State Champ Radio Pride
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Despite what some lawmakers may be attempting throughout the U.S. right now, transgender and non-binary people are not going anywhere anytime soon — and they’re more than ready to make their voices heard.
Friday (March 31) marks International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual commemoration since 2010 that has been honored around the world as “a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces,” according to GLAAD.
This year, the world certainly needs a reminder of what exactly trans and gender diverse community is up against — despite being only three months into the calendar year, 2023 has already broken the record for the most anti-trans legislation introduced across the U.S., with states like West Virginia, Iowa and Kentucky all banning gender-affirming care for minors.
In a 2022 interview with Billboard, Human Rights Campaign deputy director of communications Laurel Powell put it simply: “There is a very well-funded, well-organized movement to try and drive a wedge between people and their LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors and family,” she said. “This is being driven by extremist legislators.”
International Transgender Day of Visibility provides allies another opportunity to not just contribute to the many organizations across the U.S. that are fighting to stop this wave of anti-trans hatred, but also to celebrate the myriad contributions trans and gender diverse people have made to society.
Below, Billboard takes a look at 15 artists who are redefining what it means to be openly transgender and non-binary in the music industry today:
Shea Diamond
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Shea Diamond, both an activist and a singer-songwriter, belts out the bold anthem “I Am Her” with soul and strength. “There’s an outcast in everybody’s life / And I am her,” she sings. According to Diamond, the song began as a statement to a world which said she shouldn’t exist and now stands as an anthem “for all those that felt shunned for simply being who they were.”
Find Shea Diamond on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Anohni
Anohni is not afraid of tackling topics often considered controversial. In “Drone Bomb Me,” Anohni sings of a nine-year-old Afghan girl whose family has been killed by a drone bomb. Her latest album, Hopelessness, covers issues from climate change to Guantanamo Bay. “I wanted to do something that was gonna go down fighting,” Anohni told Pitchfork.
Find Anohni on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
SOPHIE
There are few artists who have directly impacted the current sound of pop music more than the late SOPHIE. A pioneer in both the dance and pop fields, the producer pushed the boundaries of her respective genres to their breaking points, eventually giving way to glorious soundscapes that were fueled by the aesthetics of bubblegum pop and the experimentation of the avant-garde dance scene being led by the collective at PC Music. But it was on their magnum opus project Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides where SOPHIE finally took a moment to allow herself to stand in the spotlight, coming out publicly as transgender and fully taking ownership of her trailblazing work in the music industry.
Find SOPHIE on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Peppermint
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Along with being the season 9 runner-up of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Peppermint is also a talented musical artist in her own right. While she flexes her many talents on everything from original ballads to pop diva tributes, it’s on her 2017 anthem “Civil War” where Peppermint gets real about the reality of life as a transgender woman in this day and age. “I’m an army of one, marching alone/ Fighting for my life,” she sings, stirring up emotions.
Find Peppermint on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Skylar Kergil
Skylar Kergil, an American activist, singer-songwriter and YouTube personality, has a folk sound that sends a statement. “Strangers stare and they want to be the first to/ Ask for my life in one word/ But it’s not that simple,” Kergil sings in “Tell Me A Story.”
Find Skylar Kergil on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Left at London
While many people know Left at London for their hilarious Vine and TikTok content, they really ought to know her for her music first. The singer’s eclectic offerings can range from funk-driven, sexy anthems to folksy kiss-offs aimed at transphobes, all while infusing her charismatic persona and expert songwriting into instantly memorable tracks that you’ll find yourself going back for again and again.
Find Left at London on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Ryan Cassata
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Ryan Cassata has been representing the transgender community in the music industry for over a decade. Whether they’re preaching the importance of community on songs like “We’re the Cool Kids” — which Cassata said is about coming together, battling ignorance “and hopefully beating it” — or getting real about heartbreak on more recent tracks like “If You Ever Leave Long Island,” Cassata always manages to uplift and celebrate his community through song.
