ROCK OUT

While disco and pop are labeled as queer friendly, the reality is that LGBTQ+ artists have shaped every corner of music for over a century. Inspired by his late, queer, punk-rock brother, Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black (MILK; MAMA’S BOY, NewFest34) takes an electrifying deep dive into the ways queerness has always shaped the otherwise hypermasculine worlds of heavy metal, punk, and rock-and-roll.

With a pulsating score from Hole drummer Patty Schemel and candid interviews with artists, performers, managers, and scholars, ROCK OUT uncovers the often-erased queer roots of these hardcore genres, revealing how rebellion, subversion, and queerness have always been at the heart of rock.

“Anyone that has enjoyed any music of any kind has felt the influence of a queer artist. Rock Out uncovers the queer history of what are often perceived to be some of the least gay-friendly genres in an accessible, entertaining, and thoughtful manner.” – Jorge Molina, Industry Manager & Programmer

Dustin Lance Black

Rebeks Clark Mane, Jim Farber, Jann Wenner, Vince Eager, Simon Napier-Bell, Vivek Tiwari, Peter Brown, Nat Weiss, Peter Asher, Kevin McCormick, Billy Gaff, Lynne Volkman, Arthur Brown, Jayne County, Tony Zanetta, Jim Fouratt, Danny Fields, Dolly Parton, John Reid, Joe Genaro, David Russell, Bobby Campbell, Brandon Creed