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Pride never sounded — or looked — this good! Join us as we count down our picks for the most iconic music videos made by the gays or for the gays that champion aspects of the community and its culture! Our countdown includes "Silk Chiffon" by MUNA, "Vogue" by Madonna, "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, and more! Which video has had the biggest impact on you?
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00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for music videos made by the gayest or for
00:11the gayest that championed aspects of the community and its culture
00:14My mama told me when I was young, we're all one superstars
00:21Number 10, Silk Chiffon, Muna featuring Phoebe Bridgers
00:34A catchy sapphic bop like this deserves an iconic music video to go along with it
00:39Girl group Muna and collaborator Phoebe Bridgers executed this perfectly with Silk Chiffon
00:43The track itself is a celebration of love and it was elevated even further thanks to the accompanying clip paying
00:49tribute to But I'm a Cheerleader
00:58It shows the lead singer arriving at a conversion therapy camp only to flee to a gay bar where she
01:03could be herself
01:04Through it all, it referenced the film's kitsch aesthetic and campy humor
01:08In doing so, the group hoped it would cement the flick as an LGBTQIA plus classic
01:13They easily succeeded and introduced the movie to a new generation while also showcasing unapologetic queer joy
01:27Number 9, Beautiful, Christina Aguilera
01:38At a time when the community didn't have full legal or political support, Christina was unafraid to show her support
01:45Aguilera's Beautiful is all about accepting oneself for who you are
01:49Which, of course, extends to gender expression and sexuality as well
01:53From including a gay couple unashamedly kissing to a trans woman dressing the way that makes her feel the most
01:58comfortable
01:58Aguilera made it clear where she stood on the issue
02:01I am beautiful in every single way
02:07His words can bring me down
02:11The fact that it came about during a historically conservative period made her advocacy all the more impressive
02:16And earned her an award from the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation
02:20Both her allyship and the video still hold up today and its legacy is still apparent
02:31Number 8, Montero
02:33Call me by your name, Lil Nas X
02:42By being unafraid to spark conversation or controversy
02:46He created a truly unforgettable pop culture moment and tribute to the community
02:50Lil Nas X's Montero came in the wake of him accepting his own sexuality
02:55And was inspired in part by the 2017 film of the same name
02:58Call me when you want, call me when you need
03:01Call me in the morning, I'll be on the way
03:04Call me when you want, call me when you need
03:06The accompanying video mixed biblical references with unapologetic queerness
03:11Including scenes where he portrayed Adam kissing the serpent in the Garden of Eden
03:15Or essentially dancing with the devil
03:17Before taking over his throne
03:19It was met with various reactions
03:21From dissenters claiming it was harmful
03:23To supporters praising it for its brazen sexuality
03:26It has easily become one of the most influential of this generation
03:30Call me by your name, Lil Nas X
03:34Call me back there if you're lying
03:36Number 7, Girls Like Girls
03:38Hailey Kyoko
03:39Stealing kisses from your messes
03:43Doesn't make you freak
03:45Although her collaboration with Kehlani in 2018's What I Need cemented her status as a lesbian genius
03:51It was her 2015 single that planted those seeds
03:54Hailey Kyoko's Girls Like Girls is nothing short of revolutionary
03:58Its music video follows two girls realizing their feelings for one another
04:02Only for one of them to be subjected to violence by a homophobic partner
04:12It ended with the two coming together despite that
04:14Which sent the message to viewers everywhere to prioritize the love that they want
04:19Over the hate they may receive for it
04:21It went on to become so beloved that Kyoko eventually adapted it into a novel
04:25And a coming of age film
04:26Ensuring that its influence will continue on for generations
04:36Number 6, Freedom 90, George Michael
04:47Despite the queer artist behind the song not appearing in a single frame
04:51It's still seen as one of the most important works of the community
04:54And for good reason
04:55George Michael's Freedom 90 is a celebration of self-expression
04:58Leading many to associate it with individuals finally coming out and living the lives they've always wanted to
05:03The video cemented this message
05:05It showed symbols of Michael's career being destroyed
05:08Which in turn served as symbolism for him leaving behind his old life in exchange for one where he can
05:13freely be himself
05:19Although he didn't come out until several years after it had been made
05:22Some have seen it as an early indicator of him doing so
05:30Number 5, Unholy, Sam Smith and Kim Petrus
05:34By combining several aspects of queer culture together
05:43They created one of the most unforgettable music videos of the 2020s
05:47Unholy follows a man going behind his wife's back to visit a club called The Body Shop
05:52Which is run by Smith themselves
05:54But we don't know that he's getting hot