Find Ryan Cassata on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Ah-Mer-Ah-Su
Star Amerasu, a self-professed “poptronic princess,” chronicles her complicated encounters with anti-anxiety medicines known as benzodiazepines (or benzos) in the song “Klonopin.” The light lullaby peeks into the taboo topic of prescription pill use and abuse. “I got problems, you got problems, they got problems, we all got problems / Why don’t we just run away, come again another day,” Amerasu sings.
Find Ah-Mer-Ah-Su on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Against Me!
In “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! tells the tale of gender dysphoria. “You want them to see you / Like they see every other girl,” Grace sings. “They just see a faggot / They’ll hold their breath not to catch the sick.” The punk rock track seeps the pain and frustration that many transgender people feel. Since coming out publicly in 2012, Grace has talked often and openly of her identity. Recently, Grace told SF Weekly that she feels free — a sensation she never had in the first part of the band’s life.
Find Against Me! on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Ethel Cain
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Since her debut in 2019, Ethel Cain — the haunting, righteous persona inhabited by singer-songwriter Hayden Anhedönia — has been crafting her own dark world to mirror the reality we all live in. That universe came into full fruition on 2022’s Preacher’s Daughter, a moving alternative album tracking a story about trying to live up to the impossible expectations of the American Dream, especially as a transgender woman struggling to find acceptance. It’s just one testament to Cain’s staying power as a musical auteur that she can craft a story that simultaneously disquiets your mind, while also never letting your attention stray from her phenomenal music.
Find Ethel Cain on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
The Cliks
Lucas Silveria, known as the front man of The Cliks, was one of the first transgender men to be signed to a major label recording contract. The Cliks released Snakehouse with Warner Music Canada in 2006. After transitioning, Silveria admitted that he needed to take on a new sound. The Motown swing of “Savanna” is something to be swayed by.
Find The Cliks on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Dua Saleh
Non-binary artist Dua Saleh is here to give you honesty. The rising rap-meets-R&B-meets-pop phenomenon out of of Minnesota writes what they feel on the regular, whether it’s pain (“Cat Scratch”), pleasure (“Day to Day”) or anything in between. With a voice you won’t be able to get out of your head and a tendency towards enthralling production, Saleh is an artist more than worthy of listening to ASAP.
Find Dua Saleh on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Cavetown
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
For indie artist Robin Skinner, a.k.a. Cavetown, the name of the game is community. Along with crafting instantly-catchy indie-rock tracks, Skinner spent much of his career building their core fanbase through direct interaction — whether that’s on video sharing sites like YouTube or through streaming platforms like Twitch. Using their platform to give back when the opportunity arises, as well as dedicating some of their songs to their community, Cavetown has proven the power of platform time and time again.
Find Cavetown on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
KC Ortiz
“When I was 17 or 18, I wanted to be the next Lil’ Kim,” Chicago-based rapper KC Ortiz told Billboard in an conversation with LCD Soundsystem’s Gavin Rayna Russom about President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military members. The former Air Force personnel released her second album Church Tapes this July.
Find KC Ortiz on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Nakhane
South African star wants to show you a good time. The pop singer-songwriter spent much of their career blazing their own trail as an openly non-binary African star. It was with their 2018 masterwork You Will Not Die that they captured the attention of veritable stars like Elton John and Madonna. Nakhane’s versatile musical voice lends itself toward change more often than not, meaning you never know what to expect when you press play on their latest work — making it all the more fun to find out what they have in store for you.
Find Nakhane on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Reba McEntire prefers to stay out of politics, but when it comes to the recent anti-drag laws passed in Tennessee, she’s making her opinion clear.
In an interview with the L.A. Times published Friday (March 31), the 68-year-old country queen opened up about feeling “disappointed,” but not surprised, by the actions of the state’s Gov. Bill Lee. Earlier this month, the politician signed widely controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and blocking drag queens from performing in many public spaces.
“I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties,” she countered.
The “Survivor” singer reasserted her policy of staying out of politics — “My job is to entertain … I’m not there to influence people one way or another how to vote” — but said she thinks the anti-drag bill missed the mark so clearly, she sees no issue in speaking out about it. “I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women?” McEntire continued.
