Scissor Sisters Reflect on Being Called a 'Gay Band': 'It Was Rooted in Homophobia'

The Scissor Sisters want to set the record straight on how they've been labeled.

Although the band was formed in the gay nightlife scene of New York and their name is derived from a lesbian sex act, the Scissor Sisters — which features three gay members — felt limited in being called a "gay band" in the early 2000s.

In a new interview with NME, frontman Jason "Jake Shears" Sellards said, "I was looking at our straight counterparts, and, like, I had a bit of resentment that we sort of had this extra label that made it easier for some [people] to dismiss us."

Backing vocalist Scott "Babydaddy" Hoffman agreed, saying, "We used to say, ‘What is a gay band? Is it Village People?’ Because that’s not us.” He also acknowledged that the term is "a lot less loaded now," admitting, "I don’t really know what it was supposed to say, except that we were open about who we were, and there were some themes [in our music] that were definitely queer themes."

"I don’t think it was meant as a compliment," guitarist Del Marquis added. "At that time, I think it was rooted in homophobia. We would get a lot of ‘camper than a row of tents’ [comments]."

The band also had an issue with the "camp" label. "I got to meet Gore Vidal right before he died – which was a very special moment for me – and I’ll never forget he turned to me said: ‘Camp is just another word for those who have no talent,'" Shears, 46, revealed, saying that being called camp "made me a little crazy."

Elsewhere in the interview, Scissor Sisters also addressed how their fans have reacted to their reunion.

"Since we announced the reunion, we’ve had people say they were too young to see us [first time around], but not too young not to be affected by us and the inadvertent message in the [debut] album," Marquis, 47, said. "Sometimes that’s the most affecting thing: when you’re so young and you don’t have anyone advocating for you, but you can see a glimpse of another life or another world in bands and in music. And if we occupy that space for some people, we did our job."

The band reunited just in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2004 self-titled debut. As of now, the Scissor Sisters will only be performing in the UK in 2025. Original member Ana Matronic will not be joining the band for the reunion due to commitments with her new podcast, Good Time Sallies.

Check out the Scissor Sisters' full tour dates below.

May 16, 2025 – Nottingham, England - Motorpoint Arena Nottingham *
May 17, 2025 – Glasgow, Scotland - OVO Hydro *
May 19, 2025 – Bournemouth, England - Bournemouth International Centre *
May 20, 2025 – Cardiff, Wales - Utilita Arena Cardiff *
May 21, 2025 – Manchester, England - Co-op Live *
May 23, 2025 – London, England - The O2 *
May 24, 2025 – Leeds, England - First Direct Arena *
May 25, 2025 – Birmingham, England - Utilita Arena Birmingham *
May 27, 2025 – Belfast, Northern Ireland - SSE Arena *
May 28, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena *

* with Alison Goldfrapp