“Hallelujah” is a Queer Anthem

Leonard Cohen’s famous tune screams queer love.

Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” made famous by Jeff Buckley’s cover and later Rufus Wainwright’s version in Dreamworks’ Shrek, has been subjected to a variety of interpretations.

When taking the lyrics at face value, one might say it is about religious faith, but Buckley claimed it was about “the hallelujah of the orgasm.”

I have always loved the song. I learned it back in my piano-playing days and probably annoyed my family with how much I played it. Since coming out as bisexual and finding myself in a queer relationship, it has taken on a new meaning.

To me, “Hallelujah,” is a queer anthem.

The line “Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof,” illustrates one’s discovery of their sexuality.

And:

“And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

And love is not a victory march.

It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah”

This is the most telling line.

Pride is now branded with the “love is love” slogan and characterized by glitter and partying, but it began in a very violent way when people at the Stonewall bar decided to fight back against the police brutality exhibited at the bar raids.

The trauma and battles that queer people have endured and fought since the beginning of time are bloody, ugly, and continue to this day. You don’t have to look any further than the media-sensationalized stories of Matthew Sheppard and Brandon Teena and the almost daily news stories of violence against Black trans women to see that.

Discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community occurs all over the world, sometimes in less overt ways, but it is happening nonetheless. To package up the queer experience with a heartwarming little slogan and a rainbow on a Target T-shirt during the month of June is reductive and does everyone a disservice.

Yes, there is beauty in the collective queer story of triumph over adversity, and that deserves to be celebrated in vibrant, extravagant ways, but queer individuals don’t get one big “victory march”…