Maneskin Responds to ‘Queerbaiting’ Accusations
The group, which has just been released album son To rush ! last Fridayresponded to people who criticize them for seeking to get noticed by the LGBTQ+ community by doing what is known in English as “queerbaiting”.
The definition commonly found around this word is as follows: Practice used by screenwriters or media producers to capture the attention of a queer audience via homo-erotic allusions, jokes and symbols suggesting a non-heterosexual relationship between two characters, which is later refuted and denigrated .
Although two members of the line-up, bassist Victoria de Angelis and drummer Ethan Torchio, belong to the LGBTQ+ community, singer, Damiano David and guitarist Thomas Raggi have faced a lot of criticism for adopting a gender style. -fluid by appearing with makeup and high heels, even though they are both heterosexual.
The bassist responded to these criticisms via The Guardian : “Sometimes the accusations are really heavy. It’s really stupid, of the gay community – who should fight these stereotypes – to put a label on them and create even more hatred. The fact that Raggi and David being straight doesn’t mean they can’t wear heels, or wear makeup.”
The singer added: “Everything that Thomas and I do is always ‘screened’ by two gay people. Of course, we don’t experience the same thing at all, but we spend our time every day with people from this community.”
The band also spoke of the opposition they have encountered from conservatives, “traditional rock ‘n’ roll fans and fascists who hate us with all their might”. Damiano David even said that a conspiracy theory had been circulating in his native Italy: “They say that we become famous because we get paid. That we work with the Italian government to share this gender-fluid culture! “
De Angelis added: “A lot of people are really proud. But Italy is a very conservative country and they are intimidated by the fact that someone can wear makeup, high heels, can appear half naked or not be straight. But fuck them.”
This Sunday on Classic 21, Delphine Ysaye precisely evoked the journey of Victoria de Angelis in her show ladies of rock :
