The enduring relationship between the musical theatre and LGBTQ communities is well known, so you'd think that "in this day and age", a television programme that is specifically about musical theatre would have no problems including pro-LGBTQ lyrics in a song that is explicitly about LGBTQ rights.
But that's not quite how things panned out over the weekend. On Saturday 18 February, during an episode of the BBC's Let It Shine (in which Gary Barlow and His Team of Judges try to find the stars of a new musical based on Take That's career) one of the groups on the show – "Iron Sun" – performed a version of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". But fans quickly noticed that some of the song's most iconic lyrics had been cut.
The entire section that refers to LGBTQ empowerment ("No matter gay, straight or bi / Lesbian transgender life / I'm on the right track baby / I was born to survive"), as well as the song's famous "Don't be a drag, just be a queen" line, was cut from Iron Sun's three-minute performance of the song. Some viewers, as you'd expect, reacted angrily on social media – one tweeted "how can you sing born this way without mentioning anything about equality and diversity ??? It's the point of the song" – and many felt as though the track had been butchered.
Well, we figured we ought to take the internet outrage back to the source. We contacted the BBC for comment, and a Let It Shine spokesperson told us that "all songs featured on the show were cut for time only." They also noted that all of the groups on Saturday's show – and not just Iron Son – performed songs with dance break sections that featured no vocals.
Which is, of course all well and good, but it's a clearly disappointing move for fans – at best an honest mistake where those in charge at Let It Shine may not have realised they were cutting some of the most symbolic lyrics in the song. As per their statement, the BBC weren't using this particular edit of "Born This Way" as delicate way to pander to the "I had to cover my children's ears because someone said the word 'gay'" crowd. But those tweets have already been popped off, and a Gaga song already repurposed.
(Image via YouTube)
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