The Glow Hub encapsulates LGBTQIA+ craft, creativity, and musical ingenuity
While there’s still a lot to be desired, an inclusive space for the LGBTQIA+ members appears more than just a mere idea now as many names, ventures, and brands express allyship to realize this goal concretely. Such a claim is true especially for podcast and music-streaming platform Spotify, which religiously upholds its support for our brothers and sisters to any extent possible.
Spotify as a digital ally
This year, Spotify honors the LGBTQIA+ artists and hitmakers through its recently released GLOW Hub. The said space houses “a rich trove of music and podcast content that spotlights LGBTQIA+ voices worldwide, including the Philippines’ very own.”
Loyal to its ambition of giving sufficient visibility for queer artists, it then added the unique Filipino flare through the musical ingenuity of some local singers, including Paul Pablo, Jason Dhakal, and Jake Zyrus under the Bahaghari playlist.
To spice things up further, it also elevates its allyship game with upbeat and meaningful tracks from international acts and icons such as Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa—both of whom share the same progressive mindsets.
Not only that; Spotify has maximized its reach by launching LGBTQIA+ voices—a separate space that offers podcasts packed with moving narratives of self-love, relationships, sex, and individual accounts of self-exploration in and out of the closet.
It features in-depth discussions with Queerfully Yours, BEKENEMEN, Kwarto Chronicles, Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast, and the Sexytime Podcast.
GLOW is Spotfiy’s recent global equity program set to be streamed, enjoyed, and picked lessons from all year long starting June 2023.
READ ALSO: How Spotify Podcasts Bring Comfort, Creativity To Filipinos
Spotify as a physical ally
Attempting to bring the colors, pride, and protest beyond the digital space, Spotify Philippines then held a Pride brunch event at Assembly Hall, Makati City.
The GLOW event was graced by several LGBTQIA+ inspirations, including the “Pambansang Bunganga” Viñas Deluxe and “Filipina Winnah” Marina Summers of “Drag Race Philippines” Season 1.
During the brunch, Marina emphasized the importance of underrepresented voices.
“Platforms like Spotify enable listeners to discover and support these diverse talents who use their art form and music to express their identity. I am honored to be one of the first few queens in the Philippines to put out my music, and I hope this inspires a new generation of queer artists who are free to be and express who they are,” she says.
Such sentiment also reverberates with Queerfully Yours creatives Chardie B and Poca, as they spoke of creating a safe and inclusive space for listeners burdened with questions they are afraid to ask.
As they put it, podcasts now function as friends that constantly accompany, affirm, and remind that the LGBTQIA+ members do not stand without an ally or two in their journey.
Faithful to its call of transforming music experience, Spotify constantly brings new ways of unlocking human creativity. With its history dating back to 2008, it now inspires billions of listeners through a wide collection of music and podcasts that uniquely cater to individualistic experiences of struggles, victories, bitter realizations, and sweet nothings.
Banner Art Paulo Correa
