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Yo La Tengo made a statement during the second half of their show at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night (March 14). In a rebuke of Gov. Bill Lee’s recent signing of a bill that puts restrictions on drag performances in public, the New Jersey trio’s male members, singer/ guitarist Ira Kaplan and bassist James McNew, came out after a short intermission dressed in women’s clothing.
According to the Tennessean, Kaplan wore makeup, a red dress and along black wig, while McNew donned a shawl and a sun hat, while drummer Georgia Hubley kept her same outfit. The paper said the band did not mention Lee or the controversial new law, which prohibits, “adult-oriented” entertainment, including “male and female impersonators” on public property, as well as limiting such entertainment to age-restricted venues.
And while they didn’t specifically explain their action, in a statement (via Pitchfork), said, “What we did last night coldn’t have been clearer, and requires no further comment.”
The law, which takes effect on April 1, is among a flurry of new laws being passed by conservative politicians across the country taking aim at the LGBTQ community, including a number that seek to deny gender-affirming health care to transgender children; Lee also signed a total ban on such care the same day as the drag bill. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Tennessee has passed more anti-LGBTQ laws than any other state in the U.S.
Cyndi Lauper and The B-52s also recently joined the rising chorus of voices speaking out against new laws being passed by Republicans targeting the trans community and seeking to ban drag artists.
“Equality for everybody, or nobody’s really equal,” longtime LGBTQ alley Lauper told ITK according to The Hill. “This is how Hitler started. just weeding everybody out.” Hitler’s Nazi Germany tagged gay people as “enemies of the state” and many were jailed or killed in concentration camps and Lauper said it’s imperative that we keep “fighting for civil rights.”
In a sharply worded statement issued on Wednesday (March 8), the B-52’s — also longtime advocates for LBGTQ causes — wrote, “We, The B-52’s, are deeply concerned about the numerous new bills that promote transphobia and discrimination against transgender individuals and drag artists, which have been introduced in the United States. We strongly denounce these bills and stand in solidarity with out LGBTQ+ community.”
Paramore singer Hayley Williams, a native of Tennessee, criticized her state’s governor in an Instagram story this week, writing, “Once again our state has passed two regressive and unfathomably harmful bills. 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. Gender-affirming healthcare for all, including our youth, is a necessity.”
Williams will perform at the March 20 Love Rising benefit show supporting Tennessee-based LGBTQ organizations that will also feature Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Brittany Howard, Julien Baker and many more.
Check out photos of the Yo La Tengo show below.
Ira and James playing in drag yesterday in Tennessee, in response to the anti-drag bill that passed just some weeks ago.Yo La Tengo for president, someone said at Yellowjackets, and I agree.[Photo by Chris Conrad, via FB] pic.twitter.com/Za6LTr2Jie— Ethel Baraona Pohl (@ethel_baraona) March 14, 2023
As Waymond Wang famously says in Everything Everywhere All At Once, “Please, be kind. Especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka “The Daniels”) certainly took that advice from their character when they accepted the award for best directing at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday (March 12). Dedicating the award to “all the mommies of the world,” Scheinert especially thanked his parents for supporting his passion throughout his life. “Thank you for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films, or really perverted comedy films, or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody.”
That final comment seemed to come as a shot at Tennessee lawmakers, who earlier this month passed a law banning drag performances from taking place on public property, claiming drag posed a threat to children. While Tennessee became the first state to enact such a ban, a number of other states — including North Dakota, Texas, West Virigina, Nebraska and South Carolina — are currently advancing similar legislation.
The Daniels were the big winners at Sunday night’s telecast, as Everything Everywhere All At Once took home a whopping seven awards out of the 11 it was nominated for, including best picture, best direction, best original screenplay, best film editing, and three of the four major acting awards (best actress for Michele Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis).
Check out the Daniels’ full speech following their best directing win at the 2023 Oscars above.
There’s a reason drag performers call RuPaul “mother” — if you mess with her kids, she’s going to come right back at you.
In a video posted to his Instagram on Wednesday (March 8), RuPaul called Tennessee’s new law banning drag artists from performing in public a “distraction technique” being employed by Republican lawmakers. “[It’s] 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,” he said.
The new law, signed by Gov. Bill Lee on March 3, prohibits “adult cabaret” performances from taking place “on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” The legislation defines these displays as any performance that “features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration.”
Critics of the legislation have called this statue a violation of the performers’ First Amendment rights, claiming the law is an unwarranted attack on LGBTQ performers who pose no threat to children. The Tennessee chapter of the ACLU added that government officials could “easily abuse this law to censor people based on their own subjective viewpoints of what they deem appropriate.”
