OutStanding Music is a Canadian non-profit organization amplifying the voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and music industry professionals through advocacy, education, support, and community. Our mission is to build a vibrant, equitable, and inclusive Canadian music industry where everyone can thrive authentically.
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What is success for your organization in the coming year?
Right now it’s hard to see past next week as we’re so deep in development of key programming initiatives. Building the foundation to ensure effective operations has been a key challenge of 2025. Now that is locked and running, success for 2026/2027 growing our organization in order to reach more 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and music industry professionals across Canada who need support.
What are you currently excited about in the music industry?
Historically, the music industry has been a great source of philanthropy. Since the 1960s, artists have protested, sang, and given their craft in support of such important causes as ending wars, feeding the hungry, and giving a voice to the marginalized. In fact, some of the biggest supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are in the music industry. Legendary voices like Cher, Madonna, and k.d. Lang have shown us that the industry can lead. I believe that given the opportunity, the industry will be a great source of power for this movement, and I love the potential for creative innovation that I see when 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and music professionals have broken through the glass ceilings in the business.
What is the greatest challenge you face currently, and how can other industry and artists partners help?
In this harsh conservative political climate, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community finds itself often the target of heated discourse, which has made partnership discussions challenging. There have been cases where potential suppliers & organizations have said they “prefer to be politically neutral… and a partnership with an organization such as ours is viewed as a political statement…” This frustrating sentiment from so many C-suite meetings had made the development stage the organization a slow process, but the bedrock of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community was built on being resourceful when corporations are too afraid to join the movement.
The intention of OutStanding Music is to work towards an industry that supports each other to ensure the betterment of the music industry as a whole. If there are industry partners out there who are honest, sincere, truthful and kind, you are exactly the type of team we want to collaborate with.
Can you give a shout out to an artist or industry member who is also doing great things?
JANE AURORA, record producer at Capsule Studios, has been kicking ass in the studio on both sides of the Pacific ocean and leading the charge for equity and inclusion in the Canadian music industry. She has done so much already to bring more diversity to the production side of the recoding studio and continues to be a rabid advocate for more systemic change. I am forever inspired by her drive and passion, and truly honoured to call her my friend.