Lesley Gore (1946-2015) was an American singer, actress, songwriter, and feminist. As a Soultype 6, she boldly spoke her truth into the world through her music and activism. In 1963, she released the song You Don’t Own Me, a timelessly defiant anthem that shed light on women’s inequality before it became a public conversation. She said:
It was just a way that I felt, as though I had a message to deliver, and it was true to me, it felt right. It’s the strongest song I have, and is the song that takes on a new sense every time I sing it. It takes thought and it takes real emotion to sing it. It’s not a party song. It’s a song that really comes from deep inside.
— transcribed from Insight interview 2006
One of the strengths of Soultype 6 is their ability to bring the truth forward. In the video below, the raw honesty of her words can be seen in her facial expressions and physicality. When a Soultype 6 speaks the truth, it has the power to spark change, shift perspectives, and help us see ourselves and each other more clearly.
Lesley Gore publicly came out as a lesbian in 2005, but had lived openly as a gay woman for many years before. She embodied her truth long before it was safe to say it out loud. She will be remembered as an iconic queer activist, artist, and Soultype 6.
