offered to victims, police inaction leads to further assaults and escalation of crimes. Bernardo was denied parole again this week and to a lot of people, that’s the only thing necessary.
Till next time!
xoxo, Liz