Reference Resources
The Queer Encyclopedia of Music, Dance, and Musical Theater by Call Number: REFERENCE ML100 .A44 2004
Books
David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Call Number: ML3470 .B85 2019
Fiesta de Diez Pesos: Music and Gay Identity in Special Period Cuba by Call Number: ML3917 .C9 M68 2014
Listening to the Sirens: Musical Technologies of Queer Identity from Homer to Hedwig by Call Number: ONLINE & ML3838 .P365 2006
Music and Camp by Call Number: ONLINE & ML3877 .M877 2018
Queering Freedom: Music, Identity and Spirituality: Anthology with Perspectives from Ten Other Countries by Call Number: ML3916 .Q44 2018
Queering the Pitch: The New Gay and Lesbian Musicology by Call Number: ONLINE & ML55 .Q44 20062nd ed.
Queerness in Heavy Metal Music: Metal Bent by Call Number: ML3838 .C55 2015
Queer Noises: Male and Female Homosexuality in Twentieth Century Music by Call Number: ML63 .G49 1995
Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnny Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music by Call Number: ML3477 .S75 2019
The Singing Teacher's Guide to Transgender Voices by Call Number: MT820 .J13 2018
Composers, Performers & Repertory
- Boulanger Initiative DatabaseDatabase of works by women and gender-marginalized composers.
- Institute for Composer DiversitySearch the ICD's databases for composers and links to their websites and works.
Archives & Collections
- GLBT Historical Society Museum & ArchivesThe GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits and makes accessible to the public materials and knowledge to support and promote understanding of LGBTQ history, culture and arts in all their diversity.
- LGBTQ+ Artists Represented in the Performing Arts Special Collections in the Library of Congress Music DivisionDescriptions of collections in LC with links to finding aids. Continually updated.
- LGBTQ+ Performing Arts Resources at the Library of CongressResearch guide to the vast collections at LC--books and bibliographies in their catalog, special collections, digital collections, web archives, and other resources.
Additional Online Resources
- ASCAP Pride 2021A playlist from ASCAP with works from LGBTQ+ members of the organization. ASCAP is performance-rights organization for and of songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
- Lesbian and Gay Band AssociationThe purpose of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association is to promote LGBT Music, Visibility, and Pride for all through the the unique art form of community bands.
- LGBT Academy of Recording Arts (OutMusic)LARA's mission is to increase visibility and promote the advancement, contributions and appreciation of LGBT+ music, entertainment culture & heritage as an equivalent entertainment platform.
- Queer Music HeritageFrom January 2000 until March 2015 "Queer Music Heritage" was both a radio show and a website, and the goal of both was to preserve and share the music
of our culture.
Audio & Visual Resources
DRAM
Lesbian American Composers by Call Number: ONLINE
Films on Demand
- One Love
This film explores the homophonic origins of Jamaican music and its future.
Spotify
- Girl Gang Music Spotify Playlists
Updated monthly, playlists feature female, nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ artists and producers in several genre.
UK Libraries
Gay American Composers. v.1-2Call Number: CD 2882 & CD 2883
UK Libraries Research Guides
UK Libraries Databases
- GenderWatchRepository of historical perspectives on the evolution of the women's movement, men's studies, the transgender community and the changes in gender roles over the years. Publications include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books and NGO, government and special reports. Archival material dates back to 1970 in some cases.
Subject Headings & Call Numbers
►SUBJECT HEADINGS & THE ADVANCED SEARCH
These links will launch searches in the Advanced Search:
For your own search:
- Go to Advanced Search
- Search for Library Catalog
- Search Filters Subject contains [type your terms here]
- Material Type All Items [or specific format]
Scores and AV are best searched by composer, performer, and/or genre, and limiting to the material type Scores, Audio, or Videos, for example:
- Go to Advanced Search
- Search for Library Catalog
- Search Filters Author/creator contains Benjamin Britten
- AND Subject contains songs
- Material Type Scores
►CALL NUMBERS -- BOOKS
The Library of Congress Classification system tends to classify books on gender identity within a broader subject, for example, many works can be found in ML3916 (Social and political aspects of music), but you will also find books on protest music, music and the state, music censorship, etc. Using subject headings and keyword terms may be a more successful approach.
►CALL NUMBERS -- SCORES
As with books, your best bet would be searching by the composer's name in a Advanced Author/Creator search set to "Contains" the composer's name and setting the Material Type to Scores.
Works in the Western art music tradition are not generally given separate call numbers that indicate ethnicity, gender, orientation, or place of birth. See the document below of an outline of the Library of Congress Classification System for scores: