History HoYay / SufjanStevens

* Sufjan publicly dedicated his album Javelin to the memory of his former partner, Evans Richardson. This was widely viewed by fans as an official coming-out, and gives the whole album an implicit queer subtext.

* "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" is frequently cited as an example, with good reason: the narrator sings about kissing his male best friend, going into the backseat of a car, and the chorus chants "we were in love, we were in love...." It’s still a source of debate, however, as Sufjan has [[WordOfGod tended to focus]] on the song's insect imagery--based on a childhood incident when he and a friend imagined they were being chased by a giant wasp--rather than its more personal content when discussing it in concerts and interviews. (This in itself isn't exactly surprising, as Sufjan has avoided public discussion of his personal life throughout his career.)

* "Gilgamesh" is obviously inspired by the famous [[Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh epic]], and more specifically seems to center on the hero's grief following the death of his male companion, Enkidu. The relationship between these characters in the source material has long been noted for its homoeroticism, and Sufjan leans fully into that implication with lines like "My love, my dream, make love to me" and "my heart is chained to thee, my angel".

* This is certainly a possible interpretation of the "My Rajneesh" lines "I lit a fire and drank off the breath of his kiss / My tambourine affirmed by the dance of his wrist."

* "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" is frequently cited as an example, with good reason: the narrator sings about kissing his male best friend, going into the backseat of a car, and the chorus chants "we were in love, we were in love...." The song is still a source of debate, however, as Sufjan has [[WordOfGod tended to focus]] on the song's insect imagery--based on a childhood incident when he and a friend imagined they were being chased by a giant wasp--rather than its more personal content when discussing it in concerts and interviews. (This in itself isn't exactly surprising, as Sufjan has avoided public discussion of his personal life throughout his career.)

* "All for Myself": the narrator and his presumed significant other both have hairy chests, so it's safe to say the song is ''not'' about a heterosexual relationship.

* "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" is frequently cited as an example, with good reason: the narrator sings about kissing his male best friend, going into the backseat of a car, and the chorus chants "we were in love, we were in love...." However, [[WordOfGod Sufjan has been pretty upfront about the real meaning]] and it has nothing to do with romance.

* Though the lyrics never use any gendered pronouns or descriptors, it's safe to assume from the rainbow album art, the deliberately Pride-adjacent release, and the general theme of self-acceptance that both "Love Yourself" and "With My Whole Heart" are meant to be read this way.

* If the fact that they were written specifically for ''Film/CallMeByYourName'' isn't enough of an indication, "Mystery of Love" and "Visions of Gideon" both have some pretty obviously homoerotic lyrics as well (including a NameDrop reference to "Alexander's lover," Hephaestion).

* The AnimatedMusicVideo for "The Greatest Gift" has a [[https://youtu.be/22QKbw_c_yM?t=36 homoerotic tinge of baptism]] to it.

--> ''He took the stable, bred me to be a mare''.

* Even if you don't know that "Kill" is based on a Sherwood Anderson story about [[ClosetGay repressed homosexuality]] ("The Man Who Became a Woman"), it definitely gives off...vibes:

* Whatever "Kill" is about, it definitely gives off...vibes:

* [SillyLoveSongs Silly Love Song]] "Holland", off ''Michigan'', is gender-neutral, but the short story that accompanies it isn't: "We mowed lawns and stole flags from construction sites and kissed on the lips at the drinking fountain… We went around shirtless, even the skinny ones, even the fat ones, even the ones with terrific arms and shoulders."

* "Drawn to the Blood", about [[DomesticAbuse an abusive romance]] with a man, is a [[TearJerker dark and sad example]] of this. (In an interview, [[WordOfGod Stevens confirmed]] that the song is autobiographical).
** The song directly preceding it on ''Carrie & Lowell'', "All of Me Wants all of You", describes the distant, neglectful lover as reminiscent of Poseidon.

* "The Owl and the Tanager" reads like a description of a romantic/sexual relationship between two teenage boys, one of whom "cheats" the other.
* "Jason" could probably make the list as well. The lyrics sound like they're from the perspective of a scorned ex, and Jason is far more likely to be a boy's name than a girl's. Many people though will try to frame it in the context of a narrative centering on the eponymous hero from Greek mythology. It's difficult to call either way.

** "He Woke Me Up" .

* "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" is frequently cited as an example, with good reason: He sings about kissing his male best friend, going into the backseat of a car, and the chorus chants "we were in love, we were in love...." However, [[WordOfGod Sufjan has been pretty upfront about the real meaning]] and it has nothing to do with romance.