I'm going to "come out" and say this. I became an obsessed Queen fan in 1978 at the tender age of nine and quickly became aware of what was "wrong" with Queen by my peers and family. Don't you know "Queen" means "gay" and the black nail polish, leotards, ballet slippers, "girly singing". I think that made Freddie all the MORE intriguing to me. My parents were conservative but open-minded enough to allow me to line my walls with posters of the band. My dad would just look at the posters of Freddie *ahem* "bulging" in his leotard and ask..."Why don't they call themselves 'KING'". LOL...it was a different time. To their credit, my mom sprung for a membership in the Queen International Fan Club as a Birthday present in 1980. I think they were "concerned" about my sexuality tbh, but by the age of 12 or 13 they knew I was "hetero" and ...I won't go into it...wished maybe I was gay.
LOL
No one asked for that TMI but it's funny to *me*.
I read those quarterly newsletters with religious awe and Freddie's notes from "fab"(his words) New York...and you were there Thor when he wrote them. I can't tell you how great it is to exchange with you here!
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@Thor.
My God, I can totally picture him saying that lol, it's like whatever I read he has said I can hear it in my mind with his voice and his facial expressions lol.
Also thanks for the memory at Garden Lodge on that midsummer night, I could totally picture it, those memories are what I cherish to read the most, just simple things you did together.
How was your experience at the musical then? There is no video available from that live collaboration, only audios, but he really sounds great! (of course, I mean...)
My God, I can totally picture him saying that lol, it's like whatever I read he has said I can hear it in my mind with his voice and his facial expressions lol.
Also thanks for the memory at Garden Lodge on that midsummer night, I could totally picture it, those memories are what I cherish to read the most, just simple things you did together.
How was your experience at the musical then? There is no video available from that live collaboration, only audios, but he really sounds great! (of course, I mean...)
thundergod wrote:
Hey matt z, old bugger, Ozzy here,
Only once did Freddie view one of his works at home with us there. Brandon was not
familiar with opera at all, so he gladly showed us "Barcelona" and said ..."oh just listen,
just listen (he always repeated himself when he was excited) She is singing from
her c**t " (Sorry ladies but he did actually say that but not in a derogatory way at all)
He used this same phrase for Jennifer Holiday (Effie in Dreamgiirls ) when she appeared
in the audience at his Saturday Night Live performance. LOL
Primejiveusa, that's an interesting post indeed. Thanks for sharing that. When I was 15 and realized I wasn't just going through "a phase", I felt I had to hide it from my family. They never expressed any negative views of the LGBT community but I was so hard wired to believe it was something to hide or be ashamed of that I just stayed quiet. My grandmother caught on by 16 or 17 and we had "the talk" at 19. She was from a very conservative catholic background, so I half expected her to ignore it or deny it. Once she realized it was something that really was a part of me, she was very supportive. She walked with us almost every year at the local Pride Parade and got my parents to come around as well. She was a real firecracker and the greatest person Ive ever known. I know I'm one of the lucky ones, though. Many LGBT people don't have such accepting families.
According to David Minns, Freddie's parents called his being gay "that other business" and he felt he needed Mary around at lunch dates with them to keep them calm about it all. Which is understandable considering how conservative they apparently were, but I like to think if he had told them outright that he was gay, they would have came around eventually. He was their son after all, and his mother seemed the type to accept it if given the chace. Everyone got the feeling that he didn't want to disappoint them. Which is sad to think his being gay was something he assumed would... But it speaks volumes about Jim as he was the only boyfriend Freddie brought around them. Granted, he didn't ever introduce him as the boyfriend, but still- Jim was the only lover of his that drove him to his parents home and got to know his family personally (without Mary being there)
According to David Minns, Freddie's parents called his being gay "that other business" and he felt he needed Mary around at lunch dates with them to keep them calm about it all. Which is understandable considering how conservative they apparently were, but I like to think if he had told them outright that he was gay, they would have came around eventually. He was their son after all, and his mother seemed the type to accept it if given the chace. Everyone got the feeling that he didn't want to disappoint them. Which is sad to think his being gay was something he assumed would... But it speaks volumes about Jim as he was the only boyfriend Freddie brought around them. Granted, he didn't ever introduce him as the boyfriend, but still- Jim was the only lover of his that drove him to his parents home and got to know his family personally (without Mary being there)
One can only assume things about how it could have been. I think, based in their religion, homosexuality is a total dishonor and profoundly forbidden so maybe, even if for us it sounds that crazy, the era + being convervative + religion was a very hard thing to deal with when "coming out".