“God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em,” added the three-time Grammy winner. “But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”
McEntire is currently gearing up to headline the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for the first time Saturday (April 1) in addition to coaching contestants on this season of The Voice as a guest mentor, for which she’ll work alongside former daughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson. In 2015, the Reba star divorced Narvel Blackstock, whose son Brandon Blackstock split from Clarkson after seven years of marriage in 2020.
McEntire’s comments about the Tennessee bills come on Transgender Day of Visibility. She joins dozens of other musicians in speaking out against the recent surge of anti-LGBTQ laws, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Lizzo, Jason Isbell and more.
As legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community sharply increase around the United States, indie supergroup Boygenius is offering a fat middle finger to the lawmakers responsible.
In a new interview with Them, the group — Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — spoke about the rising tide of anti-LGBTQ legislation, and how they’ve seen it affecting their day-to-day lives. The group acknowledged their own privilege as successful musicians, with Dacus poetically saying that they “get to navigate this with an ease that was afforded us by so much pain.”
But Bridgers added that they still feel the impact of these attacks. “The government being actually actively trying to kill the coolest people is something I think about every day,” she said. “It’s so overwhelming how different the world would be if the AIDS epidemic had never happened. It’s so overwhelming to me, to my exact world, everything that I value.”
Speaking about queer rights activists of the ’80s and ’90s, the trio said that the pain and suffering being caused by these new laws directly insults the legacy of those who worked tirelessly to make the world better. “If all of the David Wojnarowiczes and Leslie Feinbergs of the world did all of that suffering for me not to live in a world where I can be so f–king gay on a big stage and have a whole bunch of other gay people here for me and it’d be joy, then it was in vain,” Bridgers said. Baker agreed, adding, “The joy is the living amends that you do for your community as a performer.”
In discussing the future for the LGBTQ community, Dacus said that she wanted to see queer people get to a place of mundanity, like everyone else. “I want every gay and trans person to have the opportunity to be inarticulate, stupid and unexceptional,” she said. “I want to see more cool art by trans people and non-white people, and also poor people”
The trio’s new album, The Record, comes out Friday (March 31).
When Lizzo says Yitty is for everybody, she really means every body. The musician announced Thursday morning (March 30) that her clothing company will soon be rolling out a line of gender-affirming shapewear called “Your Skin,” including binders and tucking thongs for all gender identities.
“Introducing.. YOUR SKIN by @Yitty,” Lizzo wrote in an announcement posted to her social media accounts. “You deserve to feel like you. You deserve to feel good in Your Skin.”
“We’ve been working on this a long time & it’s finally ready!” the “About Damn Time” singer added. “Binder tops & tucking thongs coming this summer !”
Lizzo also included preview photos of the upcoming products in her post, featuring models showing off form-fitting tops and bottoms made out of black and purple fabric. The four-time Grammy winner has long been vocal about her support for LGBTQ rights. In fact, Yitty’s new line comes just a couple weeks after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed highly controversial bills targeting trans and nonbinary youth, which Lizzo has denounced.
“When we say we support every body, we mean it,” read a separate Your Skin announcement on the official Yitty Instagram account, which noted that the “passion project” has been in the works for two years. “We believe in radical self-love for people of all gender identities — including the trans, non-binary, gender-fluid and gender non-conforming communities that have been chronically underserved. So, we decided to take our expertise and create styles that serve those very same communities.”
“It is our mission to continue serving all bodies, which is why these core styles will always be available at YITTY, starting late summer 2023,” the announcement concluded. “And this is just the beginning. We hope you can feel the love in every stitch.”
See Lizzo’s Your Skin announcement below:
Finding love is hard, but Lil Nas X is confident that the right person is out there … he just hasn’t met him yet.
On the latest episode of The Late Late Show With James Corden, the “That’s What I Want” artist appeared as a special guest on “Carpool Karaoke” to sing through his hits and even act in a soap opera for the very first time. But there was one moment during the segment that turned more than a few fans’ heads.
Chatting with Corden about his dating life (after noticing a hot man on the street), Lil Nas said that he had used the exclusive dating app Raya, but ultimately, he shared, “I’ve come to know that I don’t like dating famous people.”
