1 Kobalt Music manager, creative synch Rick
Marcello, who spoke on a panel about navigating
the industry as an LGBTQ executive, visited
an on-site installation of visual artist Michael
Kalish’s The Art of Finding Love. 2 Former Drag
Race contestant and singer Manila Luzon, who
spoke about the presence of drag in the music
business. 3 From left: Victoria Monét, Shane
McAnally, Billboard deputy editor, digital/
panel moderator Joe Lynch, Justin Tranter and
Teddy Geiger participated in a panel about
LGBTQ songwriters, with Monét commenting
that she was “secretly writing about women”
b e f o r e c o m in g o u t a s b i s ex u a l i n 2 01 8. 4 From
left: Internet personalities Hannah Hart, Gigi
Gorgeous, Joey Graceffa, Anna Akana, Miles
McKenna and Eugene Lee Yang posed for a selfie
at their panel about inclusivity in digital content.
GROUP, 1: VIVIEN KILLILEA/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. 2, 4, POLAROID 1: FRANK MICELOTTA/BILLBOARD/
PICTUREGROUP. 3: ANDREW TOTH/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. POLAROID 2: WILLY SANJUAN/PICTUREGROUP.Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s
Pride Summit
LOS ANGELES, AUG. 8
THE INAUGURAL PRIDE SUMMIT BROUGHT TOGETHER OUT-AND-PROUD ARTISTS,
songwriters, music executives and online media personalities for a day of panels about
LGBTQ representation in media and entertainment and the path toward greater visibility.
Emerging acts Daya and K.Flay shared their coming-out stories, while transgender
singer-activist Shea Diamond jokingly urged attendees to become “accomplices”
to the queer community. Later, Create Music Group’s Cindy Nguyen joined Warner
Music Group’s Eliah Seton and other influential LGBTQ executives to reflect on dealing
with homophobia in the business, and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumnae Blair St. Clair and
Peppermint called for more space for drag entertainers in music. One of the day’s final
conversations was a continuation of Billboard’s Pride issue roundtable with cover stars
ILoveMakonnen, Big Freedia, Hayley Kiyoko and Tegan Quin (who was joined by
her sister and Tegan & Sara bandmate, Sara Quin). Big Freedia put their message best in
her advice to the audience: “You’ve got to keep being fierce and living how you’re living.”
—STEPHEN DAW
1
2
3
4
Drag star
Trixie Mattel (^) perform
ed her ne
single (^) “Ye w
llow Cloud
” and cove
red Nicki
Minaj’s “Anac
onda” at t
he (^) event a
fterparty.
Billboard^ vp^ Pride^ Alex
is Fish (left)^ and^ editor
ial
director^ Hannah^ Kar
p awarded^ two^ music^ in
dustry
course^ scholarships^
as part of^ the^ summit.
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