In 1998, the band released a greatest-hits album, Time Capsule, which included "Debbie," a tribute to Deborah Harry. In 1999, the band recorded the song "The Chosen One" for Pokemon: The Movie 2000. Celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary in 2002, the band released a two-disc compilation, Nude on the Moon: The B-52s Anthology.

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Although the band never stopped touring, after 2002, they lived in different cities and it was difficult for them to produce new material. Nonetheless, Strickland started writing music using ProTools software, and the band got together in their old stomping grounds in Atlanta and Athens to create Funplex, which was released in 2008.

One of their songs, "Juliet of the Spirits" is inspired by the 1965 Federico Fellini movie of the same name. Both the song and the movie are about a betrayed woman who finds the courage to not be afraid anymore. As with their early work, the song is not explicitly gay, but has meaning for the glbtq community. Other songs, like "Funplex," poke fun at consumerism.

Thanks to a fierce following among fans, the band (which tours with three additional musicians) continues to perform more than 60 shows a year, and they released their first live album, With the Wild Crowd, in October of 2011.

Still, activism is never far from their minds. In response to the spate of suicides in September 2010 by gay youth who had been bullied or humiliated, Strickland collaborated with the gay newspaper Washington Blade to create an "It Gets Better" video. Strickland also sometimes appears in concerts with a rainbow sticker on his guitar.

The band also performed at music producer Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation Gala in 2011, and they continue to support other causes.

No popular art form is more closely identified with gay culture than disco and dance music.

A number of musical works in various genres have responded directly or indirectly to the AIDS crisis, generally focusing on expressions of grief, anger, or sympathy rather than on the personal and social consequences of the disease.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons have had tremendous influence on popular music, though some musical genres have been more receptive to a homosexual presence than others.

Gay and lesbian content in music videos was rare in the early 1980s, but with more openly gay and bisexual artists that situation has gradually changed.

Although rock music has been closely associated with freedom of expression and rebelliousness, it has not been particularly welcoming to gay and lesbian performers.

Singer Lance Bass gained fame as a member of the boy band *Nsync; since coming out in 2006, he has spoken on behalf of glbtq rights.

Singer, songwriter, and actor Stephen Gately gained fame as one of the lead vocalists in the Irish pop group Boyzone.

Rob Halford--dubbed "The Metal God" by fans and critics--is one of the most talented vocalists in heavy metal music and one of the few out artists in the genre.

Pop superstar Elton John's combination of melodic skills, dynamic charisma, and raucous performance style have make him a remarkably popular musical artist.

Singer Ricky Martin, whose good looks and sensuous stage performances fueled an extremely successful career in pop music, avoided answering questions related to his sexuality until 2010, when he came out publicly via a Twitter announcement.

Popular singer and songwriter George Michael, who confirmed his long-rumored homosexuality after an arrest for "lewd behavior" in 1998, has devoted much effort to AIDS charities since 1992.

The first rock band entirely composed of gay musicians who sang frankly gay-themed tunes, Pansy Division have recently emerged with a more mature sound.

The American pop band Scissor Sisters was spawned in New York City's gay club scene; frequently addressing issues of transgressive sexuality, the band has cultivated a large glbtq fan base.

A Manchester pop group that flourished from 1982 to 1987, The Smiths created a highly original brand of punk-inspired music with queer subtexts; the group's singer and lyricist, Morrissey, in his solo career cultivates an androgynous image.

Lead singer, lyricist, and composer for the rock band R.E.M., as well as a movie producer, Michael Stipe identifies himself as a queer artist.