Conservative politicians have been targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture left and right in recent weeks, and artists such as Paramore‘s Hayley Williams, Lizzo and Ariana Grande aren’t letting it slide.
The three singers are just a few of the many musicians speaking out against a recent surge in anti-LGBTQ bills surging through Republican-led legislatures, particularly in Tennessee. In early March, for example, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and preventing drag queens from performing in certain public spaces.
Related
Why is this dangerous? RuPaul said it best in a March 8 Instagram video about the situation: Other than the life-threatening consequences of persecuting people based on sexuality and gender identity, the lawmakers passing such legislation are “distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on — jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school.”
Many musicians aren’t just speaking out against the uptick in discriminatory laws — they’re also singing out. Williams, along with Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and several others, gathered on March 20 in Nashville to stage Love Rising, a benefit concert supporting Tennessee-based LGBTQ organizations.
Even the Music Business Association, which is based in Tennessee, has issued a statement condemning the state’s legislation. “These bigoted actions are especially concerning as we believe the intentional use of vague, inflammatory language will act as a gateway to encouraging acts of violence against the LGBTQ+ community,” it read.
“The music industry is built upon the work of artists, many of whom identify as trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and LGBTQ+,” it continued. “Legislation like this threatens the safety of artists and others, and will force businesses to reconsider holding events in this state. The safety of our conference attendees is central to our Association and will be of paramount concern in planning future events under the Music Biz banner.”
Keep reading to see some of the biggest musicians who are making their voices heard.
-
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande shared a post slamming Tennessee’s drag show ban with her 360 million followers on Instagram Stories. “Tennessee just banned Drag Shows,” the post read. “However Nazi’s [sic] and the KKK can still hold protests and meetings there. Take a long moment and let that sink in very deeply.”
The “Positions” pop star’s brother, reality star Frankie Grande, also didn’t hold back about his feelings regarding the ban. Posting a nine-part Twitter thread on the ban’s potentially dangerous consequences, he wrote, “This is political theatre designed to encourage vigilante violence against a group of people that’s already incredibly vulnerable.”
-
The B-52s
The B-52s shared a lengthy, passionate statement on Twitter March 8 to “strongly denounce” bills promoting transphobia. “These bills not only violate the fundamental human rights of the affected individuals but also perpetuate a toxic culture of hate and intolerance that has no place in our society,” wrote bandmates Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson.
-
Cyndi Lauper
“I believe you don’t stop the fight,” noted LGBTQ ally Cyndi Lauper said of the Tennessee bills in a March interview, which was captured on video. “Equality for everybody, or nobody’s really equal. This is how Hitler started … just weeding everybody out.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea what they’re doing but, you know, you just have to keep fighting for civil rights,” she continued. “I guess that’s the way it is in this country. Started out like that, didn’t it?”
-
Hayley Williams
“Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills,” Williams wrote on her Instagram Story in late February, after the Tennessee House passed legislation that would ban drag performances and gender-affirming care. “We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ family and local LGBTQIA+ orgs in this fight, not only for inclusion for our friends and family in the queer community, but for radical acceptance and empowerment for each of them.”
“Drag is not a crime,” the Tennessee native added ahead of the governor signing the bills into law. “Gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity.”
-
Jason Isbell
In the Love Rising lineup announcement, Isbell expressed his support more clearly. “Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 9 are clearly targeted attacks on Tennesseans who haven’t done anything wrong,” the former Drive-By Truckers musician said in the press release. “These bills add up to an attempt to eradicate a valuable part of our community and force good people to live in fear. We can’t in good conscience just stand by and let that happen.”
Isbell also tweeted in disagreement of the drag ban specifically, calling it a “completely unnecessary law aimed at people who don’t tend to vote GOP.”
-
Josh Kiszka
The Greta Van Fleet singer came out to fans in a June 20 Instagram post, explaining that he decided to do so because of the anti-LGBTQ bills in Tennessee. “Where I’ve settled a home in Tennessee, legislators are proposing bills that threaten the freedom of love. It’s imperative that I speak my truth for not only myself, but in hopes to change hearts, minds, and laws in Tennessee and beyond,” he wrote. “These issues are especially close to my heart as I’ve been in a loving, same-sex relationship with my partner for the past 8 years. Those close to me are well aware, but it’s important to me to share publicly. … There is still work to be done for LGBTQ+ rights in TN, the nation, and the world.”
