Ottawa Singer-Songwriter Danah-Lee Advocates For Queer Pride With Anthemic “Make Some Room”
Coming off her Music Educator of the Year win at the Ottawa Capital Music Awards, Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and producer Danah-Lee has released her newest single, “Make Some Room,” an anthemic track, containing lyrics that enforce activism and are backed by beautiful symphonies, upbeat percussion, and prominent bass guitar.
A song that advocates for queer acceptance and pride, Danah-Lee says the single represents an effort to utilize her Christian faith to push for LGBTQ+ rights. Through her artistry, the Canadian singer-songwriter always strives to balance and express both her Christian and her queer identities.
Regarding “Make Some Room,” she says,
“It feels like the direction of my music is shifting to social justice and equality for those of us in the queer community. There is still such a lack of awareness and understanding of what it is like to be part of a marginalized group. When you come from a place of privilege, it is difficult to fathom what it might be like to walk in the shoes of those who are traditionally considered marginalized.”
Despite the ridicule and harsh treatment that people in the LGBTQ+ may face, Danah-Lee’s latest musical release emphasizes the importance of queer pride in our world today.
“My song focuses on the importance of Pride because of these factors,” she says. “Pride symbolizes our right to live openly; to be seen and validated. For decades, queer people were persecuted, and we were considered illegal. We could be jailed just being ourselves or loving who we love. That law was overturned only 55 years ago – and we refuse to go backwards. That’s why we need pride!”
With five solo albums, two collaboration albums, and an extensive background in studying music, Danah-Lee has proven herself to be a powerful force within the world of Canadian music. After receiving her music degree from Taylor University College and Seminary, Danah-Lee established herself as a prominent songwriter within the Christian and Contemporary music scenes, all while fiercely expressing her identity as a queer artist. This year she received Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards “Music Educator of the Year” award, and she has won the Reader’s Choice Award for Best Music Instructor from 2019 to 2023. She also received nominations for Louder Than the Music’s “Christian Album of the Year” (2020) Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards “The Impact Award” (2021) and Music Educator of the Year just this week.
After facing discrimination from the church throughout her youth due to her queer identity, Danah-Lee knew she wanted to provide a platform and help others through music. Not only has she established herself as a musical artist, but Danah-Lee also is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, church music leader, and music educator. As a music director for the church, Danah-Lee has established the Rainbow Worship Service in the Ottawa Valley, a first-of-its-kind service designed to create a spiritual safe space for those who have been marginalized by the church and may suffer from religious trauma.
Throughout her musical career, Danah-Lee has retained her devout faith as well as her pride, and her newest single “Make Some Room” shows the songstress like never before as she explicitly advocates for the importance of queer pride, acceptance, and advocacy.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Danah-Lee. I am a Contemporary Christian/LGBTQ2s+ Singer-Songwriter and Producer. Outside the role of artist, I am a Music Educator, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, and Church Music Leader. I own a booming music school called, More Than A Song Studios; where we also offer sponsorship to students who cannot otherwise afford music lessons or our really cool summer camps! I have a deep and personal faith in Christ, which I aspire to echo in my original compositions. I hope to offer a reflective and inspiring approach to reconciling my personal identity with the Christian faith.
My story is not unlike many other marginalized folks who are historically and commonly disregarded by the Church. However, I believe that there are no gatekeepers to Jesus, and now is the time for healing. As a Church Music Director, I was so fortunate enough to create a first-of-its-kind, contemporary, Rainbow Worship Service in the Ottawa Valley; seeking to create spiritual safety for those who are traditionally marginalized and are sitting on the periphery with very real and longstanding “Church” trauma.
I studied music and obtained a degree from Taylor University College and Seminary in Edmonton. And I have released 5 solo albums and 2 collaboration albums and toured extensively throughout North America; most recently in the Yukon (Summer 2023) and heading to Nova Scotia THIS summer! Last month, I was so elated to be the first recipient of Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards “Music Educator of the Year Award”.
