The rainbow colored canary in the coal mine

Queer culture has been a part of popular music for as long as we can remember. Legendary artists such as Elton John and Melissa Etheridge and contemporary icons such as Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan have been or still are on forefront of shaping the sector by bringing fabulous music and positive stories about inclusivity, struggle and acceptance. These artists often emerge from under the radar, grassroots communities of queer organizers and activists. In this panel, we will explore why these grassroots communities are often the birthplace of new, positive and progressive ideas that are later adopted in the mainstream. This goes from exciting artistic genres (Hello queer country, looking at you here!) to new ways of organizing and from politics of care to policies of safety. We will look into how these communities work, what drives them, what struggles they increasingly face, and what can be learned from that in order to shape more positive futures for the music sector, and society at large.