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Hi, cowpokes! I'm going to keep this intro short and sweet because I've been laid low by COVID!

Last time, I wrote about the links between queer country history and the current trans liberation movement. I said that women’s music doesn’t necessarily align with country music…but AmericanaFest gave the Olivia Records founders a lifetime achievement award in 2019 so if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!

I also learned that Sandy Stone, the Olivia Records sound engineer whose outing precipitated the ban on trans people at MichFest, helped create the term transgender -- that is, instead of viewing being trans as a medical disorder in which "x brain is trapped in y body," being trans is a much more expensive state that is not a congenital disorder and does not necessitate medical transition. So it turns out the connections are even stronger than I thought!

Also, I interview The Voice alumni Whitney Fenimore about her beautiful new EP Leaving Ashwood and her whirlwind romance with her Olympic athlete wife on this month's episode of Rainbow Rodeo! They met on Instagram! Stars -- they're just like us! Click here to listen or find it on your favorite podcast app.

Hoo, boy! What a week! What a time! I'm insanely jealous of everyone at Americanafest, but do remember that there is a Queer Country Roots showcase tomorrow (Saturday) and you should go because I can't!

AND, if you're in Austin, remember to check out OUTlaw Pride Fest on 9/24! Tickets are $15 and will benefit Out Youth, Allgo and TENT (Trans Education Network Texas.) Huge props to Julie Nolen for organizing this show -- the lineup is very similar to the Queer Country Roots showcase so SOME of you will get to capture the magic.

One more announcement! Rainbow Rodeo now has an [Instagram][(https://www.instagram.com/rainbowrodeomag/) and Twitter account. Please give 'em a follow at @rainbowrodeomag because -- trust me -- big things will be happening in the new year.

As promised, this week's essay will focus on the connection between queer country music and the birth of the trans liberation movement.

As expected, Nashville had nothing to say about Brittany Aldean's transphobic comments, though Jason Aldean was just dropped by his publicist. They said it was because they focused on musical artists, and I guess when your wife makes transphobic t-shirts off the back of a public social media "discussion," you are a shlock merchant and not a musician.

I've got more thoughts about this but I want to make sure you have enough brain space for our spotlight on Ever More Nest! Queer Americana singer-songwriter Kelcy Wilburn wrote about the difficulties and joys of the small but fierce Americana scene in the Crescent City.

Also, did you remember to listen to non-binary rocker Syvlia Rose Novak on the Rainbow Rodeo podcast? We dig into gender, genre, and Jimmy Eat World.

Finally, I just set up separate social media pages for Rainbow Rodeo! Find me on Twitter and Instagram under @rainbowrodeomag

I misread some of Mya Byrne's Tweets about trans representation at Americanfest! Adeem the Artist, who is nonbinary, will be playing at American Aquarium's showcase. However, Americanafest as an institution has yet to show outward support of trans people. Thanks, Mya, for your kind correction. I'm very sorry! And thanks, Jessye, for also reaching out to correct me.)

Hi, all,

If you do not follow mainstream country music stars, obsessively check their social media, or spend an unhealthy amount of time on country music Twitter, congratulations.

The tea is that Brittany Aldean (Jason's wife) posted something transphobic on her Instagram seemingly out of nowhere, Apple Radio host Hunter Kelly spotted it and mentioned it on his Instagram stories, Will Groff ported it over to Twitter, and, 24 hours later, Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris called her out...on Twitter. The trio have spent the whole weekend going back and forth, with Candace Owens weighing in. You can read a summary at The Boot which includes the offensive language, but, of course, none of the people involved here are trans.

And now, a community famous for nuance and political integrity is having a public fight about the rights of trans people.

Howdy, cowpokes!

Before we get any further, I want to remind you that I will be selling copies of Rainbow Rodeo in person at Flamecon in NYC this weekend! I have a single copy of issue 1 left and 30 copies of issue 2, which are likely to sell out. If you want one, now is the time to order!

I was privy to an interesting conversation on a queer art Discord server this morning -- in fact, it's run by Danny, the brilliant artist who illustrated the Rainbow Rodeo #2 cover. Anyway! At 34 I am one of the oldest people on that server, so that's a thing. But a number of the people on the server wrote about how much it bothers them to be referred to as "queer" or their art as "queer art." For the most part, the people who expressed this opinion have experienced trauma around the word being used against them as a slur.

