Tegan and Sara talk about their roles as gay ambassadors

It’s weird to think that Tegan and Sara have been diligently crafting music since they released their first album 15 years ago. Can you imagine committing to something you love with that much passion? Comparatively, I quit doing CrossFit after about 12 minutes because I got hungry and I had to pee.

After their massive success last year with “Closer,” Tegan and Sara have been booked for the closing ceremony of WorldPride here in Toronto this summer. To pump up the event, the sisters sat down with the Toronto Star to talk about being openly out performers in the music industry.

“I remember feeling resistant to talking about being a twin, to talking about sexism or homophobia, talking about being gay,” Tegan said, in response to a question about gay ambassadorship. “I felt like it was marginalizing our music, it was making us a band only for gay people or for women.”

Thankfully, their last album, Heartthrob, was their highest charting album to date, and they’ve had the chance to collaborate with big-name DJs such as Tiësto and Morgan Page, so a little bit of gayness hasn’t hurt their careers.

Oh, and “Closer.” Can we talk about that song? Because it’s so fucking amazing. I love it so much.

Keep Reading

John Early in Maddie's Secret holding two jars above an open box

‘Maddie’s Secret’ is the movie about eating disorders we need

John Early’s pastiche of after-school specials mixes belly laughs with gut punches. It’s a rare masterwork
Van Goth

Van Goth made ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ look easy. But victory has a price

The drag phenom’s run complicated our idea of what a reality TV villain could be. She tells Xtra about clawing her way to the top—and her fight for what comes next
The cover of Charity and Sylvia

‘Charity and Sylvia’ beautifully illustrates a real-life 19th-century lesbian couple

Tillie Walden’s new graphic novel tracks the true story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake’s decades-long New England romance
Portland Fire guard Bridget Carleton (6) drives against Toronto Tempo forward Nyara Sabally (8).

The Toronto Tempo are a much-needed source of hope and connection for Canada’s queer community

Women’s sports are booming in North America. Canada’s first WNBA team is meeting the moment
Advertisement