Musicians fight threat of Tennessee anti-LGBTQ, drag bills
By KRISTIN M. HALL
AP Entertainment Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has long championed its musical and creative communities, but some musicians and artists feel threatened by its new laws targeting trans youth and drag performances. Grammy-winning artists took to stages this week, alongside drag performers and trans and queer singer-songwriters, to raise money for LGBTQ support organizations and to encourage music fans to vote. Adeem the Artist is a non-binary singer-songwriter from East Tennessee. They say the laws challenge their livelihood and family. Drag artists like Justine Van De Blair said she is able to support herself with her creative outlet, but she doesn’t know what will happen when the laws take effect.
