"I was innocent when you said I was evil": a denúncia à demonização das pessoas queer por igrejas ultraconservadoras no álbum musical "Hold the Girl" (2022) de Rina Sawayama

Abstract

Demonization, or the act of turning something demonic, is the process of attributing an inherently evil characteristic to something or someone. By challenging prevailing norms regarding gender and sexuality as well as ways of being queer people are constantly subjected to demonization by a conservative religious front, that is, they are deemed evil simply for being who they are. Specific concepts from queer studies, such as cisheteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality, are directly related to the impositions of a dominant elite upon individuals that deviate from the norm. With this in mind, the present work addresses the demonization of queer people by Christian religious conservatism, as denounced in the musical album Hold The Girl (2022) by artist, singer, and model Rina Sawayama. In the songs “This Hell”, “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)”, “Your Age”, and “Send My Love to John”, the singer blends different musical genres to give voice not only to her own queer experiences but also to those of her friends, denouncing the oppressions faced by the queer community under conservative religious subjugation. Given this context, the following research question arises: How is the demonization of queer people by ultraconservative churches denounced by Rina Sawayama in the album Hold the Girl (2022)? To answer this question, the following general objective was established: To investigate how the demonization of queer people by ultraconservative churches is denounced in Rina Sawayama’s album Hold the Girl (2022). In order to achieve this general objective, the following specific objectives were defined: (i) To discuss the theoretical assumptions of queer studies, especially the concepts of cisheteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality; (ii) To identify the types and forms of demonization of queer people linked to Christian ultraconservatism. Regarding methodology, this bibliographic research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, engaging in dialogue with scholars such as Richard Miskolci (2020), Eli Bruno Prado Rocha Rosa (2020), Judith Butler (2018), among others. The results show that the demonization of queer people is denounced through social criticism expressed in Rina Sawayama’s lyrics, as well as through accounts of her experiences as a queer person and those of others within the community. Sawayama not only criticizes religious movements based on hate speech but also gives voice to queer experiences in a humanizing tone.