Stevie Nicks...The "Gay" Connection

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally posted by sodascouts
I knew Stevie had a huge gay following, but I didn't realize she appealed to lesbians, too. Maybe they just aren't as vocal about their adoration.

I think she also has a large lesbian following...the first person I ever knew that was obsessed w/Stevie was a lesbian...then I met some of her friends...they were ALL HUGE Steve fans...and at her show in Albuquerque there seemed to be a lot of lesbians there...of course I'm generalizing and saying they were lesbian based on appearance...so I could be totally off...but many of my lesbian friends were there...so yeah...I think there's definite appeal to lesbians as well...

[jwys_soapbox]

QUOTE:
And I didn't start liking her becuase she is a strong woman/survivor/aging female star or, for any other insultingly stereotypical reason.
-------------
I see no insult in liking artists because they have characteristics to which I can relate. Besides, if she didn't write and perform great music, any characteristics that I could relate to would be much less important

John

[SmthngOfADreamr]

Originally posted by jwys_soapbox
QUOTE:

I see no insult in liking artists because they have characteristics to which I can relate. Besides, if she didn't write and perform great music, any characteristics that I could relate to would be much less important

John

DUH! That's why people of all kinds adore Stevie - usually because they relate to her through her music and especially through her lyrics - which is exactly what I was saying.

[Joseph Corkill]

Remember that HX Mag. in NYC interviewed her a couple of years ago; she was on the cover, and she was called a "Gay Icon." That pretty much says it all. She has a huge gay following, and she loves the attention.

Joseph

[Johnny Stew]

My first answer was rather flippant, because I thought, "oh no, here we go again." We've had this conversation numerous times before. In fact, we even had a thread with a title almost identical to this one, when 'Trouble In Shangri-La' was released.
Though, I'll grant you that it hasn't come up in a while.

Anyway, this looks like it's actually turning into a thought-provoking thread.

To me, the sexual orientation of an artist's core fan-base, shouldn't matter. I've never been fond of being singled out, or of singling someone else out, for their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc.
I like to see people as individuals, not... as Lindsey might say... a simple set of labels.

Being gay is what I am, but it's not WHO I am.
In fact, spend a day with me, and you might not even pick up on my sexual orientation. I'm not an "in your face" kind of person, though I am proud of who I am... NOW.

Much like John, I was a major Stevie fan long before I ever figured out, and then accepted, that I was gay.

Those who think homosexuality is a "choice," couldn't be more wrong. I was interested in other guys as far back as I can remember.
It wasnt a sexual attraction, per se... I didn't even know what SEX was at that age. All I knew, was that maleness interested me. I liked the way guys walked, talked, behaved, laughed, horsed-around... everything.
I don't think a 6 year old, who had absolutely no interactions with homosexuals... who had no idea what homosexuality is... and didn't even yet know the mechanics of sexuality and love, could possibly CHOOSE a "homosexual lifestyle."
I no more chose to be gay, than I did to have brown hair, hazel eyes, and my father's nose.

Late in 1985, when I was 13, I heard "Talk To Me" on the radio. I really dug the song, but more than that, I was blown away by the voice of the woman singing. I had no idea what she looked like, how she dressed, or any of that other stuff... I just knew she had one of the coolest voices ever.
I was given 'Rock A Little' for Christmas, and I wore the tape out.
Again, I had no idea about the "mystique" surrounding Stevie... I was just head over heels for these songs.
The voice drew me in initially, but it was her songwriting that really peaked my interest.

My aunt let me know that Stevie had other albums, and had been in a band called Fleetwood Mac, and I set out to find as many other recordings as I could.
When I went back and listened to them, I actually REMEMBERED so many of the songs, it was unbelieveable.
And... more than that... I had memories attached to them!

I actually remembered watching HBO religiously to see a glimpse of the "Gypsy" video (around 1982, HBO would sometimes play a few music videos as filler between movies).
I also remembered swinging on the swingset in our backyard, when I was about 11, and singing "Leather & Lace" to myself.

Something about Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac had already sparked an interest deep in my pre-adolescent psyche.
And it was all based on the music.

Thru my teens years, and even into my early 20s, I struggled with being different from everyone else.
My peers seemed to figure out around 5th grade, that I wasn't "like other boys."
I never really did anything to give anyone that idea, but I suppose I fit into some of those dreaded stereotypes. I was shy, quiet, bookish, artistic, woefully un-athletic, and the majority of my friends were female.
Also, unlike the other boys who were into heavy metal hair bands, I was listening to some frilly chick-singer, in a lacy dresses.

I eventually bought into the way I was being treated (punched, threatened, verbally harrassed, spit on, etc.), and I learned to hate myself for not being "normal" like everyone else.

I never connected my homosexuality with being a Stevie fan.
The latter was something I was more than happy to admit to being, while the former was something I didn't even dare admit to myself.

Thankfully though, I had Stevie's music to help keep me sane.
I certainly didn't have the luxury of living in a dream-world, but at least I was able to escape into Stevie's "world" whenever possible.
And I still say that if it wasn't for "Battle Of The Dragon," I might not be here today.

The first time I ever realized there might be a "gay connection" to Stevie, was when a female friend of mine called me up one night, after she had been to a gay club for the first time.
She told me, "you would have loved it there"... which instantly put me on the defense.
"Why on Earth would I have loved it there???"
In a slightly bewildered voice, she said, "because those gay guys there all love Stevie Nicks as much as you do, that's all."

The notion of gay men loving Stevie's music as much as I did, really fascinated me.

Eventually that notion helped me to feel a little less alone. It was kind of comforting to know that I might not be the only person going thru all of this crap.

