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“I Was Born This Way” is a disco song by Valentino, released in 1975, then by Carl Bean in 1977 (both artists for Motown), and a re-recording in 1995 by country singer Johnny Rodriguez. It was written by Chris Spierer and Bunny Jones. The record was first released on the Motown-distributed Gaiee Records and performed by Valentino (real name Charles Harris). Frankie Crocker of WBLS Radio in New York first aired the song and it was an instant hit. The writers, Chris Spierer and Bunny Jones wanted to write a Gay anthem and make the plight on Gay issues known and bring it to the forefront.

The song’s lyrics is about a man who proclaims that he’s gay and that he was “born this way”. It was one of the first gay disco songs written specifically for the Gay community, before the Village People wave.

It was also sampled in 1999 by Stuart Price, using the alias Pour Homme, as “Born this Way”. It was a tremendous hit in Europe.

In 2008, Magnus Carlsson, Sweden’s popular gay male vocalist re-recorded 3 versions of “I Was Born This Way” in addition to Paul Oskar of Norway. Magnus Carlsson can be seen performing “I Was Born This Way” on YouTube as well as Marty Thomas of the Broadway hit show “Wicked”.

Valentino’s version was a success in UK (where it was a #1 disco hit) and in the USA.

In 1978, the Carl Bean version on Motown Records became a club hit on the Billboard Club Play Singles at #15. The song was later remixed in 1995 on Next Plateau Records, then was on the Pet Shop Boys’ 20th Anniversary album “Back to Mine” in 2005. West End Records released a CD mixed by DJ Gomi which included 6 versions of the song as well as a two-part 12" Vinyl Edition.

Two versions of “I Was Born This Way” (Bean’s, and a newer recording by Jimmy Somerville) were featured in the 2006 independent film “Another Gay Movie”. Bean went on to entitle his autobiography I Was Born This Way.

For the past 38 years since it was written, it has become an anthem for the gay community and has been on countless compilation albums as well as being (sampled) on other recordings many times.

Carl Bean (May 26, 1944 – September 7, 2021) was an American singer and activist who was the founding prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a liberal protestant denomination that is particularly welcoming of lesbians, gay and bisexual African Americans. Before founding the first church of the denomination, the Unity Fellowship Church, Los Angeles, in 1975, Bean was a Motown and disco singer, noted particularly for his version of the early gay liberation song “I Was Born This Way”. He was openly gay.

In 1982, Bean became an activist, working on behalf of people with AIDS.

Bean’s autobiography, I Was Born This Way, came out in 2010. He died at the age of 77 in 2021.

I’m walking through life in nature’s disguise
You laugh at me and you criticize
'Cause I’m happy, carefree and gay
Yes, I’m gay
Ain’t no fault - it’s a fact
I was born this way - yeah
Now I won’t judge you - don’t you judge me
We’re all the way nature meant us to be

Chorus
I’m happy, I’m carefree and I’m gay
I was born this way

You call me strange ‘cause you don’t understand
God’s role for me in life’s overall plan
I’ve learned to hold my head up high
Not in scorn nor disgrace
Doin’ my thing individually
Entwined with this human race

Now I won’t judge you - don’t you judge me
We’re all the way nature meant us to be

Chorus

You laugh at me and you got the nerve to criticize
If I were you I’d sit down
And consider what you’re doin’
Love me and I love you
And together ain’t no tellin’ what we’ll do
Yeah - born I said
From a little bitty bitty boy
I was born this way

I love you, I love you
And even you - born this way - yeah
I’m tellin’ y’all one more time
I was born this way, proud to tell it
I was born this way
Gonna shout it, tell the world about it
I was born this way