Of course, the term "queer" (as an ADJECTIVE) fell into common usage in the 2010s because we needed a word to encompass the seeming explosion of identities -- and the political unification of gay, lesbian, and trans activists that was made necessary during and because of the AIDS epidemic. As that movement coalesced into a broader civil rights movement in the late '90s and 2000s. And, of course, people were searching for words that encompassed identifiers more expansive than binary gender identities allowed for. (I distinctly remember proto-Brooklyn hipsters using the label pomosexual, which is an orientation that is beyond labels. But is itself a label. Anyway, this is why I dunk on Brooklyn all the time.)

I know I've been using this space to kvetch a lot lately so here's some good news! There are a lot of amazing queer country concerts and parties coming up around the South this fall. Sara Gougeon just wrapped up Queerfest in Nashville (I interviewed her about it for The Nashville Scene). In Austin, Julie Nolen is putting together the second OUTlaw Pride Fest on 9/24 with a killer lineup:

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Also, it sounds like there will be a queer country showcase in Nashville during Americanafest, but I'm waiting to hear about those details.

For those of you in Jacksonville, I recently learned about a party called the Queer Country Disco, which is happening on August 13 -- that's next week!!!

Before we get into the meaty part of this issue, I just want to make a note about country music media. It’s a bit meta, I know, but where you get your news from matters. For example, Saving Country Music, which has gained notoriety for featuring rough-and-tumble outlaw country and Americana artists. But this is the least of their sins:

This is the least of SCM’s sins. Kyle, who also seems to post under the alter ego Trigger (someone correct me if I’m wrong), has set the site’s fans against feminist journalists Lorie Liebig and Marissa R. Moss. His followers have doxxed Lorie and routinely send hatemail to her and her family. I should note that Trigger did this way before Trump was cool – maybe a prophetic backlash against progressive values in otherwise conservative spheres. Kyle took the post down after a number of people (I guess people he actually listens to) told him to fuck off.

The powers that be have informed me it’s International Non-Binary Day! I got top surgery and would identify as butch if given the choice, but I still use she/her pronouns. I know these things make me non-binary by definition, but I still don’t feel totally comfortable using the term yet. But until then, this Tweet sums up how I feel.

That ambivalence isn’t uncommon in the LGBTQ+ community, of course. Coming off of Pride Month, we are fiercely proud of our hard-won rights – even as they’re in question. Maybe we can get married (I’m signing the paper tomorrow!!!) but that doesn’t mean my wife (!!!) and I are safe holding hands while we walk down the street.

Hi, cowpokes! Are you keeping cool?

In New York, it seems like the first hot day of the year always falls on Pride. It’s homophobic, honestly – everyone is drunk and partying, AND you’re gonna make us extra dehydrated??? That’s why I headed to the beach and enjoyed swimming with a torso unencumbered by mammary glands.

I also want to announce (since I think I forgot to last time) that the queer country podcast you’ve been waiting for is here!!! This month, I interviewed Alex Riggs (whom you may know as al) about their transition, married life, music, and whether or not the queer country scene has peaked. (Something I’ll dive into more next time.) You can listen on your favorite podcast app or stream here, where you can also catch my interview with Jessye deSilva. It would totally rule if we could get to 100 downloads this month! (Also, if you subscribe for $4 a year, you can hear about the time Alex met Dave Chapelle, and what they really think of astrology.)

So…what else do you want to see? More exclusive newsletter content? Interviews? Weekly updates? How about a website that publishes daily news and music????

Happy Pride, y’all!!!

I know things are scary out there – I’m starting to feel scared – but I hope everyone can take time to celebrate queer joy and community in all the ways you love to do! (I literally was about to hit send when the news about Roe v. Wade broke, so I need some time to process…)

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about a comment Philadelphia artist Shamir made about Harry Styles. (Gasp – I know.)

Hi, cowpokes!

It's the most rainbow-ful time of year...for better or worse! And since this is a newsletter I'm writing, we're going to focus a little on the worse part.

But first, the good: there are some really exciting things happening in the world of queer country music! Namely, CMA Fest featured the first official festival showcase of queer country music in American history. (The inimitable Will Groff wrote a hilarious takedown of some country "fans'" homophobic comments, which country singer Chris Houseman lampooned on his TikTok. What a time to be alive.)

First of all, if you were at the showcase, would you like to write about it for cold hard cash for Rainbow Rodeo? Let me know.