Even still, it took several more years before I was able to completely accept my sexual orientation.
(Some older Ledgies may even remember that I was one of Stevie's fans who would put himself in the straight category, whenever this topic would come up on the original boards.)

You know, if i had been given a choice of being straight or gay, a few years ago I would have chosen straight... but now, I'm actually pretty happy with my sexual orienation.
Sure, it makes life a lot tougher, and you're vulnerable to other people's hang-ups, and prejudices.
But hey, we're all a product of our experiences... for better or worse... and if you can find a way to rise above it, then you're not doing too badly.

For me, Stevie's music helped me do that.

So... in my extremely long-winded way (the No-Doze is on me, folks!), I'm just saying that... in my case at least, there's no way to answer "which came first."
I just know that I wasn't initially attracted to Stevie's music, because of my sexual orientation. But her music definitely helped me open my mind to accepting myself for who I am, and to get thru some pretty difficult years.

Thanks, Stevie.



Johnny Stew

[Hawkeye]

OMG, i never knew so many stevie fans were gay. I'm quite shocked. All the stevie fans i know are straight. I always knew there were a few gays on this board, but i never knew it was 80 percent of the board.

[kristin]

I have a good mix of gay and straight Stevie friends. Although I think I definitely know of more gay men than women. I think it is great! Whatever floats your boat, ya know?

Kristin

[jwys_soapbox]

Well said, Johnny Stew! I can relate to a lot of the things you said. I'm sure many can. You know, a few years ago I heard or read a line something like "I finally gave myself permission to be gay." That was one of the most profound sentences I ever come across because it all comes down to that, I think. Coming from a very red-neck environment (in other words, homophobic) I denied every sign that I was gay (including a few kisses and gropes, etc. and never even dating a woman--or having any real desire to) until I was about 28. I lied about my sex life, went along with other guy's comments about women's looks etc--all the time feeling so strange because none of it came naturally to me. Anyway, denial is such a fascinating thing, it can make you believe all kinds of things in spite of mountains of evidence that suggests something else. I actually believed it was some normal phase I would grow out of. When I finally saw the forest for the trees, so to speak, it then became an issue of allowing myself to be who I had been all along--to not feel the need to be seen as straight by others. It took almost two years (and an afternoon of listening to one of my friend's comments about women we saw at the San Diego Comic Convention and resenting that I couldn't express my appreciation for some of the guys I saw) before I finally came out to my friends. To my surprise they were totally cool about it. I feel closer to them now because I feel like they know me better. I no longer have to be gaurded in the things I say and the directions I look when we're out somewhere. Anyway, this is getting long and, I'm sure, boring (plus way off topic, I suppose). Suffice it to say that I have found coming out to be very liberating and it all came down to my telling myself that it is ok to be the way I am.

John

PS: The above is by no means my entire story, just a very quick run-down containing many things that on second thought I might reword and elaborate on if I had time. Instead, I'll just leave it at that and trust that you'll know there's more to the story that I've written above.

[RavenOfRhiannon]

Bravo, Brian...

Another reminder why you are such a great man...

Randy

[Steve]

Well, you all have answered my question. That's cool that Stevie has such a diverse group of fans.

[Sarah]

Originally posted by Hawkeye
I always knew there were a few gays on this board, but i never knew it was 80 percent of the board.

i think 80 percent of the world is gay & just doesn't know it.


I think it's really cool how a bunch of different people can identify with what stevie says.. it's interesting how different people interpret lyrics differently.



Sarah

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by jwys_soapbox
You know, a few years ago I heard or read a line something like "I finally gave myself permission to be gay." That was one of the most profound sentences I ever come across.

John... I can definitely relate to that statement.
Thankfully, there *are* gay men in this world who realize they're gay, and are ok with it, at a very young age.
Unfortunately though, there are even more who face a very long road towards accepting themselves... and, sadly, there are some who never do.

It's amazing how many of us have had such similar experiences with the whole process (I was about 27 years old when I realized I finally had to face facts, that this was not just "a phase" like I had hoped).
No matter what age, or where you live, it just seems that some things are necessary rights of passage.


Randy... thank you for the kind words. Now where's that blushing emoticon when you need it?!


Sarah... I don't know about 80%, but I definitely think there are more gay men and lesbians than people realize.
That old statistic that only 10% of the population is gay, seems very conservative... but don't tell that to Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson!!




Johnny Stew

[estranged4life]

to ask Jerry Falwell is what it was like having Larry "Smut peddler" Flynt beat you in court...lol...And I would like to see Pat Robertson's head get bolted to his neck because he seems like a giant living "Bobble Head" doll to me, Hehehehe...Brian J.

ps-Dont even get me started on Oral" I saw a 700 hundred foot Jesus in Tulsa,OK...So send me YOUR MONEY NOW!!!!" Roberts...Hey Oral, Take your medicine huh...lol!!!!

[iamstevienicks]

Whoah didnt realise there were so many other gay guys here, so which of the guys here are straight then?

[Sarah]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
Sarah... I don't know about 80%, but I definitely think there are more gay men and lesbians than people realize.
That old statistic that only 10% of the population is gay, seems very conservative... but don't tell that to Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson!! Johnny Stew

Definitely. For some reason, right now among younger people.. it's kind of in-style for girls to be bisexual. At least from the people that I know. I have NO idea why.. maybe it's a Madonna-Started-It thing. I just know that the majority of my girl friends are. There comes that 80% again. lol. I have a friend who says.. "you are & just don't know it yet." I think that's probably true for a WHOLE lot of people out there.


Sarah