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Navigating David Bowie鈥檚 Fluid Sexual Labels

David Bowie, born David Robert Jones was an English pop star, singer, and actor whose career changed generations that followed. He was an icon in the music industry and regarded as the most influential person in the industry in the twentieth century. He was known for his strong beliefs and position in the LGBTQ+ community, as he played a key role in popularizing and fighting for the rights of the minority community.

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Growing up at a time when sexual orientation was not a common topic of discussion, David Bowie had to be brave to change the way people viewed sexuality. Even though he died in 2016, his impact on the LGBTQ+ community in the music industry will be celebrated by many generations to come.

Through creativity, Bowie would transform himself into anything he wanted during his performances on stage. He embraced androgyny and became the master of the art.

According to him, his childhood was difficult as he always stayed in isolated places for feeling different and fear being humiliated. However, being alone taught him how to be an independent person. His performances and attire caused more questions as his fans wanted to know about his gender identity and sexual orientation. Being a vocal man, Bowie was always free to discuss sensitive matters.

“I’m gay,” David Bowie said in an interview with the journalist Michael Watts in January 1972, “and always have been, even when I was David Jones,鈥� he added. His declaration was a sign of utter courage at a time when his career was at its peak.

Bowie was one of the first people in the United Kingdom to declare publicly that they were gay, marking the beginning of liberation of the lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. His declaration also came at a time when he was married to Angie Bowie, leading to many questions.

A few years after his declaration, Bowie was interviewed by Playboy after his hit song 鈥楯ohn, I鈥檓 Only Dancing鈥� was released. He would go on to further explain his sexuality to everyone who was wondering how he was gay. 鈥淚t鈥檚 true 鈥� I am a bisexual. But I can鈥檛 deny that I鈥檝e used that fact very well,鈥� said Bowie.

Therefore David Bowie used his talent and popularity to popularize androgyny and unisex style in the United Kingdom and later on across the world. He changed fashion and design during his career as clothing companies began producing unisex clothing.

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Bowie鈥檚 creative performances were magnified by his attire as he would put on dresses and female clothing on his shows. He used makeup and different hairstyles designed by British fashion designers.

Playing Ziggy Stardust in 1972 was one of his best experiences since he began his music career. He would use the stage to instill courage into young people to feel okay for being different from the rest.

During his subsequent interview with Rolling Stone, the pop star said that his declaration of being gay might have been a bad idea as he was not an activist and did not campaign for gay rights. However, his performances and art inspired the people in the LGBTQ+ community to be themselves.