Jer seems to me also to be the sweetest woman but in that time, all the things I quoted before were too important in people's minds, I've read many similar stories about that time when the parents totally cut their contact with their children if they thought whatever they were doing was a "dishonor".
In an interview Jer and Kashmira's husband did, not a long time ago, when the interviewer told her if she knew Freddie was gay, even then she looked down and said no with her head, with Kashmira's husband talking in her behave as she became upset, saying it was a too delicate subject to talk, still today.
I guess Freddie preffered to keep things easy for everybody as you said.
Jer seems to me also to be the sweetest woman but in that time, all the things I quoted before were too important in people's minds, I've read many similar stories about that time when the parents totally cut their contact with their children if they thought whatever they were doing was a "dishonor".
In an interview Jer and Kashmira's husband did, not a long time ago, when the interviewer told her if she knew Freddie was gay, even then she looked down and said no with her head, with Kashmira's husband talking in her behave as she became upset, saying it was a too delicate subject to talk, still today.
I guess Freddie preffered to keep things easy for everybody as you said.
Villiers wrote:
According to David Minns, Freddie's parents called his being gay "that other business" and he felt he needed Mary around at lunch dates with them to keep them calm about it all. Which is understandable considering how conservative they apparently were, but I like to think if he had told them outright that he was gay, they would have came around eventually. He was their son after all, and his mother seemed the type to accept it if given the chace. Everyone got the feeling that he didn't want to disappoint them. Which is sad to think his being gay was something he assumed would... But it speaks volumes about Jim as he was the only boyfriend Freddie brought around them. Granted, he didn't ever introduce him as the boyfriend, but still- Jim was the only lover of his that drove him to his parents home and got to know his family personally (without Mary being there)
thundergod wrote:
Hey Panchini,
Thanks for your heterosity...but I am thinking that you are really bi. Just Kidding... LOL
When I was much younger I used to be "tri" (weekly), but as I get older now I am "try" (somewhere between weekly and weakly).
Same here, PRIME JIVE. ..i got a lot of harmless flak for QUEEN pretty much being in my favorite top 5
Not gay. Just enjoyed the richness and diversity of the band and all the inspired sonic landscapes they'd made
Not gay. Just enjoyed the richness and diversity of the band and all the inspired sonic landscapes they'd made
PrimeJiveUSA and Villiers, interesting posts. I actually loved your posts because it's our 'own' stories of Queen that bring us here. PrimeJive, my dad was similar about Queen. My mum loved Freddie, and at Live Aid (we were watching on tv, I was 15), dad was getting impatient to go out but mum wouldn't go until she saw Freddie. She said no one moved like him, which was true. I'd kind of 'lost' Queen myself, I didn't realise this 'Freddie' (though amazing), was the same Freddie that I'd admired as a small child in Bo Rhap. I thought 'Bo Rhap' Freddie had long gone and I'd never see him again...yet he was on my tv screens and magazines all the time, lol.
Anyway, mum got to see Freddie on Live Aid, as did I, and dad's jaw just dropped when he saw the crowd clapping to Radio Gaga. He said it takes a true star to be able to do stuff like that. He was converted that day, though he still made the odd comment about him being gay. (He later came round and grew to really admire Freddie, and had to face his own nephew coming out)
This might sound incredibly sad and ignorant of me, but it was only when Freddie passed away (I was 21), and they played Bohemian Rhapsody, that the penny finally dropped. He was the one I'd wondered about all those years. And now he'd gone. I was distraught (would have been anyway because I 'liked' Freddie, but more so because of realising who he was, if that makes sense)
The biggest barrier I came up against was people being critical of him for getting AIDS, and therefore not being sympathetic. Gradually all that ignorance has turned around but Freddie didn't get to see it (though he played a big part in creating it I'm sure). But the level of ignorance was shocking, people were saying things like 'you wait, one by one each band member will die from AIDS, they were all at it together!' (Interesting visual, lol, but that's about it) This mentality just cemented my interest in Queen, they were too gifted, too bright. My interest in them developed as I tried to understand the conflict between what I thought and the criticisms of others.
