There’s only one openly-LGBT musician on the Obamas’ summer playlist
Barack and Michelle Obama have shared their songs of the summer. (Getty)
The Obamas shared the 44 songs which have soundtracked their summer, but only managed to include a single openly LGBT+ artist.
The former president shared a genre-spanning playlist on Twitter, writing: “With summer winding down, here’s a sampling of what Michelle and I have been listening to – some new, some old, some fast, some slow.”
Flaunting their near-impeccable taste in music, the former first couple jumped from Lizzo to Steely Dan, Mac Miller into Ella Fitzgerald and The Rolling Stones into John Legend.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s summer 2019 playlist. (Barack Obama)
Though the playlist was varied in genre, tempo and decade, it failed to show much diversity in terms of gender and sexual identity.
Although it’s worth noting that some of the artists on the list could be part of the LGBT+ community without it being public knowledge.
Lil Nas X makes Obamas’ summer 2019 playlist.
Of the 44 tracks on the playlist, only one was by an openly LGBT+ musician: Lil Nas X‘s ‘Old Town Road’.
The country-hip-hop track made history of the summer, dethroning Mariah Carey’s ‘One Sweet Day’ to become the longest-running number one in US history.
Mid-way through his reign, the rapper came out as gay, something he said he had considered “taking to his grave”.
Lil Nas X won song of the year for ‘Old Town Road,’ at the MTV VMAs. (Getty)
Though we doubt the Obamas have ever shantayed to ‘Sissy That Walk’, they could easily have included tracks from LGBT+ artists such as Janelle Monáe – who featured on the president’s end of 2018 list, Sam Smith – who recently collaborated with another Obama 2018 favourite, Normani, or Brandi Carlile – who made it on to both the 2018 and 2017 lists.
The omission is all the more surprising considering the Obamas’ vocal support of the LGBT+ community.
Obamas’ LGBT+ legacy.
In 2010, one year into his first term, Barack repealed the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which prevented LGBT+ people from serving openly in the US military.
In the same year he signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. A centrepiece of his presidency, the act introduced new protections for LGBT+ people, explicitly banning healthcare discrimination against trans people.
These protections are now under threat of repeal by the Trump administration.
Two years later, after some hesitation, Barack became the first sitting president to endorse same-sex marriage.
When the Supreme Court made equal marriage the law of the land in 2015, Michelle famously sneaked out of the White House to celebrate with her daughter Malia.
PinkNews has contacted the Obamas’ representatives for comment.
