Willie Nelson on Gay Marriage: ‘It’s About Human Rights’ – Rollg Stone

willy nelson gay rights

People gay rights and labor movements and journalism are watchg Sandy Nelson's lawsu to w restatement to reportg duti at The News Tribune Taa, Wash; she was reassigned to py sk 1990 bee the newspaper felt that her off-duty activi gay rights movement and wh the leftist Freedom Socialist Party uld provoke doubts among rears about the newspaper's mment to profsnal objectivy; a superr urt judge rejected her su, which is now before Washgton State Supreme Court; photo (M)

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WILLIE NELSON ON GAY MARRIAGE: ‘IT’S ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS’

* willy nelson gay rights *

Willie Nelson on Gay Marriage: ‘It’s About Human Rights’.

“It’s ridiculo to me that this is somethg we’re havg a nversatn about this day and age, ” Nelson told Texas Monthly recently, addg that he has been closely followg the two Supreme Court heargs on gay marriage. “I’ve known straight and gay people all my life. Nelson said he’s never seen any reason why same-sex upl shouldn’t be allowed to wed – “[gay people] should be jt as miserable as the rt of , ” he joked – and uldn’t believe that such a qutn was still beg bated so fiercely.

WILLIE NELSON ON GAY MARRIAGE: ‘I’D NEVER MARRY A GUY I DIDN’T LIKE’

“[Gay people] should be jt as miserable as the rt of , ” quipped Nelson, before givg a more nuanced explanatn of what he says has been a life-long, unwaverg belief that all people serve equal protectn unr the the terview, and jt before headg to At’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater to play a fundraiser for the Darrell K Royal Rearch Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease, Nelson posed for a Texas Monthly photographer wh a seri of signs created by the At-based sign agency Helms Workshop and prted by At’s East End Ink. The first is a straightforward reproductn of the pk equal sign—the logo of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr advocy group the Human Rights Campaign—that has gone viral on Facebook and Twter over the past few days.

Texas Monthly: You’re closely followg the Supreme Court’s nsiratn of gay rights and same-sex Nelson: I am. I’ve known straight and gay people all my life. Gay or straight?

WILLIE NELSON: “DISCRIMATN AGAST THE LGBT COMMUNY IS NOT WHAT TEXAS IS ALL ABOUT"{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY EVAN ROSS KATZJUNE 3, 2015/10:41 AMBY EVAN ROSS KATZJUNE 3, 2015 / 10:41 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WILLIE NELSON: “DISCRIMATN AGAST THE LGBT COMMUNY IS NOT WHAT TEXAS IS ALL ABOUT\"","DATEPUBLISHED":"2015-06-03T14:41:09.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2015-06-03T14:41:09.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"EVAN ROSS KATZ","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WILLIE NELSON HAS LONG BEEN AN ALLY TO THE LGBT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN 2006, SPIRED BY THE G OUT OF HIS IEND AND TOUR MANAGER OF THIRTY YEARS, DAVID ANRSON, WILLIE RELEASED A VER OF THE SONG "COWBOYS ARE FREQUENTLY, SECRETLY FOND OF EACH OTHER."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ACPANYG VIO WAS SHOT AT DALLAS' GAY WBOY BAR THE ROUND UP SALOON, AND FEATURED BURT REYNOLD (NOT TO MENTN A TON OF HUNKY GAY WBOYS).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THIS SONG OBVLY HAS SPECIAL MEANG TO ME MORE WAYS THAN ONE," SAID ANRSON. "I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW MORE THAN ANYTHG—GAY, STRAIGHT, WHATEVER—JT HOW OL WILLIE IS AND… HIS WAY OF THKG, HIS TOLERANCE, EVERYTHG ABOUT HIM."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NOW, NEARLY TEN YEARS LATER, NELSON IS NTUG TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, JOG TEXAS WS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FROM THE TEXAS WS MPAIGN:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON DISCRIMATN, THE OUTSPOKEN MICIAN SAID, “DISCRIMATN AGAST THE LGBT MUNY NOT WHAT TEXAS IS ALL ABOUT. AND THAT’S WHY I’M THRILLED TO SUPPORT TEXAS WS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WILLIE’S ENDORSEMENT IS CRIL, AND FURTHER MONSTRAT THAT A MAJORY OF TEXANS SUPPORT MON-SENSE NON-DISCRIMATN PROTECTNS THAT CLU SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TEXAS HAS A PROUD TRADN OF EMBRACG GGED DIVIDUALISM, EEDOM AND EQUALY, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT OUR MPAIGN IS ALL ABOUT. WILLIE’S STATEMENT ATTTS TO THE STRONG TEXAS VALU THAT MAK OUR STATE SO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BRAVO, WILLIE!{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Nelson recently opened up on his views of the Supreme Court's nsiratn of gay rights and same-sex marriage, and he was his ual 'Shotgun Willie' self. I've known straight and gay people all my life.

Back 2006, Nelson cid to ver a famo gay wboy song tled “Cowboys are Secretly Frequently Fond of Each Other, ” origally performed by Ned Sublette. We all know that gay culture do not mix well wh the untry scene so this would fely put a qutn on the fans of the mic legend.

Although the song do not nta any explic words pertag to the liftyle of someone who is gay, the song really went whout any rervatns. "I’ve known straight and gay people all my life.

