Queer Themes in 20th Century Music Culture Rebellion

Almost any sub- and music culture in the second half of the 20th century was also a rebellion against society, against authority, against mainstream culture, against societal rules and norms - including gender norms.

Accepted behavior, concepts and traditional social patterns were questioned, challenged, dismissed and torn apart.
Kicking and screaming Rock'n'Roll girls (not very "ladylike"!). Hippie males with long hair and calm behavior ("you look like a woman"). Hippie women without make-up but with body hair. New Wave guys with lipstick and in skirts, Punk girls with mohawks, plus they are kicking and screaming again.

This was especially important in a time when there was little information about LGBTQIA+ topics available on the mainstream channels.
For many people, joining these subcultures led to their first contact with queer themes.

And because everything was still hazy and confusing, it also enabled a safe passage to self discovery.
For example: Why not wear a mini-skirt as a dude to a New Wave concert in 1979... you'd be seen as just one of the general "weirdos" and blend in with them... your peers might not directly and uncomfortably "question your sexuality"... and after this little test, you can decide if you really want to go all the way.

With the Hardcore Techno underground, this might not be directly apparent. (and again, let's differentiate the underground scene from the "mainstream" Gabber world).
But gender and related roles, norms, were challenged too. Judging by my own experience, everyone was on the run from the stereotypes and structures that usually come with "heteronormativity" - even the heteros!
The "guys" hated the ideas of "typical" male behavior, macho attitudes, hysterical masculinity, being tough and emotionless (yes, despite listening to the roughest music around).
And the women did not fit societal expectations of how "ladies" should behave either.

This of course does not mean everyone was or felt queer in that scene. It was a grey area, fluid, flowing, undefined, liminal.

But gender challenging and other topics were always present, either right in your face or less visible (yet still subversive).

We had our male New Wave fan description above, so let's give a similar example for the Hardcore Techno underground.
Maybe a person considered to be a "girl" felt queer... they cut their hair, went to a hardcore rave and screamed and shouted with the other guys... they would just blend in with the rest of the weirdos, and their peers might not directly and outright question their sexuality and / or gender identity because of this... and afterwards, they can decide if they really want to go all the way.

Hence, in the 20th century, music and subcultures were part of a general rebellion against gender, sexual and other norms, and also supplied a "first contact" with LGBTQIA+ themes for a lot of people. Including the Hardcore Techno underground.

And I have a feeling that this has not changed much in the present day.