The Midwestern Spotlight: What Is It Really Like to Be a Queer Musician in Michigan?
How these artists have navigated a sometimes-difficult space for LGBTQ+ people — the stage
With the recent rise of its princess, Chappell Roan, the Midwest's music scene has gained newfound attention. Roan’s journey to the top wasn’t exactly smooth, and each musician’s story is unique. What might have seemed like a straightforward path to superstardom for some has proven to be a more complex journey for others — especially fellow LGBTQ+ creatives.
For independent musician Aziz Olivine, who hails from Metro Detroit, that path through the Midwest was marked by uncertainty and restraint. “Being from the Midwest was stunting me,” Olivine recalled. “[I was] constantly being around people who made me feel small, unimportant or like I couldn't be myself and be free because they didn't believe in queerness.”
Despite these challenges, the same conditions also sparked feelings that fueled Olivine’s creative drive and ultimately gave him a new sense of purpose. “Growing up queer, I made it a mission to free myself in every way,” Olivine told Pride Source.
Olivine's go-to artists were more than just folks to sing along to — looking back, he said, they were a lifeline. “I've always resorted to music as an escape in every situation. I love artists that create healing atmospheres that I can be inside, introduce into my space and use to regulate myself.”
Drawing from his own experiences, Olivine knew exactly what his work needed to convey. “[I want to] be playful with it,” he said. “I think people can be so rigid in the ways that they think. By freeing myself, I’m able to put my energy into music and do it the way I want to, so people can connect.”
“My intention is to create music that's healing and that can bring people out of their fight or flight nervous system state because I know that I needed that and I got that,” he added.
But Olivine isn’t the only Michigan artist to place emphasis on connecting with LGBTQ+ community members.
Kate Peterson, a member of prominent queer folk duo Nervous But Excited, which was formed in 2006, told Pride Source that a strong LGBTQ+ community presence in Michigan was the backbone responsible for her successful musical career.
“We had a very positive experience being out and playing in Michigan and touring the country,” Peterson said. “We were well received by lots of different queer groups, queer college organizations and the various queer-oriented music festivals that we played. Honestly, we have that community to thank for being the basis of our careers.”
“Our trajectory would have looked very different without the queer community — they were the heart of it, honestly,” she added.
Peterson suggested that the sense of safety present in the atmosphere at Nervous But Excited’s performances came from a foundation built upon mutual respect. “Communication is important as a human — we always did want to establish a connection with the audience,” she said. “I don't know that we were necessarily trying to create that space. I think it happened pretty naturally.”
And while the friendly banter Peterson often exchanged with audience members and her creative partner Sarah Cleaver may not be the experience of everyone, her advice on how to approach tense circumstances remains grounded in the same sense of decency. “We led with kindness everywhere we went and we were met with it,” she said.
Though, for others carving out safe spaces, it has to be done more deliberately.
For the past year, J.Plantana’s official day job has been curating live music events in Lansing with her production company Night Alliance, but the pop and rap artist has been fostering creative collaborations for longer than that.
Late in October 2023, while nearby students at Michigan State University were busy finding last minute Halloween costumes, J.Plantana was caught up in a different kind of autumn planning — sussing out the entertainment.
At popular Lansing dive Mac’s Bar, J.Plantana debuted — and performed as a apart of — "Compound Kinetics," a fem, non-binary led rap and R&B group. She has continued to emphasize the importance of artists using their platforms to provide space for other marginalized groups.
“I think it’s important, especially now with the Trump administration and all these crazy things happening, to show that we're not going anywhere — not just for the point, but to also reinforce those spaces when they're being threatened,” she said.
J.Plantana argued that queer viewpoints align with those of an activist and that oftentimes that perspective comes out through her art.
“I write a lot about struggles, about the state of the world around me and coping with that as someone who is highly empathetic, and sometimes my identity does play an influence there,” she said. “I think a lot of queer people feel the same because I think they recognize injustice from a young age against their own self and people around them. It contributes to maybe viewing the world in more of a critical lens and perhaps challenging social norms.”
Olivine agreed placing oneself in their work is what makes queer music special. “By putting your essence into your work, and your unique point of view, you can make something beautiful,” he said.
Meanwhile, after making a spontaneous move over a year ago, Olivine now finds himself inspired by the diverse voices surrounding him in Brooklyn. Looking ahead, Olivine said he’s no longer holding any part of himself back.
“I want to incorporate more Middle Eastern inspiration into my upcoming work,” he said. “Reclaiming my Palestinian Arab culture as a queer person has been a journey — and it's not easy attempting to find community and to accept myself as a Palestinian even though I grew up surrounded by white American culture. I've shied away from that side of myself, but it's part of me and it's been a part of me my entire life.”
“I don't want to survive — I want to thrive.”
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