WILLIE NELSON: GAY-RIGHTS ADVOTE, FIFTH-DEGREE BLACK BELT, WIZARD

"The acpanyg vio was shot at Dallas' gay wboy bar the Round Up Saloon, and featured Burt Reynold (not to mentn a ton of hunky gay wboys).

"I want people to know more than anythg—gay, straight, whatever—jt how ol Willie is and… his way of thkg, his tolerance, everythg about him. The 82-year-old outlaw-untry-mic kg and gay-rights advote Willie Nelson isn't jt alive and kickg, he's kickg through boards. You're a supporter of gay rights.

GAY REPORTER WANTS TO BE ACTIVIST

Gay people should be jt as miserable as the rt of [lghs].

Songfacts®:Long before Brokeback Mounta, this song explored the subject of Cowboy homosexualy, but a very humoro way. Wrten and origally rerd 1981 by Ned Sublette, the song mak that se that many wboys are, fact, gay.

Sublette pots out the leather and boots as evince, and how those who get most upset about homosexualy are often gay had a tape of Sublette's versn, and often played to iends to get a good lgh. Nelson told the Dallas Morng News that he was enuraged by his iend and tour manager David Anrson, who me out as gay.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILLIE NELSON! THANKS FOR THE BT GAY ANTHEM IN COUNTRY MICBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 29, 2015/10:45 PMBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 29, 2015 / 10:45 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILLIE NELSON! THANKS FOR THE BT GAY ANTHEM IN COUNTRY MIC","DATEPUBLISHED":"2015-04-30T02:45:43.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2015-04-30T02:45:43.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WILLIE NELSON TURNS 82 TODAY! THE LEGENDARY SGER-SONGWRER HAS A LEGACY, NOT JT MIC, BUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND SUPPORT FOR MORI LIKE THE LGBT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: WILLIE NELSON AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR SAME-SEX {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN 2013, NELSON SAID WAS "RIDICULO" THAT WE DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE FERAL MARRIAGE EQUALY.   "I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHG THAT WAS SETTLED A LONG TIME AGO," HE TOLD TEXAS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN THE SAME ARTICLE, HE POSTED WH A CTOM VERSN OF HRC'S RED EQUALY LOGO, PICTG TWO JOTS.  ANOTHER FEATURED TWO OF HIS INIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I'VE KNOWN STRAIGHT AND GAY PEOPLE ALL MY LIFE. I N'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE," ADD NELSON. "I NEVER THOUGHT OF  MARRIAGE AS SOMETHG ONLY FOR MEN AND WOMEN. BUT I’D NEVER MARRY A GUY I DIDN’T LIKE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND HE PUT HIS MIC WHERE HIS MOUTH IS: SPARKED BY THE RELEASE OF BROKEBACK MOUNTA 2006, NELSON'S VERSN OF NED SUBLETTE'S "COWBOYS ARE FREQUENTLY, SECRETLY FOND OF EACH OTHER" WAS HIS HIGHT CHARTG SOLO SGLE SCE HIS 1984 DUET WH JUL IGLIAS "TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WAS THE FIRST GAY-THEMED SONG BY A MASTREAM UNTRY ARTIST. AND MAY BE ONE OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: WILLIE NELSON RELEAS COUNTRY MIC'S FIRST GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"EVERY NOW AND THEN SOMEBODY MIGHT GET A LTLE OFFEND," HE SAYS OF THE SONG. "IT'S GOT BAD LANGUAGE , SO I JT DON'T DO MY SHOWS. ANYBODY WANTS TO HEAR N HEAR ON ITUN. BUT YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE LISTEN' TO , LIK' . EVERY NOW AND THEN SOMEBODY DON'T LIKE , BUT THAT'S OKAY."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NELSON SAYS HE DIDN'T THK " TOOK A LOT OF BALLS TO PUT THE SONG OUT" BUT WE'D {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BELOW, WATCH THE VIO FOR "COWBOYS ARE FREQUENTLY, SECRETLY FOND OF EACH OTHER" {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

I want people to know more than anythg - gay, straight, whatever - jt how ol Willie is and his way of thkg, his tolerance, everythg about him. "The vio featur the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe as a group of gay wboys dog lots of gay thgs while performg this song. It was shot at the Round Up Saloon Dallas, which is a gay wboy bar.

Nelson was a lear of an unsuccsful mpaign to protect gay rights Taa. Nelson om all reportg duti, cg her role a mpaign for a gay-rights ordance, which voters ultimately turned down. Though she never vered gay issu -- her primary beat was tn -- the paper said Ms.

But a superr urt judge here led agast her last year, sayg the newspaper had a right to sist on polil rtrictns to protects s, on appeal before the Washgton State Supreme Court, her se has attracted wi natnal tert om three disparate sourc: gay rights, journalism and labor. ''She said the fact that her polil work was gay rights was also a factor her reassignment, an assertn that the paper ni.

WILLIE NELSON SGS VOICE OF GAY WBOY

Nelson is reflected by the Natnal Lbian and Gay Journalists Associatn, which has more than 700 members natnwi.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* WILLY NELSON GAY RIGHTS

Willie Nelson on Gay Marriage: ‘It’s About Human Rights’ – Rollg Stone .

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