Janelle Monae: Queer Black Joy
When I first saw her perform, I was amazed not only by her poise and skill but her energy that radiated from her. She had not necessarily a ‘rags to riches’ story but a history of hard working parents demonstrating what work ethic means. That example along with her talent grew her passion for both music and acting.
Her acting and music attracted a lot of attention. A mix of childhood imagination, her roots in Kansas City, Kansas and her immaculate tuxedo and coiffured hair always drew me into her performances. Then came the time I sat down and listened to her album The Electric Lady a lot with my own coming out still fresh in my mind.
It was forever in my playlists at home, especially Dance Apocalyptic and as I started to get to know more of my queer parts of myself, I felt the same energy of the nights spent celebrating with my friends but in queer venues. I was aware of Janelle making comments about the LGBT community but she wasn’t rushing to comment about her self either.
What was refreshing about Janelle is that when she decided to ‘come out’ it was on her own terms
What was refreshing about Janelle is that when she decided to ‘come out’ it was on her own terms. There wasn’t a definitive pressure, but she took her time to fully embrace herself and what her sexuality looked like. With the release of Dirty Computer I saw and heard what it was: joy.
The kind of unspeakable joy of being yourself, the self with layers, ideals, thoughts and opinions. A defiant richness in the face of heteronormativity that will not be denied its queer existence.
This is one of four blogs for LGBTQ History Month 2021. I’ll be posting another next Monday afternoon, so in the meantime…which artist’s music has touched you deep down in your spirit?
Don’t forget to #setyourselfonfire
Aquila Hope is a transformative coach, black trans activist, speaker, podcaster and songwriter. They’re found through Instagram, Twitter, Medium and their own website. Their podcast ‘Grasp At The Root’ can be found on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are distributed. Aquila lives on the outskirts of Birmingham, enjoys expressionist art, video games, strong coffee and a well made pizza.
