Why no LGBTQ love songs on the radio?

Gender-specific pronouns. Possibly references that a gay person would recognize, that a straight person wouldn't even notice; sort of like an inside joke.

Think about the Village People. I totally laugh when I see a bunch of straight people dancing to Y.M.C.A., without a clue what it's really about.

And in the age of video, well, see the Steve Grand video I posted earlier.

 

Based on the fact that there's now a whole damn section devoted to LGBTQ books here in our public library (complete with colorful heart stickers to mark those books), it's only a matter of time...

 

Not a comparable to airplay on radio. Radio stations generally depend on advertisers as a revenue stream. Public libraries do not.

 

[video=youtube;T_EFzif96Jg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_EFzif96Jg[/video]

[video=youtube;JmcA9LIIXWw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw[/video]

[video=youtube;2nXGPZaTKik]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXGPZaTKik[/video]

 

Just because a song is by a gay artist or has some gay-adjacent content, that doesn't automatically make it a gay "love song"

Are "I Kissed A Girl", "Karma Chameleon", and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" love songs? Are they gay love songs?

"I Kissed a Girl" seems to qualify.

As for Karma Chameleon, according to Boy George: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."

So, not a love song.

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" - might be a love song, if you consider the fact that it's about the affair between Boy George and the group's drummer, Jon Moss. But is it obviously a gay love song? I'm not convinced. Keep in mind that Boy George wasn't exactly out publicly, at the time, and his affair with Moss didn't become public knowledge until much later.

Yes, gay love songs do exist. But they don't get a ton of airplay on mainstream radio, which is why most people here wouldn't recognize them or the artist.

And let's be clear that being on YouTube doesn't equal airplay on mainstream radio. I couldn't tell you who most gay music artists are, I've never heard of most of them - because I'd have to make an effort to go looking for them. Take the Steve Grand video I posted earlier. I only knew of him, not the song. I posted it as an example of what a gay love song would actually be, as opposed to just any song by a gay artist, or songs with gay-adjacent content that aren't by gay artists.

Take note that so far, no one has posted its equivalent - A song by a gay artist whose being 'out' is concurrent with his success. Have you heard it on the radio? I haven't, but then it's not exactly my usual genre.

So... Obviously gay love songs on the radio - about as rare as hens teeth.