LGBTQ+ Artists to Watch Out for in 2025
By Christine Kinori
Queer representation plays a crucial role in raising awareness and educating the public about the significance of equality and equal rights. This is why public support of the queer community and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights using their platforms are important actions for LGBTQ artists. It also inspires other individuals, particularly queer youth, who are having difficulty finding someone to connect with. Over the years, we have seen many LGBTQ+ artists publicly come out to empower the community. Here are some of our favorite queer artists to watch out for this year.
Sam Smith
It has been 13 years since Sam Smith won our hearts when they were featured in Disclosure’s song, Latch. There was just something about their soulful voice that tugged at our hearts. They came out two years later in 2014 and have been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Sam’s advocacy highlights issues the queer community faces, such as same-sex marriage, mental health problems, and bullying. Although many condemned them for using their music to uplift the LGBTQ+ community. They are still at it, slaying with every music video.
Doechii
She is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper who shot to fame in 2023 with her hit song. What it is. Doechii has always been open about her sexuality from the start of her career. In her interview with Gay Times, she mentions that she has always known from an early age that she is bisexual. In the interview, she goes on to discuss her battle with acceptance and finding her Pride.
Her recent 2024 hit song, Denial is a River; she admittedly talks about liking both men and women and dating a man who secretly turned out to be queer. One thing we love about Doechii is that she is as straightforward asan arrow. She doesn’t mess around when journalists ask rude, invasive questions about her sexuality. She is ready to educate people about the queer community and helps out as much as she can.
Laverne Cox
We have loved Laverne Cox from the minute she appeared on our screens on the hit TV show Orange is the New Black in 2010. Yes, it has been that long, and she is still killing it in the game. Laverne has won many acting awards and is a trailblazer for the transgender community.
She is also known for her LGBTQ advocacy, especially when it comes to fighting for transgender rights. She has won numerous awards for her activism in the community. Laverne uses her impact in the industry to speak about important issues that affect the community. Through her portrayal of a transgender character in two different TV shows and her activism, Laverne has changed a lot of lives. She has also helped give people a positive perspective on the transgender community.
Mew & Tul
If you keep up with the Thai Boy Love series, you know about Mew and Tul. Mew and Tul are both Thai actors who recently came out and announced they are dating. This was probably one of the biggest news Thai Bl fans received last year. Surprisingly, even though they act in a series that specifically shows the relationship between two men, it was hard for them to come out. Despite Thailand’s societal attitude towards the queer community being positive, Mew and Tul were worried about revealing the information.
Of course, they were hit back with some homophobic trolling, but they doubled down and continued to confess their love for each other publicly. Their public engagement made us all swoon. As they consistently share their lives with the public, they continue to prove that love is love and inspires us to live our authentic lives.
Troye Sivan
For our generation, Troye Sivan is one of our gay icons. No one sings about love between two men as beautifully as Sivan. His music videos mostly depict the ups and downs of a gay relationship. His music video for the song, Heaven, was celebrated for featuring footage of historical LGBT movements. Sivan has always spoken about how important it is to him as a gay person and musician to tell these stories. He also gives to a lot of LGBTQ charities and takes his time to lend his voice to many LGBTQ projects.
Lena Waithe
Lena is an American producer, screenwriter, and actress. She is behind big shows such as The Chi. However, within the LGBTQ+ community, she is more known for her activism and changing the landscape for queer artists in the industry. It comes as no surprise that she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2018. She uses her influence to raise awareness and support the Black queer community. In the past, she has worked with renowned organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign to spread advocacy. In one of her interviews with USA Today, she mentions that she wants to empower the black LGBTQ+ community and create safe spaces that promote creativity.
About the Author
Christine claims to have somewhat unhealthy addiction to TV and reading, as it is a fun way to keep herself occupied during the long journeys for her travel writing. She is also a believer of letting people be their beautiful selves. To her, love is love and it is the greatest gift we have as humans.