05:57At The Body Shop
05:59Doing something I'm calling
06:01Viewers are untreated to famous drag queens Violet Tchotchke and Gottmik serving impeccable looks
06:06Sensual burlesque entertainers
06:08And androgynous dancers performing impressive moves on stage
06:12It's filled with twists and turns
06:14Including the final reveal of the supposedly stilted wife taking part in the lurid lifestyle as well
06:19It's the very definition of unapologetic
06:21And celebrates a side of the culture that often goes ignored in favor of more wholesome representation
06:26He sat back while she's droppin' it
06:29She be poppin' it
06:31She be poppin' it
06:32If she put it down small
06:33Number 4, Pink, Janelle Monae
06:36Pink like the inside of your
06:40Baby pink behind all of the doors
06:43It doesn't get more overtly queer than a pair of jeans emulating a very specific set of genitalia
06:50By going for anything but subtlety and pink, Janelle Monae created a truly iconic music video
06:55It was a celebration of femininity that ensured that anyone who identified as a woman would feel represented
07:08The overt, vibrant imagery is consistent throughout
07:11To the point where it feels as though Monae reclaimed the color pink for the sapphics
07:15Monae's unabashed love for the feminine form comes through in spades
07:19Making it feel more like genuine appreciation than fetishism
07:22Tessa Thompson co-starring as the love interest was just a cherry on top
07:26Subtly confirming their relationship and cementing its place within pop culture
07:35Number 3, One of Your Girls, Troye Sivan
07:46Getting into drag alone doesn't make for an immediately impactful music video
07:50But by utilizing gender bending both as a storytelling and visual tool
07:55One of Your Girls perfectly conveyed a common sentiment often felt by gay men
08:06The song is all about having encounters with men who experiment with their sexuality
08:10And the complex emotions that come with it
08:13Thus Troye Sivan getting into drag wasn't just him wanting to serve looks
08:16It's a representation of him desperately trying to be someone those partners will want
08:21For more than just a quick fling
08:22The fact that he perfectly emulated the look of a 2000 thera pop diva is simply the piece de resistance
08:28Ensuring that it would be remembered for years to come while still maintaining its message
08:33If you wouldn't be loving me
08:36I'd be like one of your girls
08:39I'd call me
08:41Number 2, Vogue, Madonna
08:43Strike a pose
08:48It's one thing to include elements that those who identify as LGBTQIA plus will recognize
08:53It's another to pay homage to the culture in a way that gives it a heightened platform within society
08:57Madonna perfectly executed the latter with 1990s Vogue
09:09The music video featured the star and her dancers executing moves made popular by the then underground ballroom scene
09:15It highlighted a subculture that not many in the mainstream were aware of
09:19And subsequently introduced it to millions of viewers around the world
09:22Besides displaying the skills that went into the style of dance
09:25It also brought the culture as a hole into the public eye
09:28And in a way force people to recognize the artistic contributions made by the community
09:40Before we unveil our top pick
09:42Here are a few honorable mentions
09:45Queen of the rodeo, Orville Peck
09:47A sincere tribute to both drag and two spirit performers across North America
10:00Sanctify, years and years
10:02It encouraged viewers to not be ashamed and instead embrace themselves and their sexuality
10:07So don't break
10:10Sanctify my body with pain
10:13Same Love
10:14Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
10:17An earnest and emotional portrayal of same-sex couples that doesn't rely on stereotypes
10:21No laws gonna change us
10:23We have to change us
10:25Whatever god you believe in
10:26We come from the same one
10:27Strip away the fear
10:29Underneath it's all the same love
10:30Closer
10:31Tegan and Sarah
10:32It's a joyful celebration of queer love
10:34Both platonic and romantic
10:43This Hell
10:45The video celebrates unconventional love and mocks those against it
10:49This Hell is better with you
10:52We're burning up together baby
10:55That makes you
11:02Before we continue
11:03Check out this single from Current
11:05EDM Transform
11:07Check out the full track and album below
11:16Number 1
11:17Born This Way
11:18Lady Gaga
11:19It doesn't matter if you love him
11:21Or capital H-I-M
11:24I am
11:25I am
11:26From the moment that unmistakable pink triangle hits the screen
11:30You know you're in for a genuine tribute to the queer community
11:33It makes sense given that Lady Gaga's Born This Way is a dedication to queer joy and radical self-acceptance
11:39The music video portrays these themes in an unconventional way
11:42With imagery of birth and transformation being shown before the first note even plays
11:47Those visuals are complemented by a story of an alien society that knows no judgment toward others
11:52Before it was corrupted by evil
12:02It closes with the same symbolism it opened with
12:04Doubling down as a celebratory symbol rather than a shameful one
12:08The visuals cemented the track as an anthem and Gaga herself as an icon
12:20Which music video celebrating the queer community has made the biggest impact on you?
12:24Let us know below