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When Corden followed up, asking if any of the famous men he’d met on the app were guests on “Carpool Karaoke,” the rapper didn’t hesitate: “For sure,” he confirmed.
Keeping the bit going, Corden’s immediate first guess as to who the mystery beau could have been was none other than jazz-pop singer Michael Bublé. Bursting into laughter, Lil Nas jokingly quipped, “Yeah, you caught me,” before asking if the “Sway” singer was a gay. “No,” Corden confirmed. “But he’s hot, and he’s got a hell of a voice.”
One person who certainly saw the funny side of the bit was Bublé himself, who retweeted the clip from The Late Late Show. While the original tweet’s caption specified that “@lilnasx isn’t dating @michaelbuble,” the crooner made sure to keep the joke alive. “Clearly out of my league,” he wrote in response.
Check out the full “Carpool Karaoke” segment above, and see Bublé’s response below:
Everything is not as it seems. Turns out, Selena Gomez‘s Wizards of Waverly Place character, Alex Russo, was supposed to be part of the LGBTQ community — and she was intended to be in a relationship with Stevie Nichols, a guest character played by fellow Disney star-turned-musician Hayley Kiyoko.
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The revelation came in the latest episode of Wizards of Waverly Pod, on which cohosts Jennifer Stone and David Deluise — who played Harper Finkle and Jerry Russo on the Disney channel sitcom, respectively — sat down with head writer and executive producer Peter Murrieta to talk about the show’s arc. When Stone asked about a storyline he wished the Wizards team had explored further before the show concluded in 2012, Murrieta knew his answer immediately.
“Easy,” he said. “I wished we could have played more with what was quite obvious to a lot of us was the relationship between Stevie and Alex. But we weren’t able to in that time, but it was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was. That would’ve been fun.”
Though the writers ended up being unable to explicitly say Alex had romantic feelings for Stevie, fans of the show may remember there was definitely an undeniably flirty chemistry and intensity shared between the two characters. “Disney Channel has had [LGBTQ] characters, they did it,” Murrieta added. “At the time, it wasn’t a thing. We got as close as we could. It was pretty close. It was pretty much right there.”
Recently, Gomez herself stopped by the podcast to talk about her experience on Wizards, which debuted in 2007 and propelled the Rare Beauty founder to meteoric stardom at a young age. While speaking with Stone and DeLuise, she opened up about regretting how she lost touch with the cast after the show wrapped.
“I think I slowly became kind of shamed. I felt ashamed of the decisions that I made,” Gomez said. “I didn’t want you guys to see me in the state that I was in, because A) you would have told me the truth, which terrifies me, and B) I didn’t want to let you down.”
Listen to Peter Murrieta talk about Alex and Stevie’s Wizards of Waverly Place relationship below:
Pride Month may be a few months away, but Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion are ready and waiting to celebrate.
On Tuesday (March 28), L.A. Pride announced that the two superstars would serve as the headliners for 2023’s L.A. Pride in the Park event. Taking place at Los Angeles State Historic Park over two days, Pride in the Park will feature the “WAP” rapper leading the show on Friday, June 9, while the Elusive Chanteuse will receive top-billing for Saturday, June 10. Additional artists have yet to be announced for the concert.
In a statement posted to her Instagram, Carey celebrated the news under a poster of herself and Megan. “I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of LA Pride 2023,” she wrote. “I am happy to be back in-person celebrating with the LGBTQIA+ community here in Southern California and throughout all of the lands!!! Let’s come together to celebrate love, inclusion, and Pride.”
The “Savage” rapper also put out a statement, writing, “I can’t wait to headline LA Pride in the Park and celebrate the phenomenal LGBTQIA+ community. This incredible event advocates for diversity, inclusivity and equality, so I’m honored to perform and have a blast with all of the Hotties in attendance.”
Along with announcing the pair of artists as this year’s headliners, L.A. Pride also shared that the official theme of the festivities this year is “All Out With Pride,” aiming to celebrate “the LGBTQIA+ community’s diversity, resilience, and joy,” according to a statement.
“Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion are the perfect artists to headline L.A. Pride in the Park this year as we expand to two days,” L.A. Pride’s board president Gerald Garth said in a statement. “These empowering and iconic women are sure to take the stage by storm to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and will undoubtedly make this year’s L.A. Pride in the Park an unforgettable experience.”
Last year’s L.A. Pride festivities culminated in a headlining Pride in the Park set from Christina Aguilera, which featured guest appearances from stars like Mya, Kim Petras and Paris Hilton. “I’m so proud to call you my family,” Xtina said during her set last year. “You are a part of me and I’m so happy to bring this to you.”
Tickets for 2023’s L.A. Pride in the Park are now available to purchase on the L.A.Pride website. Check out Mariah’s Instagram statement below:
After 13 episodes and the introduction of 16 queens, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 has finally revealed our top four queens.
On last week’s episode (aired Friday, March 24), the top five contestants took part in the now-iconic makeover challenge, transforming teachers from around the country into fabulous drag queens bearing a strong family resemblance to their respective queens.
Transforming her teacher into a sickening drag daughter named Alektra, Anetra immediately wowed the judges not only for her phenomenal makeup skills, but for constructing two iconic outfits that conveyed the family resemblance they were looking for in this challenge. The star took home her third maxi challenge win, tying her for the most wins of the season with frontrunner Sasha Colby.
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Meanwhile, after a hair-splitting critique, Luxx Noir London and Loosey LaDuca found themselves in the bottom for their makeovers of Asia Azul and Lala LaDuca, respectively. Lip-syncing to guest judge Hayley Kiyoko’s “For the Girls,” Luxx pulled out all the stops, earning a spot in the top four, leaving Loosey as the eliminee.
Billboard caught up with Loosey following her elimination to talk about her song “Let Loose” going ultra-viral following her talent show performance in episode one, whether or not she was “delusional” during her Drag Race run, and which queen she felt should have been lip syncing against Luxx instead of her.
Congrats on making it to the top five! How are you feeling about your Drag Race journey?
I feel really great — I’m so incredibly proud of the job that I did. Of course, I would love to be top four … but other than that, I really look back and am just so proud of myself for everything that I did.
Before we get into anything else, we have to talk about the sensation that is sweeping the nation — “Let Loose” is inescapable on social media at this point. What has it been like to watch this song absolutely blow up?
It’s so weird! I wasn’t sure about what the fanbase’s take would be on me, and then I was sick on the couch with COVID, when my phone just started blowing up. And it has not stopped since — every day I think, “Alright, I’m sure it’s passed.” Nope. It’s truly insane. People are now congratulating me, not for Drag Race, but saying, “Congratulations on ‘Let Loose,’ I mean, my god.”
I mean, I get it — the song just passed 100,000 streams on Spotify, so it’s worth congratulating you on!
Yeah, it’s wild. I’m getting videos of people all over the world performing it, it’s actually crazy. All credit to my very good friend Andrew Barret Cox, he wrote and produced the track; he also did “Jantasy” for Jan. He is absolutely incredible and a certified bop-maker.
Along with “Let Loose” going viral, another Drag Race moment caught the attention of none other than Kevin Bacon, who applauded your performance in the Rusical challenge! How gagged were you?
That was absolutely incredible, 100 percent the best moment of my mom’s life. I had COVID all last week, I was firmly planted on my couch with my dog, and sure enough, Kevin Bacon came up in my notifications. I was like, “Oh, I’m sure this is a Kevin bacon fan account or something.” And sure enough, it was actually him, which is absolutely insane. So now I’m one degree away from Kevin Bacon.
It helps that the Rusical was genuinely so good — from the performances to the music, it was top-to-bottom excellent.
Oh, I am so proud of the Rusical. I look back and I’m like, “God, we did so good.” The music was so good, and such earworms! They were bops, Leland and the entire team and all of the vocalists on those tracks were so talented and wonderful. I’m very honored to have been a part of, I think, one of the best Rusicals.
