Lesley Gore’s classic “You Don’t Own Me” is an anthem for being unapologetically yourself — a concept serpentwithfeet is a major advocate for.
That’s why on Tuesday (April 6), the singer became the first Black male LGBTQ+ artist to cover the song for Orbitz’s latest Travel As You Are ad campaign, which invites all people to travel freely “on their own terms, not the ones society created for them.”
“I think it’s just important for LGBTQ folks to be reminded that we don’t have to shrink as we travel – that we can just enter spaces as who we are fully,” serpentwithfeet told Billboard of the opportunity to take part in the campaign.
The one-minute, Cass Bird-directed clip finds LGBTQ+ travelers (including serpent himself) living life to the fullest in sunny Miami, Florida.
“A lot of people in the world right now are reimagining how we engage with others, and I think every campaign, every article, every book, every tweet that we see helps to reshape our world and reshape the way that we engage with our neighbors,” serpent explained of the ad’s importance. “I think that this campaign is definitely doing its part which is wonderful.”
While traveling has been put on pause due to the ongoing pandemic, serpent knows exactly where he’s headed once life goes back to normal. “I would really love to go to Brazil,” he told Billboard. “I’ve never been and I’ve wanted to go for years. I’m a huge fan of the music and the food and there are so many wonderful artists there.”
Check out Orbitz’s Pride microsite and the Travel As You Are campaign here.
