Queer Sounds

Three years ago, I came up with this story about a man who felt trapped between his male lover and his wife and child. I wrote it as a song, intending to publish it soon after. As many of you may know by our lack of activity, life got in the way for us at Queer Sounds. So I’m really, really happy to finally be able to share Mother Don’t Worry with all of you today. -Aslan

The wait is over. We are back with new music! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for continuing to support us even throughout our 3+ years hiatus. This is a song I actually released solo a couple of months ago, but I originally wanted to release it as part of Queer Sounds. I’m so glad the day has finally come where I can share this song with you all. Any feedback and comments are more than welcome. Hope you all enjoy! -Aslan

To those of you who are reading this: hello. It’s been a long time since we’ve last given any updates on Queer Sounds. After years of an unplanned hiatus, we have new music coming soon for you. Thank you to all of you who have still subscribed and followed us on our social media over the years. We really, really appreciate it. Knowing the music that we’ve made has resonated with so many of you has meant a great deal to us. -------------------------------------------- I wanted to share this song I wrote recently. Something about the Parkland shooting really got to me. It wasn’t as if the world suddenly got more divisive and vitriolic, but it felt like it did for me. I saw myself surrounded by pure rage and anger where misinformation in the form of mocking memes reigned supreme. Beliefs were wielded like identities and any attempt at dialogue was chased out. Brainwashed by the [insert opposing side of your choice] media/society/world, they cried. It demoralized me. It completely and utterly demoralized me. But I knew I had to do something because though it brought me so low, it also instilled a spark within me. I had my words and as long as I had my words, I would use them. So I put those words to paper and wrote this song. I wrote this song in honor of the world.  Thank you for listening.  -Aslan (Amy)

This was a song I wrote two years ago before Queer Sounds existed. At the time, Masque and myself wanted to write a song, an anthem of sorts, for the LGBTQ+ community. WorldPride was also just around the corner and we thought what better way to spread our message than to release this music that we wanted to write alongside the third WorldPride event. And so, Masque wrote what came to be known as Asexy (Proud to be Me) and I wrote Pride.  In light of recent events - of the lives lost in the shooting in Orlando, Florida - I thought I would share this song once more.  -Amy

So on Friday evening I found out that the government had basically binned the Safe Schools Coalition. As a young queer identified person this made me very mad, so I screamed and swore a lot, cried a little and ran laps of my uni building so to avoid punching things (anyone familiar with me knows that physical activity is not a thing I am particularly fond of so this shows just how wired I was). Then in a slightly more constructive turn, I went home and filmed this song. It's about just a few of the horrible things that have happened since the last election on account of horrible decisions from our politicians. So to our current government, I will not willingly put any more power in your hands. Come election day, my first preference, or even my second preference will not be lie with you and I have a feeling that anyone who agrees with me on the issues mentioned in this video is likely to also vote accordingly. I want you to know we are unhappy and I want you to know that you are on the wrong side of history and will be remembered accordingly for all the pain you have caused. I say good riddance! Cheers, Masque 

RIP to Holly Woodlawn, a transgender actress and icon who inspired Lou Reed’s hit song “Walk on the Wild Side,” who passed away from cancer on Sunday. Take a listen to her 1991 interview with NPR's Terry Gross above. “Holly came from Miami, F.L.A. Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A. Plucked her eyebrows on the way Shaved her legs and then he was a she She says, ‘Hey, babe, Take a walk on the wild side.’ Said, ‘Hey, honey, Take a walk on the wild side.’ “

50 percent of proceeds from the itunes sales of the single will be donated to LGBT youth organizations in Russia, Jamaica and Uganda: Children-404, the Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) and Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). via The Huffington Post

Submissions are due by November 22 at the end of the day EST.

“I am an intersex person, a biological state which means I am born with sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male.” - Thembani Vela Iranti-org, a queer human rights organization based in South Africa, partnered with Gender Dynamix and GATE to host a regional intersex ICD (International Classification of Diseases) Conference on important reform and recognition for and of intersex people.