Livg Gay Nashville: Country Mic Insirs Share Their Stori - Variety

Contents:

• LIVG GAY NASHVILLE: COUNTRY MIC INSIRS SHARE STORI OF INCLN, BLACKMAIL, HUCKABEE AND HATERS
• IS CHARLEY PRI GAY?

LIVG GAY NASHVILLE: COUNTRY MIC INSIRS SHARE STORI OF INCLN, BLACKMAIL, HUCKABEE AND HATERS

In puttg together this week’s feature on the new, more clive Nashville, Variety spoke to a number of proment figur the untry mic muny about their g out experienc and life as a gay rint of Mic Cy. In reportg “Nashville’s New Guard” on the heels of the March ntroversy over anti-same-sex-marriage csar Mike Huckabee’s appotment to a charable CMA board (reversed a day unr prsure), lgerg qutns remaed over the challeng and opportuni Mic Row’s gay muny still fac. I felt like ma everybody go, “I n’t believe Nashville is still so backwards that, even though they have all of the mic bs folks that are gay, they are still leavg those folks out by acceptg someone like Mike Huckabee.

Even wh a room full of people that let that appotment take place, they were not makg an anti-gay or pro-NRA statement; they were focg on his tn agenda and experience. Jason Owen wrote a really bold, brave letter, and not everybody who is gay and on the si of the dtry would have always felt fortable wrg a letter like that, or to say, “I’m gog to bridle my artist roster power and make my letter mean somethg. McAnally: I have not experienced any homophobia whatsoever.

” And those are social media trolls, but that’s the part that gets muddy, bee people who are nservative Christians n’t image that gay people are Christian, too. Now the Row has sort of bee known for gay songwrers.

IS CHARLEY PRI GAY?

Obvly there are a lot of gay people management and [labels] too, but sort of mak sense that [openns] would start wh songwrers first, who are at the heart of creativy. … Wh rpect to the progrsn of acceptance for gay fai and LGBTQ folks, is important for to allow ourselv to be among some who may ially make unfortable.

And if parents have teractns wh gay fai and then one day their son or dghter to them to share their tth, my hope is that they n reference back to their time spent wh and say, “You know what? There is a wonrful life for someone who is gay out there. Shane, what has been your experience wh beg a gay parent Nashville?

I really felt that my beg gay, if found out, would be the downfall of our pany.