We’ve officially launched into the most magical time of the year and even though this year will look a lot different than usual, we can still make June as queer as possible. In order to honor the struggles of those before us, we will be covering some grim yet necessary parts of our LGBTQ+ History this month. Before we explore the pain and struggles of our people, we want to start off with a celebration of the music and anthems that have marched us through our darkest times.  We do have to point out that many of these songs and artists were not queer themselves. This was due to society’s rejection of the LGBTQ which prevented record labels and radio stations from signing and playing queer musicians. However, music speaks to all people regardless of who they are or even the message intended. Despite the pushback and open hostility of those around them, our people still sang, still danced, still marched along to the rhythm with PRIDE. So let’s dive into a list of the most notorious and rousing anthems of our past.  Of course, we must start with the song that launched it all, 1939’s  Somewhere Over the Rainbow. There are countless “brick roads” that lead us to the reasons the rainbow has become a symbol of queer pride, but one of the strongest theories is tied to the ‘Friends of Dorothy’. A term coined in the late ’40s and used especially during the 1950s and 60s by gay men who wanted to reveal their orientation without fear of being arrested or beaten. A similar term was used in England except the British used the term ‘Friends of Mrs. King’, a wink at the term Queen which was already known as a reference to a gay man.  Queers in America chose the phrase ‘Friends of Dorothy” due in part to the LGBTQ popularity of the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and due to the extreme fandom in the queer community over Wizard of Oz star, Judy Garland. The actress had a huge following of LGBTQ supporters for many reasons. For one, she kept marrying gay men and didn’t seem that bothered by their affairs with other men. For another reason, she was known to support queer artists and even managed a few and had them open for her act.  But there were plenty of personal reasons why the LGBTQ community related to Judy. She was one of the first actresses to be mercilessly dragged through the mud by the media and tabloid magazines. Her mannerisms were considered too masculine and her weight was too heavy. Many lesbians related to the scrutiny and Garland’s defiance of traditional beauty standards. Queer people as a whole related to the tragedy around her life. No matter how hard she tried, Judy was consistently rejected by society, maligned, and misunderstood.  Eventually, her depression ended in suicide. She died just days before the Stonewall Riots in 1969, and some have even attributed the queer communities grief over Garland’s death as fuel for the fires of anger and unrest that had swept Greenwich Village. It was because of her death and her life that Somewhere Over the Rainbow became a cult classic in LGBTQ circles and is largely responsible for the rainbow becoming our symbol of hope and PRIDE. While Over the Rainbow is no doubt the most famous of the early queer songs, it did have its predecessors and competitors. Das Lila Lied (German for The Lavender Song) is considered the first explicit, ‘Out’ anthem. And was written in response to Magnus Hirschfeld’s launch of the Institute for Sexual Science. Some of the lyrics, translated into English, ask dramatically: Why the torment to impose morals of others on us? We, listen to this, are what we are, even if they want to hang us. The final lines however have a much bolder and proud stance. Declaring: Then we will have contended successfully for our rights we will not suffer anymore, but we will be tolerated! [4]