Petter Wallenberg, Lady Bunny and Rainbow Riots drop fabulous WorldPride anthem

Artist and activist Petter Wallenberg has unveiled a new track, ‘My Love (is the way it’s supposed to be)’, created in collaboration with legendary New York drag queen Lady Bunny and a group of LGBTQ+ singers and performers from Uganda, where being queer is illegal.

Released through his nonprofit Rainbow Riots, the track arrives in three distinct versions – disco, afrobeat and ballad – each recorded in different countries with unique vocals, lyrics and instrumentation.

The song will premiere live on 8 June at a World Pride event hosted by the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C., where Wallenberg and Lady Bunny will perform together. Wallenberg will also speak at events across the city, including the National Theatre and the Norwegian Embassy, to discuss his work using creativity to fight for queer rights in hostile environments.

Here, he discusses the story behind the track, the power of drag as protest, and why disco still matters…

Why did you choose to release three different versions of ‘My Love’? And which is your personal favourite?

The music I create is deeply rooted in my love for classic disco, which played a significant role in the gay liberation movement. I wanted to revive that sense of liberation through music again, but also experiment with new ways of pushing the boundaries of musical styles. So, I made three unique versions of ‘My Love’ – a disco version, an afrobeat version, and a ballad. The idea was to explore how the same track could be transformed into three different songs, with totally different vibes, instrumentations and lyrics, celebrating the diversity of the global rainbow community. I like them all; I will let the listeners decide on their own favourites!

How did the collaboration with Lady Bunny and the Ugandan singers come together? And what was it like working with them?

Wonderful! I’ve known Lady Bunny for many years, and I thought she would be perfect for a disco song with an important message. I’ve also been working in Uganda for a decade now, and this collaboration is part of a larger project aimed at fighting for LGBTQ+ rights internationally. In Uganda, being gay is illegal, and queer people live in constant fear of arrest, violence, or worse. As well as making music, me and my team therefore also organise legal training workshops protecting the Ugandan LGBTQ community from the new anti-gay law, whilst advocating for its abolition. It’s creativity and activism rolled into one.

What message do you hope this song sends about LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda?

The message is one of defiance, strength, and hope. Even though life is difficult for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda and in many other places around the world, we queer people are very resilient and creative. That’s our super power. In this project we even use the art of drag as a form of resistance and self expression, in a country where our whole existence is illegal. This collaboration features Ugandan drag queens who are fierce, fabulous and brave. As one of them sings in the song: they try to burn us but we’re heat-proof, baby…

What does it mean to perform this at WorldPride in Washington D.C.?

It’s going to be amazing! We’re performing the world live premiere of this song at an event hosted by the Swedish embassy in Washington. I see this as a strong statement against the rollback of LGBTQ rights, especially with Trump’s administration scaling back protections. I’ve also been invited as a speaker at WorldPride alongside notable figures like Bob the Drag Queen. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get this message out there on a truly global Pride stage.

Rainbow Riots – what drives you to keep doing this work, especially in places where it’s dangerous to be queer?

As an openly gay man and an artist, I want to use my creativity to fight homophobia and intolerance. In my lifetime I have seen such great changes and right now things are going backwards in many places. Our rights as LGBTQ+ people are never guaranteed – the pendulum can swing back hard if we’re not vigilant. That’s why I founded Rainbow Riots ten years ago, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating innovative projects that empower LGBTQ+ people and advocate for our rights worldwide.

What’s next for you and Rainbow Riots?

I will continue creating new creative projects to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. I am also working on my new album with disco songs which will come out later this year, which means I get to really indulge my great love of all things disco – and it’s gonna be absolutely fabulous!

‘My Love (is the way it’s supposed to be)’ by Petter Wallenberg feat. Lady Bunny and Rainbow Riots Uganda is out now. All proceeds support LGBTQ+ activism in hostile environments.