October 8, 2026 | Uncategorized,

Your Genre As a Queer Icon

Did you know that your favorite music genre has a queer figure behind it? Taylor Mac and Matt Ray: Songs of Bark of Millions can tell you who it is! Consisting of selections from original 55 songs dedicated to 55 real queer figures, each song explores their journey and their impact in a spectacular collection of melodies. Based on your favorite genre of music, find out which queer figure has an anthem dedicated to it!

Sappho Is The True Rockstar

If you love a good guitar riff and stomping your boots to an energetic rhythm, your queer figure is Sappho, the ancient Greek poet that gave ‘Sapphic’ its meaning. Born in Lesbos, Greece, she dedicated most of her lyrical poetry to themes of love, devotion and desperation. Known as one of the greatest lyricists of any age, her poetry layed the foundation for future queer works, often writing about her romantic obsessions toward men and women alike. In Bark of Millions, Sappho and the Amazonians is dedicated to her legacy that has survived generations and continues to inspire contemporary LGBTQ+ society.

Audre Lorde Fills the Soul

If you love a passionate voice that makes you raise your hands to the sky, your queer figure is Audre Lorde, the legendary American philosopher and activist who challenged conventional theories of gender. Her groundbreaking essay The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House, provided a framework for liberation from patriarchy and white supremacy through strategies informed by the intersectionality between feminism and Black activism. In Bark of Millions, Audre Lorde is dedicated to her body of work, which helped lift oppressed voices and influence marginalized communities toward making a change.

Chavela Vargas Will Make You Cry In Spanish

If you love sentimental acoustics and Spanish lyricism, your queer figure is Chavela Vargas, the Costa Rican-Mexican singer who enchanted Frida Kahlo. In Mexico’s male-dominated ranchera music scene, Vargas rose to fame through her unique aesthetics, often dressing in men’s clothing, and through her voice that reportedly ‘moved audiences to tears’. In Bark of Millions, Chavela Vargas combines bolero and Mexican folk to invoke her genre-bending legacy in Latin-American music.

Area Scatter is the Queen of the (Ukonu) Club

If you love dancing in the club and techno is your idea of a night out, your queer figure is Area Scatter, the Nigerian musician who challenged traditional gender norms. Shortly after Nigeria’s deadly Civil War in the 1970’s, Area Scatter emerged as a mainstream musician who broke gender-boundaries by using drag in Nigeria’s most popular TV show at the time called Ukonu’s Club. For a short time, Area Scatter normalized this and even became admired and accepted for their female persona. In Bark of Millions, Area Scatter, celebrates her uniqueness and her legacy as someone who normalized trans expression in a highly conservative society.

From South Asia to Your Heart

If you love a song that will transport you across the globe, your queer figure is Kinnara, a celestial mythological creature who exists in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Often depicted as a half-human, half-bird creature, Kinnara literally translates from Sanskrit to ‘What is a man?’ and is widely used as a respectful, self-identifying term for the third-gender and transgender community. Kinnar communities often represent subversions from heteronormative or patriarchal expectations, often choosing to refuse traditional reproductive roles. In Bark of Millions, Kinnara celebrates its South Asian roots and divine qualities while celebrating it as a figure of trans or gender non-conforming expression.