LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Late Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has been honored and commemorated by fellow musicians, politicians, and public figures following her death. Her influential legacy in the music industry and her impactful presence on the political stage have been widely recognized. Best known for her soul-stirring rendition of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' and her Grammy-Award-winning album 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got,' O'Connor's musical achievements have left an indelible mark on the world.
Beyond her musical prowess, she was a lifelong social activist, fearlessly using her voice to fight for various causes close to her heart. O'Connor was a vocal advocate for numerous important causes, using her platform to champion women's rights, support victims of child sexual abuse, fight against racism, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Was Sinead O'Connor a queer icon?
In 2000, O'Connor outed herself, saying, "I'm a lesbian," per MTV. "Although I haven't been very open about that and throughout most of my life I've gone out with blokes because I haven't necessarily been terribly comfortable about being a lesbian. But I actually am a lesbian." However, she later retracted that statement and said it was "overcompensating of me to declare myself a lesbian." Then, in 2005, she told EW she was "three quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay."
In 2014, O'Connor revisited the topic and talked about her personal beliefs in an interview with Pride Source. "I think if you fall in love with someone, you fall in love with someone and I don’t think it would matter what they were," she said. "They could be green, white and orange, they could be whatever the opposite of gay or straight is. If I fall in love with someone, I wouldn’t give a sh*t if they were a man or a woman."
'I find the whole gay community an enormous inspiration'
In the same interview, O'Connor shared a significant and unforgettable experience from her late teens. She recounted walking into the Hippodrome nightclub after relocating to London, where she had a profound and meaningful connection with the queer community. "No one could’ve walked down the street dressed like those guys were. You’d have the sh*t kicked out of you, and not just for that, but a girl like me would have the sh*t kicked out of her if she walked around with a short skirt, if you expressed anything different at all. So it was real inspiring to me to see those guys able to walk around and be who they were. I actually find the whole gay community an enormous inspiration to me because, Jesus, I’ve never taken the kind of sh*t gay people take," she said.
O'Connor actively supported the LGBTQ+ community by attending Pride events, performing alongside Erasure's Andy Bell, who came out as gay in the late '80s. She also contributed to the fundraising album Red Hot + Blue during the AIDS crisis, showcasing solidarity with LGBTQ+ rights. Her efforts marked a significant step in promoting awareness and acceptance within the music industry.
