Pop-Hayat: »Let’s Talk About Gender, Baby« (Eng)

Pop culture is often marketed to us as an emancipatory achievement, as something bringing us closer together and giving a voice to social movements. However, cultural appropriation, whitewashing, exclusion and sexism still persevere in the business surrounding it and in related discussions. Who is granted acceptance, exposure and – let’s not forget about this – money? That gender will be a topic during Pop-Hayat is not exactly unexpected. However, there is reason to be excited that the person who lent the »Let’s Talk About Gender« series its name is part of it. »Let’s Talk About Gender Baby, Let’s Talk About You and Me« was recorded by Planningtorock as a rework of »Full of Fire« by The Knife. It became a hit that pushed the envelope in a history of queer pop and club culture. And that’s the basis of this talk with the project’s mastermind Jam Rostron, radio host Emotional Labor Queen and Missy Magazine editor Hengameh Yaghoobifarah: queer life in the Western world, the invisibility of queers of colour, queer love and how all of that relates to pop.