Becoming a Grammy-winning, multi-faceted musician that pioneered a new creative direction for an entire generation is no small feat — but for Boy George, it’s even more impressive considering how tough it was to hit the ground running.
Now, while he doesn’t see himself as a member of any particular queer group, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, the pop legend has never shied away from his sexuality. The singer, whose real name is George O’Dowd, believes there’s now a “pressure to be diverse” in the music industry — a stark difference from when he was starting out.via REUTERS“There’s a pressure now to be diverse, like a natural vocation like, ‘You must be diverse, you must be different, you must be outrageous.’ Because we now have the internet,” he explained. “You can’t just be a singer anymore, you have to be a singer, and an activist, and have a cause.
“Over the years I’ve continuously said it’s much easier for a straight person to act gay on stage, like, but as an actual gay person, they don’t want to hear what you have to say,” he said. “They want frills. We all get too wrapped up in what someone’s sexuality is.” The musician, who was propelled to fame as one-fourth of Culture Club, has released chart-topping hits such as “Karma Chameleon,” “Time,” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”George credits his parents for being “weirdly open-minded” and not boxing him in throughout his childhood in the UK.
“If you are gay and you keep it light, you can be camp on the surface and jump around in costumes but don’t talk about anything serious,” he told The Post. “So no, I don’t think the industry has moved on and I don’t think we are in a better place.”