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Entity explains how David Bowie promoted sexual liberation.

In the early 1970s, people weren’t talking about sexuality the way we do now – we can thank David Bowie for changing that outdated standard. The singer, songwriter and actor was incredibly open about his sexuality, proving that sexual attraction doesn’t always have to be static and concrete.

David Bowie was known for his experimental sound, mixing art and glam rock with electronic pop. The UK native topped the charts across the pond as well as in the States; he was officially inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In his five-decade career he released over 27 albums, including the iconic “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” – a complex music compilation that defied gender norms.

In the beginning of his career – and while newly married to his first wife, Angie – Bowie was open about his sexuality in interviews. According to Billboard, Bowie told British newspaper Melody Maker, “I’m gay and always have been. Even when I was David Jones.”

His last name wasn’t his only identity change. A couple years later, in 1976, Bowie told Playboy that he was bisexual. Still later, he confessed to Rolling Stone that labeling himself bisexual had been a big mistake. “I was so young then. I was experimenting.”

Later on, Bowie would refuse labeling or explaining his sexuality. In his 2002 interview with Jonathon Ross, after being asked repeatedly about his sexuality and then ultimately if he recommended gay sex, Bowie responded sarcastically, “Such a serious and a life-challenging and changing question,” Bowie said. “The answer that I have for you would probably create such turmoil in your soul. I’m not sure that you could actually withstand it or in fact last the rest of the show. I’m afraid I will have have to politely and reluctantly not answer that question.”

After his death, The New York Times dubbed him “the godfather of glam rock and the patron saint of defiant outcasts.” Aside from his fame as an entertainment icon, he served as an unofficial ambassador and inspiration for the LGBTQ community. His popular personas, such as androgynous Ziggy Stardust, defied the pop culture aesthetic in the entertainment business at the time. While he was not a gay rights activist, his art helped challenge current standards of sexuality.

Although the musician died earlier this year from liver cancer, Bowie posthumously released three new songs. According to NPR, these tracks come from the play “Lazarus,” a production he wrote with playwright Edna Walsh. This surprise may be just what devoted fans need to cope with hate crimes the LGBTQ community has experienced – such as the Orlando Shooting – since his death in January.

David Bowie’s music and fearlessness changed pop culture and continues to inspire millions. His acknowledgment of his sexuality helped countless gay men and women find their own confidence. Almost a year after his death, his legacy of sexual liberation lives on.

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