Now, another thing that’s being flying around the internet are accusations of “drag delusion” in your direction. After being on set and after watching the show, do you think that you were experiencing said delusion?
I think … hmm, how to put this? I think what was shown looks like delusion. That’s all! [laughs] I trust that folks can read between the lines.
In the latest episode, getting to do the makeover challenge with teachers is such a lovely idea, especially with all of the anti-LGBTQ classroom laws being passed around the country. What do you feel like you got to learn from working with teachers who are having to deal with all of this legislation?
Yeah, completely. My teacher who I got to work with — Miss Lala LaDuca, thank you very much — was just so wonderful and so sweet. You could tell that she was the type of woman who was just born to be a teacher. I think what I really gained from that was that, a lot of times, teachers are the people who teach all of their students about the world. If kids are only getting the scope of what’s at home, that’s a very small, narrow point of view. School and teachers, it is sort of their job to open kids up to the rest of the world — if they’re not being legally allowed to teach about sexuality or identity, then these laws are stifling teachers’ jobs, which is to help cultivate who these kids are! No laws should be getting in the way of that.
I do hope people understand how difficult the makeover challenge is — can you explain what it is about this challenge that makes it so tough?
Completely! I think, first of all, you’re putting drag makeup that has been designed to be perfect for your face on another human being. So now, it might not look the same — luckily, I thought my teacher looked sickening. She looked fully like a LaDuca. But the thing that’s especially hard about it is that you need to have a family resemblance, but it can’t be exact, but it can’t be too subtle. There’s so many factors in there that the judges can really pick apart, and that means there’s not usually a very clear winner or loser in these challenges, because there’s such a grey area.
Before you go, I want to talk about the placements in this episode. You mentioned in your confessional that you were shocked to be in the bottom this challenge — full tea, who did you think should have been in your spot in the bottom two?
Ooh. I think, for lack of originality, probably Mistress — she wore that gown several times on the show, so if I had to say someone, I would say her.
A language teacher at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin has called out her school’s administration after saying that they vetoed the inclusion of a pair of rainbow-themed songs in the spring concert. “My first graders were so excited to sing ‘Rainbowland’ for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?,” she tweeted last week along with hashtags for the school system, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, GSafe (which create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin schools) and civil rights.
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Teacher Melissa Tempel also included the lyrics to “Rainbowland,” the Cyrus/Parton duet about acceptance that appeared on Miley’s 2017 album Younger Now. “Living in Rainbowland/ Where you and I go hand in hand/ Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine/ All the hurt and the hate going on here/ We are rainbows, me and you/ Every color, every hue,” they sing on the song. Why was that track about living in harmony together reportedly banned?
On March 24, Tempel wrote, “The latest I heard is that the song was banned bc @MileyCyrus is controversial. D’oh, I thought for sure it was @DollyPartonvand her beautiful drag queen followers! Oh well, I can’t stop my students if they still sing ‘Rainbowland.’ It’s a fun, catchy song!” First grade teacher Tempel later said her guess as to why the duet was pulled was because of its “beautiful LYRICS. Because saying an ARTIST is controversial would be a very slippery slope and they wouldn’t want to go there. Amirite?,” she wrote.
When a commenter asked why the song was pulled from the concert Tempel responded, “no reason given.” A day later, Tempel reported that the administration also banned the Muppet Movie classic “Rainbow Connection,” writing, “so it seems the reason is rainbows.” Tempel provided another update on March 23 when she reported that “Rainbow Connection” had been unbanned after “parents sent emails to admin,” though it seems “Rainbowland” is still off the menu.
At press time spokespeople for Heyer Elementary and the Waukesha Country board of Education had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the reported song bans. At press time it also did not appear as if Parton or Cyrus had responded to the reported “Rainbowland” ban on their socials.
In a statement to People, the Alliance for Education’s Becky Gilligan said that their organization, “continues to advocate for our community… This is the most recent decision by a school district administration intent on stifling the diversity and denying equality to the community it serves, further ostracizing Waukesha in the eyes of the nation.”
