Is country music a safe space for LGBTQ+ artists?
Chely Wright is reflecting on what’s changed, and what hasn’t, in the industry she has long called home.
In a new interview, the country music trailblazer explains that while the industry is “more welcoming as a whole than most might think,” it’s also “not as evolved as many might want to believe,” especially when it comes to proximity to power.
“The closer to the power center you are, the less likely you will acknowledge that the systems and the norms and the structures within that entity [are broken],” she tells People.
READ MORE: 20 Country Songs That Share a LGBTQ+ Perspective
“Because if you do — and if you’re adjacent to power — then you have to do something. And you also have to acknowledge that you’ve benefited from a system or institution that is unfair … and it’s really hard for people to acknowledge privilege.”
Wright, who made headlines in 2010 as the first major country artist to come out publicly, acknowledges that meaningful progress has been made.
“It’s not nothing that we have openly queer artists at the CMA Awards and on country radio,” she said, pointing to stars like Brandi Carlile, T.J. Osborne and Maren Morris.
Still, the “Single White Female” singer is adamant that coming-out stories matter — now more than ever.
“Representation matters. That’s why the firsts matter — and the seconds, thirds, and fourths. I think the conversations are well underway, and so we need more people to raise their hands… only if they feel safe and able.”
READ MORE: Maren Morris Was ‘Nervous’ Before Her First Date With a Woman
Now a mom of two with wife Lauren Blitzer, Wright is proud of the strides made by today’s queer country artists, but she urges fans and insiders alike to look beyond surface-level progress.
“I think the fragility of our community and the rights that we’ve achieved is at center stage right now. We’re all reckoning with how much progress was made in such a short amount of time — and how terribly fragile those freedoms and protections are,” she adds.
We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Country: 20 Songs That Share a LGBTQ+ Perspective
LGBTQ+ artists have achieved more visibility in recent years, but they still make up an under-heard, marginalized portion of the genre as a whole. As stigmas lessen and activists work for equality in the genre and beyond, more and more artists are putting out songs that speak specifically to an LGBTQ+ perspective. Here are 20 great songs that tell that story.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak