Why Queer Representation In Country Music Is So Important

Country music may not be known for being queer affirming, but that is slowly changing. Country music has been the soundtrack of some of the most important moments of my life. To most people, it’s not the sound of rebellion, but it started that way for me. When I was growing up, I wasn’t allowed to listen to country, but I did anyway. I was drawn to the big feelings, the kinds of emotions that I wasn’t allowed to have at home. The ballads about finding yourself and building a new life resonated with me and helped me have the confidence to come out, leave home as a teenager, and find my way in the queer community.  Recently, while sorting documents that came out of my long-estranged and now-dead mother’s house, I found my teenage journal from the late ‘90s. On those pages, I was writing letters to God with a purple pen, begging him not to make me gay. I remember sitting in my childhood bedroom, listening to country radio and my favorite stack of CDs, knowing already that despite these pleas, I was gay. Really, really gay. Country has always been part of the soundtrack to my life from the hardest closeted days as a kid to the queerest nights of my adulthood, and it makes me so happy to see the genre that I love starting to embrace more queerness. 

 A major indicator of the genre’s shifting tides is Chappell Roan’s newest single, “The Giver,” which came out earlier this month. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of Chappell Roan. In fact, I didn’t really like her music—it was her interviews and her continued commitment to speaking out about queer issues and mental health that grabbed my attention. I appreciated the way she has dedicated herself to queer kids trapped in small towns, or those who feel isolated the way that she had. She pulled me in with her worldview, and now I find myself enjoying more of her music. 

 “The Giver” is a quirky country tune about lesbian sex, poking fun at boys who need a map to find the right place to touch. I’m always here for a dyke-anthem, especially one this catchy. Typically, my preference when it comes to country music is deep lyrics and rip-your-heart-out feelings, and this certainly isn’t that. But, when I think about trends in country music, like Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” which topped the country charts in 2024, “The Giver” feels very aligned with current party country sounds. 

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Of course, I’ve seen some negative commentary about the song, but you can’t make everyone happy, and let’s face it, men don’t like being told lesbians can please women better! There are country fans who aren’t sure it’s really country enough to be country, but that hasn’t hindered the song’s popularity. The week “The Giver” was released I had tickets to see country music artist Alexandra Kay on her “Cupid’s a Cowgirl” tour stop in Portland, Oregon. In the middle of her concert, she surprised the audience with a cover of Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” and the audience went wild.  While people might not think of her as a classic country artist, Roan’s energy is intoxicating, and she clearly has a connection with country artists and listeners. 

There was much excitement around Roan’s country single, and the associated rumors that a country album is in her future. As an avid country listener, I’m thrilled at the positive reception Roan seems to be getting—not just from her base of queer fans, but also within country music. Although country music was known for being very traditional and heteronormative, that is changing. Last year, openly gay country artist Orville Peck recorded “Cowboys Are Frequently Fond Of Each Other” with iconic country artist Willie Nelson. Meanwhile, out gay country artists like Chris Housman are walking the red carpet at Country Music Awards. There has been an increase in lesbian representation as well. I was thrilled earlier this year when out country artist Angie K, who is known for unapologetically queer songs like “Red Dirt on Mars,” made her Grand Ole Opry debut. Out country artist Lily Rose has opened for some of the biggest names in country, like Cole Swindell and Shania Twain. Seeing lesbian artists making it in Nashville’s country scene thrills me, and to see a queer artist like Chappell Roan make a crossover into country will only lead to more opportunities.

I can only imagine what it’s like to be a young LGBTQ+ kid today seeing out artists performing country songs. I think back to my teenage experience, getting kicked out of Future Farmers of America for refusing to wear a skirt or sitting with a journal and a purple pen in my childhood bedroom, begging God to not be queer. I never imagined 25 years later I would be listening to queer artists singing about queer heartbreak and queer joy—let alone queer sex! It took a long time to get here, and the genre isn’t perfect, but in these challenging cultural/political times, Chappell certainly gets the job done with “The Giver!”