-
Joy Oladokun
Joy Oladokun, another Love Rising performer, denounced Tennessee’s new laws on Twitter. “For a while now spineless representatives of a hateful minority have been stripping away the rights and care of LGBTQIA+ people in the state,” the “Someone Like You” musician wrote on March 7.
-
Lizzo
Lizzo took the discourse surrounding transphobia one step further by explaining how it intersects with racism and fatphobia on Twitter a few days after Gov. Lee signed the restrictive bills.
“I’ve never heard a person say why they’re racist… Or fatphobic.. I’ve never heard a reason why someone is transphobic..,” the “About Damn Time” singer wrote. “I think if we knew ‘why’ these people felt this way there would way less support for these ideals. Because the ‘why’ is more insidious than we realize.”
The star spoke out again on May 19 during her Omaha, Neb., show. “There have been some anti-trans laws passed, some anti-abortion laws passed,” an emotional Lizzo told concertgoers, referring to a bill restricting access to abortion and gender-affirming care that the state’s senate had passed. “And anybody who comes to a Lizzo show should know that I am for people to have the right to healthcare, reproductive and gender-affirming. … Don’t let any laws tell you who you’re not … You are who you are, OK? I see you. You are valid, you deserve to be here in every form. … These laws are not real — you are what’s real, and you deserve to be protected.”
-
Madonna
While announcing a new concert date in Nashville being added to her Celebration Tour on March 27, the longtime LGBTQ ally denounced the state‘s bills restricting drag performances and gender-affirming care. “The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane, it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color,” she said in a statement. “Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to f–k with a drag queen. [Tour opener] Bob [the Drag Queen] and I will see you from the stage in Nashville where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.”
-
Maren Morris
As one of country music’s most outspoken social activists, Maren Morris signed on to perform at Love Rising and challenged her followers to “show these politicians that they do not speak for all of Tennessee.” “Love will prevail,” the “Circles Around This Town” artist added.
-
Maynard James Keenan
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan made a statement May 21 when he appeared in drag during the band’s set at the Welcome to Rockville Festival in Daytona Beach, Fla. The rocker appeared on stage wearing a blonde wig, red lipstick and a curve-hugging tank top that showed off his fake breasts.
The move appeared to be in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who days before the all-ages festival signed a controversial bill that bans minors from attending drag shows.
-
Reba McEntire
“I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women?” the country music legend said in a March 2023 interview with The Los Angeles Times, noting that she was “disappointed” but not surprised by the Tennessee anti-drag laws.
“God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em,” added the three-time Grammy winner. “But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”
-
RuPaul
The Queen of Drag got right down to business in a March 8 Instagram video outlining the urgency of the situation in Tennessee. “Bullies are incompetent at solving real issues,” Ru said. “They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter and our joy are signs of weakness. But they’re wrong — because that is our strength.”
Calling drag queens “the Marines of the queer movement,” the Drag Race creator added, “Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government. And by the way — a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote.”
-
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan and James McNew came out in drag after the band’s intermission at The Basement East in Nashville on March 13. According to the Tennessean, the group did not address Gov. Bill Lee nor the state’s controversial new legislation banning drag performances in public spaces during their set.
The band later provided a statement to Pitchfork: “What we did last night couldn’t have been clearer, and requires no further comment.”
-
Dolly Parton
During a November 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the country icon was asked for her thoughts on Tennessee passing laws targeting the trans community. “I just want everybody to be treated good,” she told the outlet. “I try not to get into the politics of everything. I try to get into the human element of it. I have some of everybody in my own immediate family and in my circle of employees … I know and love them all, and I do not judge.”
When it came to the laws restricting trans people’s access to evidence-based medical care, Parton said that judgement doesn’t make things better. “I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That’s who they are,” she said. “They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there’s something to be judged, that is God’s business. But we are all God’s children and how we are is who we are.”