Playlist: Kansas City Mayor Q Dances Amid 2024 Pride Parade

Tonight we merely serve to mark a moment in time and do our part to document Kansas City history.

Here's something worthy of consideration . . . 

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas danced with locals in today's Pride parade celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. 

For the record, here's the most accurate definition that many can agree upon: 

"LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that brings together many different gender and sexual identities that often face marginalization across society. The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and the + holds space for the expanding and new understanding of different parts of the very diverse gender and sexual identities. "

Here is what Mayor Q had to say about it:

"I walked up and learned this dance. It deserves its own post. Y’all keep having a great day, Kansas City and surrounds! Every little thing’s gonna be alright."

Agree or disagree . . . There is no denying that news coverage of LGBTQIA+ community will dominate the month of June.

Some examples today . . .

'Baby, we're gonna prevail': Kansas Citians celebrate queer community at Pride Parade

"Everybody is so true to themselves and they're so brave, it's really a community where you can be yourself, and that's the most important thing."

LIVE | 2024 Kansas City Pride Parade

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of Kansas City's 2024 Pride Parade from Midtown Kansas City, Missouri.

LGBTQ community feels sanctuary city declaration pays dividends in KC more than a year later

Thousands of people gathered just off the plaza Saturday for the second day of Pride Fest.

And all of this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist comprised of songs that we think/hope exemplify the power of music to transcend our very real differences which comprise the current American culture war. 

Let's get started . . .

Diana Ross released "I'm Coming Out" in 1980 and no matter political leaning, it's IMPOSSIBLE for any human with a semblance of rhythm to hear this song and not feel compelled to dance. 

Lady's Gaga's "Born This Way" has been an LGBT anthem since it was first released in 2011. We have our reservations about the catchy tune given that "the science" isn't conclusive AND the great thing about the freedom guaranteed by the US Constitution is that you can CHOOSE to do whatever the Hell you want as long as you're not hurting anyone else . . . In the USA, a thoughtful teaching of our history contends that heredity should not serve as a determining factor in a person's destiny.

Rent made it's Broadway debut in 1994 and the song that starts the production — "Seasons Of Love" remains an impressively uplifting melody which makes audiences forget that the rest of the musical is pure garbage.

For the bridge . . . The Indigo Girls released "Closer To Fine" in 1989 and it was instantly an anthem for lesbians across the nation. From the perceptive of a Midwesterner, we remember seeing the video on MTV as a youngster and were impressed that the images offered a glimpse of real life people who weren't as glamorous as so many heavy-metal hairbands who shared the pop culture spotlight at the time.

Finally, this one is a bit tough . . . 

Denizens of the discourse know that the LGBT community adopted the rainbow flag as a symbol of their movement and a not so subtle subversion of the overtly religious meaning ascribed the the meteorological prismatic phenomena. 

And so Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was attributed a newer meaning.

However . . . 

Currently, we live in the age of the Internets and social media has taught us that so many people find, distort and reinvent words, ideas and reality of their own accord. 

And so . . . 

A musical cover of a classic song by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole speaks to our soul more than any other overtly politicized tune inasmuch as the voice of the 757lb Native Hawaiian is calming, peaceful and a great place to end this playlist. 

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.