Trevor Horn: "Years of progress for LGBTQ+ rights are under threat.”

In a candid new interview with Metro, legendary British music producer Trevor Horn has expressed deep concern over the current trajectory of LGBTQ+ rights, both in the UK and abroad. Speaking from his home in north London ahead of his upcoming tour, Horn reflected on his decades-long career and the cultural impact of two of his most iconic productions: Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax and Tatu’s All the Things She Said.

Horn, now 76, is widely credited with shaping the sound of British pop in the 1980s. Dubbed “the man who invented the '80s”, his influence spans generations. Yet, despite his musical legacy, Horn’s thoughts are increasingly occupied by the social issues that have surrounded his work.

“I think it’s rather sad,” Horn told Metro, referencing the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights in various parts of the world. “People don’t make a choice to be gay or LGBT, that’s how you’re born. It’s important to be kind and tolerant and not get too carried away.”

Horn’s connection to the LGBTQ+ community is both personal and professional. His son Will came out as trans in 2017, and Horn has long been embraced by LGBTQ+ fans for his role in producing Relax, a track that became a gay anthem despite being banned by the BBC in 1984. “We were so upset when it was banned, but only for about three hours,” Horn recalled. “It quickly dawned on us that being banned was going to result in us selling more copies.”

He also spoke about his experience producing Tatu’s controversial 2003 hit All the Things She Said, which depicted a forbidden romance between two teenage girls. Despite media backlash and accusations of promoting inappropriate content, the song reached number one in the UK. Horn distanced himself from the provocative video, saying, “I’d just helped on the record and had nothing to do with the video.”

Reflecting on both tracks, Horn noted how they were released into environments hostile to queer expression. “Even in 2025, years of progress for LGBTQ+ rights are under threat,” he said. “If a song about a queer orgy, or forbidden same-sex teenage love, were released into the UK pop market today, you’re left wondering how the so-called ‘anti-woke’ brigade would react.”

Despite the challenges, Horn remains optimistic about the power of music to provoke thought and inspire change. He continues to work with contemporary artists, including Bloc Party, and plans to keep producing “as long as I can find things that interest me enough”.

His upcoming tour, Adventures in Modern Recording, will revisit his storied career and the cultural moments his music helped define.