The mother of a first-grader at the school, Sarah Schindler, told the Los Angeles Times that her daughter came home last week with a list of songs she was going to perform at the spring concert. Among the tracks Schindler pulled up on YouTube were “Rainbowland,” Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Schindler said both she and her daughter were very excited because they love Parton.
Then a few days later, her daughter came home and told Schindler, “we can’t sing it anymore. We can’t sing ‘Rainbow Connection’ and we can’t sing ‘Rainbowland.’” Schindler said she reached out to Tempel, her daughter’s teacher, and the school’s principal as well as the district superintendent for answers and was told that the administration had pulled the songs because they were too “controversial.”
Schindler told the Times that the school board had undergone a “conservative flip” recently in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation strategies during the global pandemic that has has killed more than 1.2 million Americans to date. “One of those is a controversial topics policy saying that teachers can’t have any kind of signage that could be deemed political. … Discussion of pronouns with students was another thing that came up. And teachers aren’t allowed to wear rainbows,” Schindler said.
Another parent with a student enrolled in the district told the paper that the Waukesha school district has “really cracked down on anything LGBTQ… so this song being an ‘issue’ has not in any way come as a surprise… My daughter is 17 and has been in the marching band community for four years. It’s a very welcoming community for kids that are LBGTQ. She has a lot of friends that identify as part of that community so it hurts her deeply. All that Miley and Dolly are saying is that they want to live in a world that is accepting, with no judgment and where people can be who they want to be.”
See Tempel’s tweets below.
Today they banned Rainbow Connection, so it seems the reason is rainbows.— Maestra Melissa (@melissatempel) March 23, 2023
The latest I heard is that the song was banned bc @MileyCyrus is controversial. D’oh, I thought for sure it was @DollyParton and her beautiful drag queen followers! Oh well, I can’t stop my students if they still sing Rainbowland. It’s a fun, catchy song!— Maestra Melissa (@melissatempel) March 25, 2023
Pop icon Madonna won’t allow a troubling trend of state legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community impede her career-spanning Celebration Tour, announcing plans to perform in Nashville just weeks after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law restricting drag shows in the Volunteer State.
Tennessee Senate Bill 3 creates a new felony offense for anyone engaging in an “adult cabaret performance” on public property or in any location where the performance “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” In announcing her plans to perform at the Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 22 — one of nine new shows added to the sellout tour that now stretches to 80 dates across North America and Europe — Madonna and tour opener Caldwell Tidicue, who performs as Bob the Drag Queen, seem prepared to confront and possibly break the law. Maybe.
Madonna addressed the issue in a press release announcing the Nashville show, among others.
“The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane; it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color,” she said. “Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to f–k with a drag queen. Bob and I will see you from the stage in Nashville where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.”
Madonna noted that there are over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills currently making their way through various state legislatures around the country, with the longtime activist committing to donating a portion of proceeds from her to show to support trans rights organizations.
Madonna has performed in Nashville just once as part of a major tour — in 2016 on the Rebel Heart trek, selling out the Bridgestone Arena and grossing $1.5 million, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Besides the new Music City show, Madonna also announced two new dates on the East Coast, a new run of shows in California and tour stops in Las Vegas and Phoenix. The Celebration Tour has sold out over 40 shows and counting across Toronto, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and more.
Citi cardmembers and fan club members will have access to presale tickets for the new dates starting tomorrow at noon local time through Thursday at 6pm local time. The general on sale for most of the shows starts on Friday (March 31) at 10am local time on Madonna’s website, while the Philadelphia date goes on sale at noon.
Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, behind the scenes tours, group photos on-stage, a pre-show reception and more.
New Dates for The Celebration Tour
Dec. 18 Washington, DC Capital One ArenaDec. 20 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center – On Sale at 12pm Local Time 03/31Dec. 22 Nashville, TN Bridgestone ArenaJan. 7 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia ForumJan. 8 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia ForumJan. 11 2024 Palm Springs, CA Acrisure ArenaJan. 13 2024 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 CenterJan. 15 2024 San Francisco, CA Chase CenterJan. 18, 2024 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden ArenaJan. 20, 2024 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center
