Lizzo is making headlines after inviting drag queens on stage during her recent Knoxville, Tennessee concert. The Grammy winner was performing at the Thompson-Boling Arena when popular drag queens such as Kandy Muse, Aquaria, Vanessa Vanji, Asia O’Hara joined her performance.
The singer later uploaded a snippet of the concert on Twitter and said:
THANK YOU TO THESE BEAUTIFUL DRAG QUEENS FOR SHOWING THEIR PRIDE IN TENNESSEE
The performer clapped back at the Tennessee Senate Bill 3, popularly known as the Tennessee drag ban with her skit.
This season on All Stars…! ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/v8LjBftvvz
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) April 22, 2023
Lizzo performed with 20 drag performers on stage
The Juice singer invited 20 drag performers on stage dressed in the colors of the rainbow. The artist told the crowd that she was suggested not to play in the state to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. She said:
“In light of recent and tragic events and current events, I was told by people on the internet, ‘Cancel your shows in Tennessee,’ ‘Don’t go to Tennessee”
She added, that while she could understand their logic, she wanted to show support in a different way. Lizzo said:
“Their reason was valid, but why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most? Why would I not create a safe space in Tennessee where we can celebrate drag entertainers and celebrate our differences?”
The singer received praise from the LGBTQ+ community. Aquaria, the winner of 2018 RuPaul’s Drag Race series, who was also a part of the performance wrote on Instagram:
“Thank you so much for the platform for me and the drag race girls and especially for uplifting the queens [in] Tennessee!”
The official Drag Race Twitter page applauded Lizzo and posted:
“When @lizzo said “if i’m shining, everybody gonna shine” she MEANT IT”
When @lizzo said “if i’m shining, everybody gonna shine” she MEANT 👏 IT 👏 https://t.co/FPc2MQUjHf
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 22, 2023
What is Tennessee’s public drag ban ?
The law was passed in March 2023, and dictates, “As enacted, creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”
People supporting the law targeted drag artists and the LGBTQ+ community.
Iterations of the law make it difficult for people to organize, promote or perform in shows where performers dress in clothing that is not typically associated with their gender. A violation of the law could end up in a $2,500 fine and up to six months in jail.
The bill received immediate backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, human rights activists, and civil rights groups. They explained that the law was discriminatory and unconstitutional. They added that it attacked their right to free expression and equal treatment under the law.
A Memphis-based LGBTQ theatre group also filed a suit against the law. The federal judge in the case, found the law to be “unconstitutionally vague” and put it under temporary restrictions.
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