Madonna slams Tennessee drag law — tour date benefits transgender rights

celebrity

To Erin Keller and Eric Hegedas

March 27, 2023 | 9:15 PM

Madonna and drag queens will take a ‘celebration tour’ to Nashville this winter as Tennessee enacts new laws against drag performers.

The 64-year-old “Express Yourself” icon announced eight additional tour dates on Monday. One of them will take place in Music City on December 22nd, with ticket proceeds going to transgender organizations.

Joining her on stage is Bob the Drag Queen, winner of Season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“LGBTQ+ oppression is not only unacceptable and inhumane. It creates an unsafe environment. It makes America a dangerous place for its most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color. Madge wrote on Instagram about the numerous laws being passed in legislatures across the country.

“Also, these so-called protective laws. she continued.

“Bob [The Drag Queen] See you on stage in Nashville celebrating the beauty of the queer community!”

The Tennessee Legislature recently passed a law on “adult cabaret performances.” This now includes “male or female impersonators”. The law states, “It is a crime to engage in an adult cabaret performance, and where adult cabaret takes place . . . non-adults may attend the performance.”

The first offense is considered a misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $2,500 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

Any additional offense would be a felony that could result in six months in prison.

Bob’s real name is Caldwell Tiddy Cue and was previously announced as the opening act for Madonna’s tour.

Other newly added stops include Washington DC, Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

The Washington Post reached out to Bob the Drag Queen for comment.

RuPaul himself recently denounced a spate of bills aimed at drag entertainers and health care for transgender youth.

“We know that bullies are incapable of solving real problems. They look for easy targets so they can appear effective. , we see our love, our light, our laughter, our joy as a sign of weakness, which is wrong because it is our strength” in the election. “Drag queens are the Marines of the queer movement.

“Express Yourself” singer Madonna (who begins a new tour in Vancouver on July 15) has long championed gay and transgender individuals.

In the 1980s, she was one of the first high-profile activists during the HIV and AIDS epidemic, and throughout her career she continued to donate and raise funds for AIDS research.

In 2019, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said Madonna “was and always will be the LGBTQ community’s greatest ally.”

Recently, however, Madonna’s almost unrecognizable appearance and strange behavior on social media have been making headlines.

Earlier this month, she shared a photo of her bizarre kiss with her new boyfriend, boxer Josh Popper, 29.