Anyway, mum got to see Freddie on Live Aid, as did I, and dad's jaw just dropped when he saw the crowd clapping to Radio Gaga. He said it takes a true star to be able to do stuff like that. He was converted that day, though he still made the odd comment about him being gay. (He later came round and grew to really admire Freddie, and had to face his own nephew coming out)
This might sound incredibly sad and ignorant of me, but it was only when Freddie passed away (I was 21), and they played Bohemian Rhapsody, that the penny finally dropped. He was the one I'd wondered about all those years. And now he'd gone. I was distraught (would have been anyway because I 'liked' Freddie, but more so because of realising who he was, if that makes sense)
The biggest barrier I came up against was people being critical of him for getting AIDS, and therefore not being sympathetic. Gradually all that ignorance has turned around but Freddie didn't get to see it (though he played a big part in creating it I'm sure). But the level of ignorance was shocking, people were saying things like 'you wait, one by one each band member will die from AIDS, they were all at it together!' (Interesting visual, lol, but that's about it) This mentality just cemented my interest in Queen, they were too gifted, too bright. My interest in them developed as I tried to understand the conflict between what I thought and the criticisms of others.
Villiers, I loved reading that bit about your Grandmother, what an amazing woman!
It still makes me wonder why everyone still seems to be obsessed with freddie's sexuality, and talk about it on bulletin boards and documentaries etc. Freddie didnt feel the need to discuss such things openly, so why is it ok for everyone else to bring it into the public arena? Imagine if he came back and saw all this stuff written about him, he'd be mortified.
I became a Queen fan around 1978 introduced by a good friend to the delights of Jazz. I was hooked straight away and have followed them ever since. Early days at school it was not easy being a Queen fan as whilst secretly most people loved the music they associated the band with overt gayness ( times were different back then )
Not being gay myself it was not something i ever thought about and was blown away by the music and more than anything the sheer power of the band playing live. Who cared what Freddie's sexuality was... boy could he sing and perform.
I was fortunate that my parents were open minded and had excellent taste in music from The Who, The Stones, BB King right through to deep southern Jazz and Blues. I remember the first time i showed them clips of Queen live they like me where blown away and encouraged my passion for this great band.
They could see the evident talent and musicianship regardless of the overtones.
Gradually people came round and 'outed' themselves as Queen fans none of them were gay but could no longer deny the obvious power of this band.
I went on to see them live many times up until Knebworth, was lucky enough to have been on video shoots, met the band a couple of times and most importantly met many great friends and have had a wonderful time in the process.
Don't normally post but this thread has bought some wonderful memories back
Not being gay myself it was not something i ever thought about and was blown away by the music and more than anything the sheer power of the band playing live. Who cared what Freddie's sexuality was... boy could he sing and perform.
I was fortunate that my parents were open minded and had excellent taste in music from The Who, The Stones, BB King right through to deep southern Jazz and Blues. I remember the first time i showed them clips of Queen live they like me where blown away and encouraged my passion for this great band.
They could see the evident talent and musicianship regardless of the overtones.
Gradually people came round and 'outed' themselves as Queen fans none of them were gay but could no longer deny the obvious power of this band.
I went on to see them live many times up until Knebworth, was lucky enough to have been on video shoots, met the band a couple of times and most importantly met many great friends and have had a wonderful time in the process.
Don't normally post but this thread has bought some wonderful memories back
dudley-fufkin 7834 wrote:
It still makes me wonder why everyone still seems to be obsessed with freddie's sexuality, and talk about it on bulletin boards and documentaries etc. Freddie didnt feel the need to discuss such things openly, so why is it ok for everyone else to bring it into the public arena? Imagine if he came back and saw all this stuff written about him, he'd be mortified.
Thank you dudley-fufkin 7834 for your words. I totally agree . I`m really fed up with all this guessing about Freddies sexuality, whether he was gay or bi or tri or pansexual or whatsoever...
We will never know, because the only person who really, really knows about Freddies sexuality is Freddie Mercury himself! But he is dead, he will not tell us. It`s not important anymore, who he had sex with. He enjoyed himself and that`s all that matters.
I was introduced to Queen at a very early age by my parents. My parents are both both 60s and 70s rockers, and my dad used to go to every Queen concert he could. Especially in the 70s. And my gran (who is 90 now) loooves Freddie! Still wants to watch video clips of that 'nice boy'! (Although my grandpa used to call him that 'sissy kid', but quite enjoyed his music).
Actually reading everything here about Zoroastrians, I am quite surprised. I am a Zoroastrian (all Parsis are), and Freddie is very popular and very beloved to the community. Every single wedding, navjote, or Parsi function has to have tons of Queen music (surprisingly I want to Break Free is THE favourite.), and every Zoroastrian singer tries to sing like Freddie! (On the whole Parsis are very fun-loving and entertaining, and don't mind making complete fools of themselves!)
Freddie is the toast of the Parsi community! So I find it very strange that everybody keeps mentioning that being Zoroastrians, Freddie's parents would have been embarrassed by him. I feel it is just that back in the day, being gay was 'bad' all around. Something you chose to do as a deviant. And illegal! No matter what your beliefs or religion.