Hi, cowpokes!

I have THREE quick and exciting announcements for you!

1) I have just launched the NEW monthly Rainbow Rodeo podcast! You can get it everywhere now! Here’s the page to stream it directly. I kick the series off with Jessye DeSilva, where we talk about growing up non-binary in rural New Jersey, the androgyny of 70s folk rock, and h ow to honor all Americans when teaching about American music.

2) The BBC just announced their Deep Dive Into Queer Country radio documentary, hosted by Queer Country author Shana Goldin-Perschbacher…and I’m one of the talking heads! (Or maybe voices, in this case.) It’s going to air on Sunday, 6/12 but will be available for streaming internationally afterwards. You know I’ll send out that link. :)

Hi, there, cowpokes!

June is around the corner and I was invited to participate in some very exciting things! Can’t wait to tell you about it but until then – thank you. I’m honored by your support.

Speaking of support, I’ve opened a Patreon for Rainbow Rodeo. You will be charged twice a year, when the zine comes out. Please consider joining because I am tired and it will make fundraising for issue 3 so much easier. You’ll get access to things like full-length articles and a secret Patreon version of..

…the new Rainbow Rodeo podcast! That’ll be out next Friday and I’ll send a reminder e-mail. :)

Hi, cowpokes!

I am back in the saddle after recovering from top surgery! I've had an essay rattling around in my brain about my gender identity and country music for several years now, but my thoughts have yet to coalesce. Maybe for the third issue of the Rainbow Rodeo zine?

Suffice to say, I don't have much to say this week but there's, like, three weeks of news to catch up on so consider this issue a massive headline roundup.

Also, I got Rainbow Rodeo #2 shipped to me like two days before surgery! You can preorder it here and I'll ship it in the next week or two. They look FANTASTIC.

Here’s the short version: we killed it.

I did not watch the ceremonies, but here’s a (limited!) recap:

Allison Russell performed “Nightflyer” at the now-televised Grammy Pre-Ceremony. Joy Clark and SistahStrings backed Russell up:

Hey, pals!

This week’s edition is going to be devoted to Shana Goldin-Perschbacher’s BRAND NEW book Queer Country! We’ve got an exclusive discount code for the book that I’ll include at the end of this section. Shana kindly curated this week’s update of the Rainbow Rodeo Playlist.

First off, this is not a sponsored post. I am simply super excited that this book exists. For one thing, Goldin-Perschbacher provides a comprehensive, thoroughly researched history of queer country music. I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I have been writing about queer country music for ten years. The book included artists I’d never heard of, as well as some insight into the queer country scene – such as it was – in the early 2000s. (My own frame of reference is pretty much from 2011 on.) Goldin-Perschbacher focuses on the experiences of trans artists such as Coyote Grace and Rae Spoon, who really pioneered queer forms of country music.

The book is also theoretical, focusing on queer studies and how the presence of queer artists in country music play with the integrity of country music – and genre – as a whole. You’ll leave the book thinking about new paths to explore when it comes to performance, gender presentation, and how we ascribe specific meanings and emotions to certain types of music.

Hi, friends! So sorry I’ve been off the radar lately – getting COVID will do that to you. I am triple-vaxxed and got a little too casual with not wearing masks in cafes! Keep wearing yours, no matter what your dumbass mayors and governors say!

Anyways, I’ve been sitting on this topic for a little while, but International Women’s Day (which, btw, is a day of actual activism and not social media posts outside the US) seemed like a good week to tackle this: Sapphic sounds and queer country music.

Emma Madden’s thoughtful essay, “The Limitations of the ‘Sapphic anthem’” on NPR has got me thinking. In the essay, Madden argues that the latest wave of sad girl guitar music (Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, etc.) is enforcing a stereotypical image of queer women (I hate the word Sapphic but please do tell me why it appeals to you) as white, waifish, and wistful, eliding the rich history of queer women in punk and women’s music, as well as queer BIPOC artists’ invaluable contributions to these genres. Madden argues that this aesthetic ultimately desexualizes young queer women, focusing on longing than the actual consummation of relationships.

Girl in Red could punch me in the face and I still wouldn’t know who she is. I generally don’t listen to these artists on purpose (yes, even Lucy Dacus) because a) I am scared of feeling sad and, as a corollary, b) I don’t think apathetic melancholy (to use a phrase from Two Cow Garage) is a particularly useful emotion. Again, reply to this e-mail and tell me why I’m wrong!

