Some Country Musicians Condemn Anti-LGBT Laws, But Top Tier Artists And Labels Remain Silent
In recent days, GLAAD and others in the LGBT community have called on the country music industry to speak out against new laws in North Carolina and Mississippi that are widely believed to discriminate against LGBT people. So far, the response has been disappointing.
After calls from GLAAD and other LGBT organizations for the country music industry to speak out against new laws in North Carolina and Mississippi which are widely seen as discriminatory against LBGT people, Nashville has been slow to respond.
Billy Ray Cyrus, Emmylou Harris, actor Chris Carmack of ABC's Nashville and Gretchen Peters have all come out against the laws. But country music's current platinum sellers and chart toppers have been noticeably silent. On the other hand, rock's top tier including Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams have been vocal opponents, with the later two cancelling shows in the two states.
Nashville's record labels have been universally silent. Universal Music Group Nashville, Warner Music Nashville, Sony Music Nashville, Curb Records and Big Machine Label Group all declined t0 comment when asked by The Associated Press.
Similar bills were vetoed by Georgia's governor and are still being considered in Tennessee and South Carolina. As the state capital of Tennessee and heavily reliant on both country music and tourism, Nashville and its music community will not be able to duck the issue much longer. It's not a game they have been in before, but it's going to have a big impact on their city so I think they are right now educating themselves on what the topics are and what the issues are," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD told Billboard.
