AUSTRALIAN GAY-TAR

For more than half a centur y, rock ’n’ roll has been defined by its idiosyncrasy – the loud and livid sonics and the audacious aesthetics, a merciless middle-finger at the blandness of the mainstream’s saccharine gruel. And through it all, the genre (and by extension, its culture and society) has maintained a strong undercurrent of queer identities.

As mainstream societies continue to loosen up and ditch the heteronormative rigidities of old, those identities are thriving and shining brighter than ever before – something all of us at Australian Guitar are excited to embrace. So, as June rolls around and the queer community huddles under the spotlight for Pride Month, we’re going beyond the restraints of L, G, B, T and Q to celebrate the entire alphabet of queerness that’s defined music for generations.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of incredible queer ar tists that’ve made their mark on music history over the decades – but alas, we’re bound by page space, so we’re focussing here on 26 of our favourites. Consider this a launching-off point, though: make