Lizzo Brings Out Drag Queens During Tennessee Show to Protest Anti-Drag Law

Author: Alex Cooper

The one and only Lizzo said drag rights on Friday night during her first show of the second leg of her The Special 2our.

The Grammy-award-winning artist took to the stage at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., and invited several drag queens to join her.

Lizzo’s act of solidarity comes about a month after Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a bill that would criminalize public drag performances. The law, however, has been temporarily halted after a Memphis-based theater group sued over the legislation.

Tennessee was the first state to pass such a law, but others are now attempting to.

She’s joined other musicians — such as Maren Morris, Haley Williams, Hozier, Allison Russell, and Mya Byrne — in calling out the drag ban in Tennessee.

“Support your drag entertainers!” Lizzo says in a video shared on her social accounts.

“THANK YOU TO THESE BEAUTIFUL DRAG QUEENS FOR SHOWING THEIR PRIDE IN TENNESSEE,” the body positivity icon wrote on Instagram.

Some of the queens featured were Asia O’Hara, Aquaria, Kandy Muse, and Vanessa Vanjie, from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“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,’” Lizzo said during the show. “Their reason was valid, but why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most?”

The “About Damn Time” singer added: “Why would I not create a safe space in Tennessee where we can celebrate drag entertainers and celebrate our differences?”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Alex Cooper