Disco is a genre that’s sometimes derided these days; it’s considered cheesy in some circles and the younger generation associate it with dad-dancing and flares.
But disco is so much more than that; not only is it the predecessor to modern pop and dance music, but in its heyday in the ‘70s it was also progressive and liberating, welcoming people from all walks of life with equal enthusiasm, whether gay, straight, white, black, male or female.
Nile Rodgers of Chic even said: “My vision of the disco era was that it was the most liberating time we ever had in America.”
In fact, it was also intertwined with the aftermath of the civil rights movement in the states, and allowed for a greater acceptance of gay people in society as they were able to express themselves more fully than at any time in history.
And disco was a genre which encouraged that; not only were the lyrics full of encouragements for love and peace, but the scene was not just accepting of differences but actively celebrated them.
Disco artist George McCrae said of the era: “Disco came out after Vietnam. There was so much turmoil. People were down and they wanted to escape. It was a dark, terrible time after the civil rights movement. There was a revolution, and disco came at the right moment. It was escapism, like in the 20s after the depression, with the Charleston. People needed to dance. My song I Get Lifted was meant to lift up the people.”
African American Civil Rights movement and Black Power
Though the African American Civil Rights Movement was over by the time that disco hit the airwaves, and the Civil Rights Act had been signed into law, making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in employment practices, the feelings which it had brought to the fore remained raw for years afterwards.
The Black Power movement aimed to empower African Americans and help them to gain a sense of pride and cultural identity; disco music became one of the ways in which African Americans chose to exercise this.
The genre allowed black and white singers to be seen on an equal footing, singing a type of music which was not seen as either ‘black music’ or ‘white music’ but simply music.
Stonewall riots
The stonewall riots took place in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan – the name would go on to become synonymous with the gay rights movement and was later adopted by the gay rights charity of the same name.
Rioters were protesting the homophobic laws of the time, which criminalised both homosexuality and acts associated with it. Within a year of the Stonewall riots, the profile of gay rights had been raised immeasurably and the first gay pride events began to take place in the United States.
The disco movement which arrived in the wake of the riots and in the face of growing public support for LGBT rights acted as a catalyst for the movement; clubs and bars playing disco music became places where gay people could meet and organise, while at the same time disco music itself put gay men in the public eye – in particular the late, great Sylvester.
As a black and openly gay man, Sylvester was a disco artist who embodied everything that the genre stood for and who, in later life, was a fervent activist campaigning against the spread of HIV/AIDS, leaving his estate to fund research into the disease.
Even disco acts without a strong link to the gay culture like KC and the Sunshine Band contributed to the freedom which disco imparted on many people when they were played in clubs and on the radio, helping to validate the gay community and create a common love which fans could get behind regardless of sexuality, race or gender.
Though the heyday of disco is now over and we live in a more liberal and tolerant time, some disco artists are still going strong and available to book for events. The KC and the Sunshine Band agency is London based MN2S, so get in touch with them if you’d like to add a touch of disco magic to the next event you plan.