(And by the way, we still feed our dead to the vultures. I thought I'd just mention that ;) I love the way people react to that! )
Actually reading everything here about Zoroastrians, I am quite surprised. I am a Zoroastrian (all Parsis are), and Freddie is very popular and very beloved to the community. Every single wedding, navjote, or Parsi function has to have tons of Queen music (surprisingly I want to Break Free is THE favourite.), and every Zoroastrian singer tries to sing like Freddie! (On the whole Parsis are very fun-loving and entertaining, and don't mind making complete fools of themselves!)
Freddie is the toast of the Parsi community! So I find it very strange that everybody keeps mentioning that being Zoroastrians, Freddie's parents would have been embarrassed by him. I feel it is just that back in the day, being gay was 'bad' all around. Something you chose to do as a deviant. And illegal! No matter what your beliefs or religion.
(And by the way, we still feed our dead to the vultures. I thought I'd just mention that ;) I love the way people react to that! )
noorie wrote:
I was introduced to Queen at a very early age by my parents. My parents are both both 60s and 70s rockers, and my dad used to go to every Queen concert he could. Especially in the 70s. And my gran (who is 90 now) loooves Freddie! Still wants to watch video clips of that 'nice boy'! (Although my grandpa used to call him that 'sissy kid', but quite enjoyed his music).
Actually reading everything here about Zoroastrians, I am quite surprised. I am a Zoroastrian (all Parsis are), and Freddie is very popular and very beloved to the community. Every single wedding, navjote, or Parsi function has to have tons of Queen music (surprisingly I want to Break Free is THE favourite.), and every Zoroastrian singer tries to sing like Freddie! (On the whole Parsis are very fun-loving and entertaining, and don't mind making complete fools of themselves!)
Freddie is the toast of the Parsi community! So I find it very strange that everybody keeps mentioning that being Zoroastrians, Freddie's parents would have been embarrassed by him. I feel it is just that back in the day, being gay was 'bad' all around. Something you chose to do as a deviant. And illegal! No matter what your beliefs or religion.
(And by the way, we still feed our dead to the vultures. I thought I'd just mention that ;) I love the way people react to that! )
Wow...what a cool and enlightening post, noorie!
Your 90 yr old gran calling Freddie "that nice boy" made me laugh!
shakespeares sister wrote:
dudley-fufkin 7834 wrote:
It still makes me wonder why everyone still seems to be obsessed with freddie's sexuality, and talk about it on bulletin boards and documentaries etc. Freddie didnt feel the need to discuss such things openly, so why is it ok for everyone else to bring it into the public arena? Imagine if he came back and saw all this stuff written about him, he'd be mortified.
Thank you dudley-fufkin 7834 for your words. I totally agree . I`m really fed up with all this guessing about Freddies sexuality, whether he was gay or bi or tri or pansexual or whatsoever...
We will never know, because the only person who really, really knows about Freddies sexuality is Freddie Mercury himself! But he is dead, he will not tell us. It`s not important anymore, who he had sex with. He enjoyed himself and that`s all that matters.
There is no "guessing" here. Freddie identified as gay (as said by Peter Freestone, Diana M, Chris Taylor, Jim Hutton) and this thread just confirms it. His sexual identity was brushed under the rug for years because the world was not open-minded but Freddie was open about it to those around him. It's fair to assume that had he lived to 2017, he may have been open to not being closeted to the world. (Remember even at the end, he had Mary at functions to throw off the press from any gay vibes). It just wasnt acceptable in his time.
As for discussing it in documentaries, books and here: when someone passes away, they're going to be discussed in great detail. That's the way it is. Wouldnt you rather they be discussed with facts instead of fiction and rumors? The tabloids lied about his sex life, as did a few books. Which is why Peter Freestone wrote his book. To correct that kind of thing. Being gay was part of Freddie. It's not ALL that he was, but it was part of it. So yes, people are going to discuss it.
If freddie came back and saw it being discussed, it probably wouldn't be his favorite part of the thread, but I can assure you he'd appreciate it being factual at the very least. Don't forget what he told Peter about anything being made on him after he died "Fine, but it has to show everything. Good and Bad. Warts and all!"
I'm not being sassy when I say this, so please dont take it that way but if you truly have a problem with it being discussed, just ignore the comments related to it and ask your own questions on a different topic. Thor has been great, and I'm sure he would be willing to answer any questions you have.
Well said, Villiers.
Everyone here has an equal opportunity to ask anything they want to Thor.
Everyone here has an equal opportunity to ask anything they want to Thor.