LGBTQ Community Mourns Passing of Ally Aretha

\u201cLGBT anthems are a dime a dozen these days. \n\nBut, when Aretha Franklin's "Pride (A Deeper Love)" came out - it changed the game. \n\nThe vocals, the lyrics, the beat - take it from a 90s kid - this track shook us to the core! (lyric excerpt below). \n\nhttps://t.co/06zRMXD36B\u201d

— Nasser AlQatami \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddfc (@Nasser AlQatami \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddfc) 1534433474

\u201c@Into Aretha Franklin had a queer sister who openly wrote about loving women in her lyrics. \n\n\u201cI consider her a great woman\u2026 She went her own way, lived her own life, and found freedom in her individuality." - Aretha \n\nhttps://t.co/usfjxsl2TM\u201d

— Zach Stafford (@Zach Stafford) 1534430960

\u201cAretha Franklin has made the hard times bareable for me and so many other queer people. I love her so much. \nhttps://t.co/aCAACcm5Fs\u201d

— evan (@evan) 1534313151

\u201cAnd all of the gay community will mourn one of the greatest voices of all time! RIP Aretha Franklin. \ud83d\ude1e\u201d

— Ride This One (@Ride This One) 1534430560

\u201cAretha Franklin\u2019s died and today\u2019s Madonna\u2019s birthday. If you\u2019re gay stay inside!\u201d

— Michael Jacobo (@Michael Jacobo) 1534435553

\u201cI feel like the only appropriate way to send off Aretha Franklin is with a big old gay dance party. #riparetha\u201d

— Alex Hoffman (@Alex Hoffman) 1534433518

\u201cLike many shy confused gay boys, #ArethaFranklin was the soundtrack to my youth. Her music will always be something that screams strength, that being different is awesome. She had the best voice on the planet and theres now a massive Arethra-shaped hole in it. The Kween of Soul\ud83d\ude14\u201d

— Nick Francis \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Nick Francis \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1534430438

\u201cMy dad took this quiet, shy gay kid to see #ArethaFranklin for my 16th birthday. We sat 22 rows back. I spent the entire concert on my feet singing every song. My dad was next to me the entire time. It\u2019s the best concert I ever saw. My heart is broken. She was an inseparable\u201d

— Christopher (he|him) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Christopher (he|him) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1534430217

\u201cMan...Aretha Franklin is gone. That woman influenced me to attain my black girl magic. I leveled up as a kid knowing that woman made a soulful difference for the black community, gay community, music community. All the communities! Point blank.\u201d

— mj \u263d (@mj \u263d) 1534429716

\u201cRIP #ArethaFranklin you queen diva! You\u2019re spirit, power and voice touched and inspired so many people but especially young closeted gay boys who locked themselves in the family bathroom to lip sync to RESPECT for hours. That might have just been me but I doubt it. \u2764\ufe0f\u201d

— Mike Kelton (@Mike Kelton) 1534428624

\u201cOne time I djed a lesbian wedding where they walked down the aisle to Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)." Pretty clever.\u201d

— DJ Crimson (@DJ Crimson) 1534289198

\u201cI was a child, living in Vivian La., a very small & very conservative town. I remember a young woman who lived around the corner. She was a lesbian and did not hide it. She had the largest collection of #ArethaFranklin recordings I have ever seen.\u201d

— \u2728deenacollinsaucoin\u2728 (@\u2728deenacollinsaucoin\u2728) 1534251270

\u201cAretha Franklin was a revolutionary woman. She made revolutionary music that lifted communities and gave people strength. She fought for civil rights, stumped for Barack Obama, and served as an icon for queer + trans people. \n\nRock steady, Aretha.\u201d

— Benji (@Benji) 1534428891