Maren Morris Encourages The Music Industry To Be Activists For The LGBTQ+ Community: ‘Both Sides Pay Money To Buy A T-Shirt’
Maren Morris shares how the music industry and beyond can help fight back against bigotry on the LGBTQ+ community. The country star and outspoken advocate for queer and trans people interviews drag’s biggest stars for Billboard‘s annual Pride issue, highlighting why it’s essential to speak up for the drag and wider LGBTQ communities during a time where anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is currently sweeping the U.S., especially in states like Florida and Tennessee.
So-called “drag bans” are quickly capturing national attention with states prohibiting public performances or shows in the presence of minors, ultimately threatening the livelihood and artistic freedom of drags. READ MORE: Maren Morris Introduced Her Toddler To Drag Queens In Pushback Against Tennessee Law: ‘F**kin’ Arrest Me’ Morris says the vague laws force others to individually interpret their enforcement with hypothetical questions like: “If Harry Styles comes and does a concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and has on a frilly shirt or a skirt or a dress… What do we do then? “In a place like Tennessee, it’s obviously really meant to fearmonger,” she says. READ MORE: Hayley Kiyoko Slams ‘Backwards’ Tennessee Anti-Drag Law, Says She Won’t Stop Speaking Out ‘Until We’re All Able To Be Our True Authentic Selves’ Morris, who has used her platform to call out the mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community both inside and out of the music industry, shares her take on how the industry can help speak against such attacks. “I have heard the term ‘Shut up and sing’ more times than I can count — that’s always the cutesy little threat that they like to make.
