Lauron Kehrer, Western Michigan University, presents "See Me Now: Domestic Violence in LGBTQ Pop Songs." This lecture is co-sponsored by The Ohio State University Libraries and EMIC, the graduate student organization for the study of expressive culture.
Representations of domestic violence in popular media as well as research and treatment protocols remain largely heteronormative even though self-identified lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking at equal or higher rates than heterosexuals (Walters et al. 2013). Pop songs, however, can play a part in increasing awareness, advocacy and representation. In this talk, Kehrer looks at three songs by LGBTQ artists that address intimate partner violence in same-gender relationships: Tom Goss’ “La Bufadora” (2019), [pictured]; Lenny Gerard’s “Feel Me Now” (2017); and Sera Cahoone’s “Ladybug” (2017). These examples challenge assumptions about domestic violence as only a heterosexual issue and present fictional or real cases within LGBTQ contexts. Nevertheless, wrapping stories about domestic violence in a pop song has its limits — musical stylistic choices can undermine the messaging of a song. Kehrer considers both the possibilities and the limits of advocacy through these three songs.
Dr. Lauron Kehrer is an assistant professor of Ethnomusicology and Musicology in the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI), where they teach courses in popular music, global music cultures, and western art music. Their research focuses on the intersections of race, gender and sexuality in American popular music, especially hip hop. They have published articles in American Music, the Journal of the Society for American Music, Popular Music and Society, and the Journal of Popular Music Studies. Their first book, Queer Voices in Hip Hop: Cultures, Communities, and Contemporary Performance (University of Michigan Press 2022) examines the work of Black queer and trans artists in hip hop. They are currently co-editing a volume with Stephanie Jensen-Moulton called “Better Be Good to Me”: American Popular Songs as Domestic Violence Narratives (under contract with University of Michigan Press).
Lectures in Musicology is co-sponsored by The Ohio State University Libraries.
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