Defining the first same-sex stationAs of tomorrow morning, Toronto will get a chance to hear just what a gay radio station sounds like. Claiming to be the world's first commercially licensed radio station to specifically target the gay, lesbian and transgendered communities, Proud FM 103.9 hits the local airwaves at 6 a.m.
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And once they're on the air, what will they sound like? Gay artists such as Elton John and stereotypical gay-community favourites like Madonna and Cher will be part of the Proud playlist. But Torontonians hoping to hear prominent, catchy local queer acts – the church-folkies in Hidden Cameras and the Polaris prize-winning Final Fantasy come to mind – will probably be disappointed. The current promos don't make Proud sound all that different from stations like Mix 99.9, using the so-called "hot AC" format – uptempo pop for the adult-contemporary market.
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"Do we have to go `we're gay, we're gay, we're gay!' Wouldn't that be just as annoying as someone saying `we're straight, we're straight, we're straight!'" says James Collins, Proud's music director. "We all like the same music. It's not different – we might like a bit more kitschy stuff. We're a little more liberal than what the average station will play. Yes, we'll play more dancey stuff, and we're playing lots of openly gay artists and closeted gay artists, but it's just not discussed, like no one says we're playing Erasure, he's gay."
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For listeners, it's a chance to hear how different sexual orientations sound. Or to find out if it sounds different at all.
Color me disgusted. There is little I'm in the mood to say about this article today, other than that the last paragraph is completely false -- so false that I'm tempted to call it a deliberate lie.
This is most assuredly
not a chance to hear how "different sexual orientations sound" (whatever that's supposed to mean). As described, it's unequivocally
not an opportunity to find out if it sounds different at all. You see, they'd actually have to play gay music, music by and for gay people, in order for any assessment of that sort to me made. Instead, this station seems bent on demonstrating their skills at playing mainstream music. When you play nothing but mainstream music, claim it's gay music, and then further claim that gay music must sound just like mainstream music.... what utter nonsense.
Does a gay radio station have to go `we're gay, we're gay, we're gay'? Ummm... yes. Would that prove as annoying as someone saying `we're straight, we're straight, we're straight'? Ummm... no. Every other radio station in the country does just that day after day and it's not particularly annoying at all. This idea that "We all like the same music. It's not different – we might like a bit more kitschy stuff" is a strange one. I've been force-fed straight music all my life -- in abundance. Some of it is quite good and I would have to say that I like it. I've avidly sought out music by openly gay artists for several years now. Nearly all of these bands are unsigned or have small, independent labels. They would benefit greatly from even the exposure of being played on a radio station.
You may not get to listen to Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy on this so-called 'gay radio station,' but
you can buy three of his albums on iTunes. There's
a web site as well.
The Hidden Cameras require a bit more effort to listen to for most of us. They have
a MySpace page and
a web site though and
they'll gladly sell you an album or six.