March 9, 2013
Living for This! WMC 2013 Recognizes the LGBT Community
Mickey Weems READ TIME: 2 MIN.
The Winter Music Conference (WMC) in Miami will have an LGBT panel on Wednesday Mar. 20, 4:30-6pm in the Miami Convention Center. WMC is the premier 10-day annual gathering of industry people, musicians, DJs, technicians and lovers of EDM (electronic dance music) in the world. Over the course of the conference, there are workshops and panels dealing with all kinds of issues, and feature some of the best names in the business.
Although WMC has always welcomed gay people, this is the first official recognition of our community in its history.
There are so many topics concerning our community and EDM, too many to cover in one 90-minute session. So we decided to dedicate it to new LGBT artists trying to make a name for themselves. My goal as moderator is to give aspiring superstars in the panel and in the audience some help in navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of the music business.
I made the suggestion for an LGBT panel to WMC only a couple of months ago. The good people at WMC would turn it down, I figured, because there was not enough notice. But they agreed to do it - in part, I suspect, due to encouragement from gay staff members who have known that we deserve the recognition. EDM has its roots in our clubs, our DJs, our sweat and joy and tears as we worked it out on our dance floors since Stonewall. I salute the WMC staff for helping me make this happen, and a big thanks to the panelists who are taking time to show their support.
And what a panel it is! (see below.)
The 90-minute session will start with LGBT artists discussing the challenges they face. Next up are industry heavies to give them advice. After that is a special session on Latina/o artists, and we'll finish with diva allies putting in their 2 cents.
Official notice on the WMC Website (click here for the link):
4:30 PM - Living For This! LGBT Artists In EDM
This panel will examine issues faced by up-and-coming performers in a world that loves queer glamour, but caters to a mostly straight crowd. Topics include fashion-forward gender expression, out-and-proud or discreet, acceptance of transpeople, differences between gay and straight audiences, new diva allies, EDM trends in LGBT communities, the rise of gay Latina/o influence, and helping young LGBT artists get ahead.
Moderator: Mickey Weems - Beach Monkey/ Edge
Panelists:
Ryan Adames - EQ Music
Wilka Claro - Destune Records
Bill Coleman - Peace Bisquit
Lee Dagger Bimbo Jones - Bimbo Jones/Miami Calling
DJ Pride - Utopia Group
Raj Rudolph - EQ Music/Poptronik
Jade Starling - Chemical Entertainment Group
Jessica Sutta - Citrusonic Sterophonic
John von Ahlen - Parralox/Subterrane
JonPito - Destune Records
Jalil Z - Ryan Work Entertainment
Dr. Mickey Weems is a folklorist, anthropologist and scholar of religion/sexuality studies. He has just published The Fierce Tribe, a book combining intellectual insight about Circuit parties with pictures of Circuit hotties. Mickey and his husband Kevin Mason are coordinators for Qualia, a not-for-profit conference and festival dedicated to Gay folklife. Dr. Weems may be reached at [email protected]
