Christine and the Queens has criticised the way those in the LGBT+ community are exploited by brands and musicians.
Speaking about the issue to Cosmopolitan, the musician explained she felt “conflicted” about people like Taylor Swift, who received backlash for casting several LGBT+ stars in her recent music video.
“I guess somewhere, young gay men might watch that Taylor Swift video and feel a sense of relief,” said the French singer, whose real name is Héloïse Letissier.
“Five years on [since she entered the industry] and you can tell that being queer has been glossed out as this super-fancy accessory.” she continued.
“You can tell that the queer aesthetic is being used to sell things. The mainstream needs that life because it’s so vibrant. But I think the core of the queer aesthetic cannot be sold.”
Letissier came out as pansexual in 2014, a term prescribed to those who do not limit their sexual preferences by sex or gender identify.
Recalling the moment she came out to Cosmopolitan, she described it as a “detonation” because her sexuality was not the norm.
“Sometimes I was made to feel dirty, or like it was obscene,” she said before expanding on the media’s problematic perceptions of female sexuality.
“It’s just a sexual orientation – there’s nothing perverse about that. Just being young, sexually active and proud of your sexuality is a problem for women. You’re a ‘slut’, so you’re shamed.”
The singer went on to expand upon her sexual identity, explaining she has had relationships with both men and women.
“I’ve never been a lesbian,” she added. “I’m pansexual… it puzzles people the way that I don’t choose.”
The November issue of Cosmopolitan is on sale from 2October
