Country singer Maren Morris is taking a stand against new legislation in Tennessee.
Maren recently spoke up at the celebrity-packed Love Rising event in Nashville. The event was organized in support of the Tennessee Equality Project, Inclusion Tennessee, Out Memphis, and the Tennessee Pride Chamber.
At one point, Maren took the stage and told the audience, "Yes, I introduced my son to some drag queens today. So, Tennessee, [expletive] arrest me."
Maren also recently appeared as a guest judge on a January 2023 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. She told the cast of the show, "Coming from country music and its relationship with LGBTQ+ members, I just want to say I'm sorry."
Maren continued, "I love you guys for making me feel like a brave voice in country music. So I just thank you guys so much for inspiring me."
The law that Tennessee's governor passed bans performances by "male and female impersonators" that are adult in nature.
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The event also featured performances from other country artists such as Brittany Howard, Brothers Osborne, Hozier, Yola, and Sheryl Crow, as well as a former contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race, Aura Mayari.
Aura had previously released a statement about the legislation. Aura commented, "I am deeply upset and saddened to hear about the drag ban in Tennessee. The state [proposed] this bill to protect children from seeing anything explicit, when in fact, it is a mask used to hide the discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ community and the desire to erase drag. Public indecency is already illegal in Tennessee."
The statement continued, "This is yet another awful attempt at trying to take away our rights. People come to our shows to have a good time and to escape the cruel reality of life. Drag brings joy and inspiration to all audiences. Drag changes people's lives and that's what pushes me to continue fighting for our community."
Many have been confused about the timing of the legislation and why it exists in the first place. As University of Michigan gender studies professor Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes told the Associated Press, "Drag is not a threat to anyone. It makes no sense to be criminalizing or vilifying drag in 2023."
He continued, "It is a space where people explore their identities. But it is also a place where people simply make a living. Drag is a job. Drag is a legitimate artistic expression that brings people together, that entertains, that allows certain individuals to explore who they are and allows all of us to have a very nice time. So it makes literally no sense for legislators, for people in government, to try to ban drag."
