Contents:
- THE ROAD TO UNTRY MIC’S FIRST OPENLY GAY STAR
- ARE THE MEMBERS OF RASL FLATTS GAY?
- THE SOUTHERN GAYS ARE THE BT PART OF ‘DEMARC FAY RUL’
THE ROAD TO UNTRY MIC’S FIRST OPENLY GAY STAR
While the event was not gay-specific, AIDS still rried tremendo stigma as a “gay disease. Dolly Parton (publicy photo) Sce those early stands for gay rights, other untry stars have spoken out on behalf of LGBT issu; they clu Wynona Judd, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, and Marta McBri, among others. Asked whether the world is ready for “a gay mastream untry star, ” she replied, “Hontly, that’s a tough one, ” then sighed.
Country heartthrob Kenny Chney gave a siar answer an terview wh Playboy magaze the same month — after vehemently nyg mors that he is gay, fueled by his quickie divorce om actrs Renee Zellwegger. Asked if there will be a gay untry sger our lifetime, “I don’t know.
” Still, untry’s hostily to gays may be overstated. When Country Mic Televisn (CMT) posted a March 2009 blog about gay fans embracg the Rasl Flatts song “Love Who You Love, ” drew the expected negative ments — but plenty of posive reactns, too.
ARE THE MEMBERS OF RASL FLATTS GAY?
” Willie Nelson (publicy photo) Countered “Mil Jtice, “Long overdue and much appreciated by those of who don’t feel that lovg untry mic means beg biased or prejudiced towards homosexuals or anyone else. ” Country stars on the rerd on gay rights “I n’t see love beg a bad thg. I have a lot of gay fans, and I’m sure there’s a real ol mixture out there.
” Trisha Yearwood on performg at a 1999 ncer benef held at The Connectn, a gay bar Nashville. She is believed to be the first major untry artist to play a gay venue Nashville. ” Willie Nelson on his cisn to rerd the 1981 song “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” for the gay-themed major film “Brokeback Mounta.
14, 2006) “Through civil unns, gay upl are wele to all the legal benefs that married upl get. And please don’t ll me homophobic, or whatever y’all ll , bee I’m not aaid (or photo), least of all of lbians or gays. Lots of gays are untry mic fans.
THE SOUTHERN GAYS ARE THE BT PART OF ‘DEMARC FAY RUL’
” Marta McBri on her cisn to terview wh the gay prs (Out, March 2009) “I have gay iends who have partners, and I see where they would want to get married. I’ve got a long le of girls who uld ttify that I am not gay.
” Kenny Chney, rpondg to mors that he is gay fueled by his divorce om actrs Renee Zellwegger, which Zellwegger ced “d” as the reason (Playboy, March 2009) “Hontly, when that mail started, the first thg [I thought] was: Fear is a terrible thg, I’m a Judd, not a judge. My job is to lighten the spir and love the heck out of people who feel really unloved… I have many gay employe. ” Wynona Judd on nservative backlash to her cisn to perform on a gay cise (The Advote, 2005) “We actually have some gay people that work wh , and we have a lot of iends that are gay, too, and I know that this song has spired them.
” Rasl Flatts sger Gary LeVox on gay terpretatns of the band’s song “Love Who You Love” (, March 23, 2009) “I always say, ‘Sure, why n’t they get married? ’” Dolly Parton on her support for gay marriage (The Advote, November 2009).