Tell us about the process of recording “Make Some Room”?
Traditionally, I write about my faith and reconciling this with my identity. However, as a person in the LGBTQ community, it is not hard to notice the current uprising of hatred towards our community. It feels like the direction of my music is shifting to social justice and equality for those of us in the queer community. There is still such a lack of awareness and understanding of what it is like to be part of a marginalized group. When you come from a place of privilege, it is difficult to fathom what it might be like to walk in the shoes of those who are traditionally considered marginalized. I’ve even had those who are closest in my personal life, pose questions as “Why do we need a pride month?” Questions as such, (paired with a lack of understanding), have really assisted me in penning the song “Make Some Room”. The haters are loud, but they are small. In my own town, some person(s) dumped paint on our pride park bench and sidewalk. These vile deeds feel so personal and an attack on all of us in the queer community.
My song focuses on the importance of Pride because of these factors. Pride symbolizes our right to live openly; to be seen and validated. For decades, queer people were persecuted, and we were considered illegal. We could be jailed just being ourselves or loving who we love. That law was overturned only 55 years ago – and we refuse to go backward. That’s why we need pride!
How do you navigate the intersectionality of your Christian faith and your identity as a queer artist in your music?
I grew up in an evangelical background, which was confusing in my formative years. I always had a thirst and desire for the divine. I have many amazing memories of the church from that time. However, some of the teachings were completely confusing for someone like me – the only closeted gay kid in our youth group. And what I kept buried in the depths of my heart from that time, was the true meaning of Christ’s reason on this earth – LOVE. This rocked me enough to leave a deep and lasting stamp on my entire life. It continues to foster an unshakeable faith in what is possible. And though many organized religions have done much harm over time, (my own denomination included), it gives me such hope when I look at churches much like my own in the United Church of Canada, pursuing an intention of reconciliation and healing. I joined this beautiful community of faith just over 2 years ago. I see the UCC extending love locally and around the world in very tangible ways. These acts match the Christ of my personal faith. Joining the United Church has not only strengthened my faith in Christ but has made me prouder of my identity. We are all beautifully made in the image of God.
Can you tell us about the Rainbow Worship Service you established in the Ottawa Valley and its significance in creating a safe space for marginalized individuals?
Having grown up in the church, I felt very segregated from my congregation at the time. I know many others have left their churches when it became unwelcoming and unsafe to practice their faith. Many of those churches denounced LGBTQ2S+ individuals altogether.
Together with my current community of faith, we wanted to show queers that they are welcomed and loved. And not just queers, but allies. We have a ton of attendees who are parents of a queer child; some were even removed from other churches because they have a queer child. I can’t even believe this happened!!!
Our service is presented in a contemporary structure with the central underlying message that Christ’s love is for all. There is freedom in worship with the presence of contemporary music, corporate prayer, communion, and a message of hope – which we all could use a little more of these days!!
The Rainbow Ministry continues to act as an educating shield to bind and not divide the fracture that is currently felt amongst both communities – queer and Christian.
How do you see your role as a music educator influencing your approach to creating socially conscious music like “Make Some Room”?
Every day, as I walk through the halls of many schools where I am actively teaching music lessons, it’s not hard to notice in both the Public and Catholic boards, the deliberate approach to creating safety for all students. There are posters of pride flags throughout the schools with slogans such as “everyone belongs”. And recently, I was even very taken aback when on a bulletin board there was a picture and description of the Brunswick Four. This made me so proud that teachers and school boards are seeing the importance of gay history and our painful journey. All to say, as a music educator I want to create room for all. But the very same, I want to remember how far we have travelled. It was important to incorporate stories of significant historical events in the lyrical content i.e. “Don’t ask, don’t tell”, the Stonewall Riots, and even the Brunswick Four. I also wanted to stress the fact that queers are not going anywhere. We have always been here, and we are not leaving. It is my deepest hope to create space and room for students of all stripes and walks of life to experience the joy of music.