Since LGBTQ people began celebrating June as Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, there has always been reason to speak up for the LGBTQ community. Whether that was in protest of discrimination and mistreatment or in celebration of queer and trans people’s resilience in the face of injustice, Pride Month stands today as a time of emphatic self-actualization for LGBTQ people.
After a record-breaking wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2023, 2024 has seen a similar wave continue, with over 500 new anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced in legislative sessions around the country. However, new reporting shows that this kind of legislation is meeting more resistance this year — according to an April report from The Washington Post, only 20 anti-LGBTQ bills have passed through state legislatures in 2024, compared to 75 in 2023. A vote poll conducted by GLAAD similarly found that a majority of polled voters said they would not support candidates who introduced or supported anti-trans legislation.
In 2017 and 2018, back when the current wave of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric was still in its nascent stages, Billboard reached out to various luminaries from the music world to share words of encouragement for the LGBTQ community through a series of love letters. Superstars like Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez and dozens of others penned notes, sharing their support and admiration for their queer fans.
With so much at stake in 2024, Billboard decided to bring back our Love Letters to the LGBTQ Community initiative. Below, you’ll find new notes, penned by stars like Doechii, UMI, Allison Ponthier and more, followed by a selection of letters from years past.