That subject line not an overstatement, even. If you’ve been following the news of the “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, a number of truckers have essentially been laying siege to the city as a form of protesting vaccine mandates. The success of the blockade – it’s listed for several weeks now, I believe – has inspired similar attempts by fascists in other countries. I am old enough to remember when truckers tried to pull this stunt in NYC after Biden was elected in November 2020, so I want to make it clear to everyone here that this is not random, the attempts to replicate it are not copycats, and we are living in a moment when literal fascists are trying to disrupt our lives!

And queer country music is being used as a tool to disrupt it. Sort of.

I was captivated by this Twitter thread describing how antifascist resisters have taken over the truckers’ communication channels, sowing distrust by posing as supporters only to…troll users with a song called “Ram Ranch.” I am reluctant to link to it both because it is EXTREMELY unsafe for work: in it, Grant MacDonald reads a spoken word ode to cowboy orgies over a heavy metal backing track. MacDonald is from Prince Edward Island so it’s as if an extra from Letterkenney decided to read their erotica outloud.

My first instinct when I listened to part of the song (I couldn’t get through it) was to feel annoyed. Much like all of those “Putin and Trump are gay for each other lol” jokes in 2016 was not the dunking that liberals thought it was, using graphic depictions of gay sex to disgust truckers is…still homophobic? In my mind, the gay sex is the joke. Plus, it assumes that truckers are inherently homophobic.

We did it, y'all!!! Thank you so much!

adobeandteardrops

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There are still 5 days remaining if you would like to snag any of the subscriber swag and/or donate to get your name in the thank-you page of Rainbow Rodeo #2!

This is a shorter update! Now that the fundraiser is over, we'll be returning to our regular bi-monthly schedule.

Hi, cowpokes!

Congrats to Elizabeth for being the 100th subscriber to this newsletter! She got a free copy of the first issue of Rainbow Rodeo!

Speaking of which, I am so excited that our fundraiser for Rainbow Rodeo #2 is going apace! We need to raise $600 in the next 5 weeks. Will you subscribe or pre-order your copy? The first 40 subscribes will get a free art print of Danny Valero's gorgeous cover illustration!

The goal, ultimately, is to raise enough funds so I can pay contributors for this newsletter!

Hi there, cowpokes!

WOW is all I can say -- not that it matters but as of this writing, 115 people have subscribed to this newsletter -- and I don't know a bunch of you! Thanks for subscribing!

First of all -- big news: the second issue of the Rainbow Rodeo zine is done!!! You can catch a sneak peek here. Want a copy? Pre-order here! You can subscribe for as little as $2 a year, though subscribing at higher tiers will net you goodies like handmade art by Rainbow Rodeo contributors, zines and albums from Adeem the Artist, and more!

For the month of February, I will be posting this newsletter weekly to keep you all up-to-date on the fundraiser. (Also, because I enjoy doing it.)

Well! What a week to kick off a newsletter championing marginalized voices within country music. Before we get into this week's news, I'm really excited to have you all here. My vision is that, eventually, this newsletter will offer articles from the best and the brightest of the country music world, and these thoughts will be collected into the Rainbow Rodeo zine. So subscribe now for as little as $1 a year to make my dreams come true!

The long story short, is that the Opry trotted out Morgan Wallen as a “surprise” guest last Saturday night. Wallen made headlines last year when TMZ posted a video of him shouting the n-word while he was on a drunken bender. Up until then – and all throughout 2021 – Wallen has been one of the top-selling country artists. Wallen has never issued more than a publicist-approved apology and his claims to donate large sums of money to local BIPOC non-profits are just that – the money never materialized. Wallen’s unrepentant attitude has made him something of a symbol for far-right chuds – and he’s done nothing to dissuade them.

Just to add fuel to the fire, the Opry had just hosted a ceremony commemorating pioneering Black country singer Charley Pride not 24 hours before.

It pained me to see so many Black artists I love and admire share their own frustration and grief online. Some people intimated that they were ready to hang up their guitars. Others said “fuck ‘em – we never needed them.” And, of course, all kinds of reactions in between. So what does this have to do with a queer country music publication? Well, the obvious is that white LGBTQ+ artists face many of the same barriers, as Chely Wright illustrated so beautifully. And, of course, there are queer BIPOC country artists because country music is for everyone.