Queer As Art issue 2 April-May-June 2017 | Page 41

Tom Morrison – Glad
To Be Gay (1978)
This is one important song
about the gay community,
as important as the fact
that it became a gay
anthem in the UK ! Back in
the sixties, Tom Robinson
discovered he was gay
during his teenage years
but the fact that
homosexual activity was
considered a crime in
England (until 1967)
pressured him, even
pushing him to attempt
suicide at the age of 16. during the
70s, he began playing rock music and
was also endorsed by The Kinks
frontman Ray Davies until he formed
the Tom Robinson Band. On his first
EP Rising Free, there is the song (Sing
if you're) glad to be gay,
which
addresses many issues regarding the
UK and Gay rights. Even though
Homosexuality wasn't criminalized
anymore, Police raids still happened
at gay bars and Tom Morrison
dedicates the song to the World
Health Organisation for classifying
Homosexuality as a disease. Other
topics include coverage of the gay
40
community by the newspapers and
queer bashing suffered by Morrison's
friends. The chorus, which sounds
more like chanting than singing,
contributes more to the Anthem
aspect of the song and only consists
of singing about being proud of
being gay. Gay Anthem aside, it
remains Morrison’s most popular
song and some of the issues
addressed in the lyrics still exist
nowadays.