Dave Davies Of The Kinks Is Ready To Face Backlash For Supporting the LGBTQ Community

Dave Davies of The Kinks is vocal about his support for the LGBTQ+ community and remains unafraid of potential backlash.

In a recent interview with Classic Rock History, the guitarist reflected on the band’s iconic hits, including the controversial “Lola.” When asked about the inspiration behind the song and concerns over the backlash, Davies said:

“It has become much more common to talk about gay people within the arts and in general. But back then, it wasn’t. All the members of The Kinks were always very open-minded when it came to gay people and the way that people view sex in general.”

He added:

“We weren’t concerned with backlash. We just did what came to us and did our best to stay creative.”

Lola’s Impact on the LGBTQ+ Community

Discussing the impact of “Lola” on the LGBTQ+ community, Davies shared that many fans expressed gratitude for the song’s progressive message. “Many people have said, ‘Oh, man, ‘Lola’ showed me a different view of the world and helped me grow up. Thank you for that.’ When you’re young, you don’t always realize or fully understand the differences between people,” he noted. The band’s open-mindedness stemmed from their personal experiences and friendships with bisexual and transgender individuals.

Released in 1970, “Lola” stirred controversy due to its lyrics, which hinted at a romantic encounter with a drag queen or transgender individual. Some radio stations refused to play it, while others edited the ending to obscure Lola’s gender. Despite this, many listeners were initially unaware of the song’s true meaning. “A lot of people didn’t really know what it was about! They just thought it was a ‘quirky Kinks song.’ But there was an awful lot of difficult times we had, so it was really quite handy that most people didn’t know what the song was about,” Davies explained. When the song’s meaning eventually surfaced, it shocked many listeners.

Davies Asserts ‘Lola’ Remains Relevant Today

Davies believes that “Lola” remains relevant today, stating, “But actually nowadays, it’s really quite a very common subject, gender — talking about ‘girls will be boys and boys will be girls.’ We’re going through a big change in attitude and feeling and ‘what are we?’ and ‘why are we?’ — so, it’s very topical now.” The song’s exploration of gender identity and fluidity continues to resonate in today’s evolving societal landscape.