feature image photo by Maya Dehlin Spach / Staff via Getty Images
Chappell Roan, Doechii, Lady Gaga, and more queer celebs made sure the 2025 Grammys were queer as all get out last night. It was the first major celebrity event and awards show since Trump became the president (again), and some of the night’s biggest names seized the opportunity to use their platform to express support for trans youth, who have been increasingly attacked by this administration.
Between artists doubling down on support for trans people, celebrating DEI, and advocating for better healthcare and working conditions, the 2025 Grammy Awards had several moments of musicians critiquing the current administration. Chappell Roan and Doechii in particular held it down for queer artists and marginalized voices, with Chappell championing trans girls on the red carpet and Doechii championing Black girls in her acceptance speech. The Swamp Princess and the Midwest Princess! Regional icons! A dream duo! Queer Floridians and Missourians are so up! Can we get a collab going?!
The Grammys, like any awards show, are part of the industry machine and therefore inherently cannot be a radical event, but having even just a handful of musicians pushing back against racism, transphobia, and queerphobia matters in its own small ways, especially since these ceremonies are broadcast so widely. More and more artists should use their platforms to advocate for vulnerable populations regardless of personal career risks.
In no particular order, here are some of the top gay moments from the 2025 Grammys, including standout moments of trans allyship. Enjoy a queer recap of the 2025 Grammys!
Doechii Tells Chrishell Stause She Wants To See More Gay Artists in the Music Industry
Celesbian Chrishell Stause interviewed artists on the red carpet of this year’s Grammys, and she asked Doechii what she wants to see more of in the industry. “I want to see more gay artists,” Doechii said, prompting a big smile of agreement from Chrishell. “I want to see more gay artists and more alligators,” Doechii added. That’s called the Florida Gay Agenda 🫡
Chrishell also correctly points out how iconic Doechii’s Thom Browne fit was.
Doechii Wins Best Rap Album of the Year
Speaking of Doechii! The queer swamp princess herself Doechii was awarded the Grammy for Best Rap Album for her excellent Alligator Bites Never Heal. She became only the third woman to do so since the category was introduced in 1989, joining Lauryn Hill as well as bisexual icon Cardi B, who presented the award this year.
Doechii also celebrated Black girls with her acceptance speech, saying “I know there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it,” she said. “Anything is possible. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tells you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be.”
Doechii also performed “Catfish” and “Denial is a River” as part of a medley with other artists, and she was easily the standout.
Lady Gaga Says “Trans People Are Not Invisible”
When accepting her Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Bruno Mars for their song “Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga used her platform to shout out trans people and the queer community, saying “trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love; the queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
Alicia Keys, though unfortunately not queer, also used her acceptance speech as a platform to take digs at Trump without saying his name. “DEI is not a threat; it’s a gift,” she said in her speech about the importance of diversity in the music industry.
Billie Eilish Performs “Birds of a Feather”
Despite seven nominations, Eilish didn’t take home any awards this year, but she did perform her song “Birds of a Feather” off of her excellent album Hit Me Hard and Soft, her first album to come out since she did. She also gave a heartfelt shoutout to Los Angeles during her performance, as she has been a vocal advocate for the city in the wake of its devastating wildfires.
@.badboymusic Billie Eilish performing “Birds Of A Feather” at 2025 Grammy Awards. #billie #billieeilish #grammys #grammy #grammyawards #grammys2025 #live #performance #viral #foryou #fyp #fy
St. Vincent Takes Home Three Grammys
With a trio of wins from her work on her fantastic 2024 album All Born Screaming — a fitting album for the end of the world — Annie Clark AKA St. Vincent took home Grammys for Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Alternative Music Performance. The only reason she didn’t take home a fourth is because she lost Best Rock Performance to…The Beatles…
St. Vincent also surprised her fans by thanking her wife and daughter.
She also was rocking a 90s-inspired Armani look that was to die for.
Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monáe Perform as Part of Quincy Jones Tribute
Queer artists Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monáe were among the many artists tapped to celebrate the legacy of Quincy Jones, starting with a duet of “Fly Me to the Moon” by Erivo and Herbie Hancock and concluding with Monáe performing “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
Chappell Roan Says She Wouldn’t Be Here Without Trans Girls
While on the red carpet, the Midwest Princess of course delivered a memorable look, but she also gave a memorable monologue about her support for trans people. “It’s brutal right now, but trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist,” she said. “And they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away, and that has to be protected more than anything, because I would not be here without trans girls. So just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you, and I’m trying my best to really stand up for you in every way that I can.”
Chappell Roan Performs “Pink Pony Club” With Clowns
I will simply never tire of Chappell Roan performing this song live, especially because she brings completely fresh artistry to it every time. For her 2025 Grammys version, she rode a giant pink pony. It’s the titular role!
She featured a bunch of clowns in the performance, and as the wife of the author of the upcoming lesbian clown novel, I LOVED IT.
Chappell Roan Wins Best New Artist, Advocates for Better Healthcare for Artists
In full clown regalia — a signature style Chappell Roan has cultivated that is meant to be a reclamation of the fact that she grew up with people who called gay people “clowns — Chappell Roan accepted her much deserved win for Best New Artist and used her speech to advocate for better labor and healthcare conditions for budding artists.
In what has become another signature move of hers, Chappell read directly from her journal for the speech, saying: “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists.”
She continued: “I got signed as a minor, and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance. It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have healthcare. And if my label would have prioritized artists’ health I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to. So record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you but do you got us?”
Some much needed catharsis after the last couple weeks.
So much respect for the health care speech.
yeah i loved that she had decided she would say that if she ever won an award like that and came prepared to do it! i love her everything she does is magic.