In his video, RuPaul called out the governor and legislators responsible for pushing this bill through. “Bullies are incompetent at solving real issues,” he 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,” Ru urged viewers to take action rather than watching what happens next. “Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government,” he said. “And by the way — a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote.”
Check out RuPaul’s full video statement below:
Tennessee lawmakers may have passed their ban on drag performances in public, but Bonnaroo is ready to stand firm with its LGBTQ fans.
In a statement released on Friday (March 3), Bonnaroo indirectly responded to Tennessee’s new law, stating that it will not let the new legislation impact the annual festival, which takes place in Manchester, Tenn. “Bonnaroo has and always will be a place for inclusivity, a safe haven for people of all walks of life and a champion of self-expression,” the statement reads. “Rest assured The Farm will remain a sanctuary for those freedoms and Bonnaroovians will see no changes in programming or celebration of self-expression at the festival.”
The news comes after Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill No. 3
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into law on Thursday (March 2). It bans “adult cabaret performances” from taking place on public property or in locations where they could be viewed by minors. The bill defines such displays as any performance “that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers.”
The music festival is far from the only one in the industry to react to Tennessee’s drag ban. In an interview with GLAAD last week, Shania Twain said that she thought “drag shows are so fun,” adding, “I think we need this inspiration; we need drag queens to share their talent with us.”
Bonnaroo, which takes place each year at Great Stage Park (lovingly known by attendees as “The Farm”), is set to feature headliners Kendrick Lamar, Odezsa and Foo Fighters, along with a number of LGBTQ performers, including Lil Nas X, 070 Shake, Rina Sawayama and Girl in Red. Tickets for the this year’s festival, taking place from June 15 to 18, are available here.
Check out Bonnaroo’s full statement below:
When it comes to attacks on drag artists around the country, they don’t impress Shania Twain much.
In a new interview with GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos, Twain spoke about her ongoing support for the LGBTQ community, including drag queens who “inspire” her to this day. When asked about the wave of legislation attempting to ban public drag performances around the U.S., Twain was clear with how she felt.
“Oh my god, drag shows are so fun,” she said. “I so admire the talent there, it takes a lot of courage — fashion in itself takes courage … I’m very inspired by it, and I think we need this inspiration; we need drag queens to share their talent with us.”
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Tennessee’s controversial anti-drag bill — which would prevent performances from “male and female impersonators” on public property — passed through the state’s House on Thursday (Feb. 23). It will return to the state Senate for a procedural vote before being signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee.
Elsewhere in the interview, Twain talked about her Republic label-mate Kim Petras, and what it has been like to see her thrive as of late. “Kim reminds me of a living angel,” she said. “This is a person that carries no ego and is very, very elegant in person. I mean, just beauty and kindness and sweetness and always a big hug for me and I admire all the talent.”
The “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” singer also made clear her unwavering support for the LGBTQ community, saying that despite ongoing legislative attacks against queer rights, she had hope for the future.
“When I was younger, I would say I even resented society for just making anyone feel like an outsider. I’m an all inclusive person … and we need more love in the world,” she said. “When I got into the industry, at the time there was no being a member of the LGBTQ community … [now] so many of the creatives in my teams are part of the LGBTQ community, so yeah, I feel great. It’s a sign that our society is just slowly getting there, or at least getting somewhere.”
Check out Shania Twain’s full interview with GLAAD above.
When it comes to terrifying performances, Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet know exactly what an audience wants to see — and now, they’re ready to deliver the fright of your life.
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On Friday (Feb. 17), The Boulet Brothers announced the official lineup for their forthcoming tour to celebrate the recent finale of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans. Featuring queens from the long-awaited all-stars season of the show, the new tour is set to headline winner Victoria Elizabeth Black and finalists Koco Caine and HoSo Terra Toma.
Along the way, a smattering of other “drag monsters” from the show are set to appear, including stars like Abhora, Astrud Aurelia, Erika Klash, Evah Destruction, Kendra Onixx & Melissa Befierce.
“We’re so excited to bring the Dragula experience on tour to audiences across the world — it really is a drag show unlike anything audiences have seen before,” Dracmorda said in a statement. Swanthula agreed, adding that, “We cut our teeth producing live events and nightlife spectacles before going into TV and film production, so the live space really is our bailiwick and a place where we (and the stars from Dragula) can really shine.”
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans officially premiered on AMC’s Shudder network this past October, marking the franchise’s highest viewership since season 4. In promoting their new tour, the brothers explained the live show serves as an “extension of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans show,” and that fans could expect “shocking performance, horror, [and] seeing drag like you’ve never seen it presented before.”
Check out the full list of tour dates and get your tickets here.