Earlier today, Billboard published an article titled “8 Reasons Ariana Grande Is the Gay Icon of Her Generation”. The article includes exactly what it says in the title: 8 reasons Ariana Grande is the gay icon of her generation. Among these reasons are her performance at NYC Pride, her love for her brother and her overall appreciation for her LGBTQ fans. While these are all things that do deserve appreciation and recognition, they do no more than show that she is a strong ally to the LGBT community.
As stated by GLAAD, “Allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices of the LGBT movement. Not only do allies help people in the coming-out process, they also help others understand the importance of equality, fairness, acceptance and mutual respect.” So yes, being an ally is important and a great way to support the LGBT community! It isn’t, however, what the ‘A’ stands for in LGBTQIA, so as an ally, you cannot include yourself in the day-to-day struggles that people who are in the community experience. An ally is a person who stands alongside their LGBT peers and provides support. That being said, allies should not be given the title of “Gay Icon”.
Ariana Grande has shown endless love toward the community; no one is trying to discredit that. What is making people online so upset is the fact that in 2017, our mainstream media is still blind enough to the real leaders of the LGBT community to the point where they hand a straight ally the role of gay icon of our generation. There are a number of leaders in the community who genuinely deserve the appreciation that allies receive, leaders who play important roles in today’s generation of young adults. Among these leaders are Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, Miles McKenna and Halsey. Whether it be in music videos, using same-sex pronouns in songs or just plain entertainment, each one of these people spreads awareness and love for their community in their own special ways.
Again, no one is trying to discredit the genuine love and appreciation that Ariana has for her fans, family and everybody in the LGBT community. Her role as an ally is important and deserves to be known as she is a role model for thousands of young people. But, her role as an ally should not overshadow the work that has been done by others who are within the community. Their stories and voices deserve to be heard just as much as anyone else’s. Therefore, media outlets should focus more on those who have worked their whole live’s to become a leader in their own community, and less on someone who simply shows support just as everybody should be doing in today’s society.
