Eric Patton Interviews Kalie Shorr & Olivia Lane Mid-South Pride Rocked Beale Street NOVEMBER 2017 / VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 11 FIRST ISSUE FREE - ADD’L COPIES 50¢ EACH
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We're ready for the next chapter.
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CONTENTS 10
MATTEO LANE TO PERFORM AT ZANIES
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RECORD ATTENDANCE AT MID-SOUTH PRIDE FESTIVAL
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LEANN RIMES PREACHES ‘LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE’
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NEW POP-COUNTRY STAR, OLIVIA LANE OPENS UP
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KALIE SHORR: INTRODUCING AN ASPIRING COUNTRY DIVA
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TODRICK HALL PACKED PLAY DANCE BAR
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NOVEMBER 2017
Taste food and drink from Nashville’s tastemakers, bid at the fabulous silent auction, and enjoy lively entertainment in Nissan Stadium’s West Club.
5-8 PM | Sunday, November 19th | tastenashville.org All proceeds benefit the Chamber’s Foundation and our mission to educate, inspire and empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender business professionals throughout Nashville and the surrounding area.
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A LOOK BACK AT NASHVILLE CARES’ ANNUAL AIDS WALK & RUN NASHVILLIANS RAISE BIG MONEY TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION
Each year, droves of people turn out to help Nashville CARES supporting its mission and hard work towards actively ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee. With the help of over 1,000 volunteers, walkers and runners, the annual AIDS Walk & Run has in recent years managed to raise $200,000+ per year for Nashville CARES. Race day offered a family-friendly experience with options including the 5K Walk and Run, performance awards, a Community Fair and Expo, and great prizes. The event was emceed by Zac Woodward, who is hosting O&AN’s Will & Grace recap show online, and who most notably is the producer of 107.5 The River’s Woody & Jim Show. The 26th Annual Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run was presented by NPS.
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PHOTOS: STEPHEN BLOODWORTH & NASHVILLE CARES
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From “Inside the Closet” to Standup MATTEO LANE TO PERFORM AT ZANIES IAN ABER
Matteo Lane, one of comedy’s LGBT rising stars, is making his way south for a run of shows that include Nashville’s own comedy institution, Zanies. Matteo has appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers and Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party, as well as MTV’s GIRL CODE and MTV2’s GUY CODE. We catch up with him to find out what audiences can expect from his show, what makes him laugh and more.
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How did you get started in stand up comedy? I was trying to make it as a singer, but it was too hard, and I had really awful gigs in strip clubs at 4 a.m. singing in between a drag queen and a stripper. But I’ve always loved Ellen and Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers. I had a friend dating a comic, and I asked if I could try it, and he said yes. It was 3 minutes at a s****y bar in Chicago, and I loved it. Who was your favorite comedian growing up? As a child, Ellen. She had/still has the best delivery of any comedian. She was also so accessible to kids. I loved her face and expressions when she’d tell jokes. When I was 16 I discovered Kathy Griffin, who changed my life. But the biggest influence of all was Joan Rivers. She gave me the comedy bug. I miss her everyday. You recently started a podcast called “Inside the Closet”—tell us about your podcasts and what listeners can expect when they tune in. It’s a podcast that’s not a podcast. I don’t wanna talk about comedy, or interview people about their lives/ careers in comedy. It’s just me and my amazing cohost Emma Willmann, and we chat about sex, dating, and interests. It’s a peek inside our lives and what gays talk about. You are also collaborating with Bob the Drag Queen on a comic book: Tell us more about that project. It’s called *Kick Ass Drag Queen*, and it’s about a barista by day and super star drag queen super hero by night. It stars all your favorites from RuPaul’s *Drag Race*, and it’s hilarious. Bob does all the writing and I do all the drawings. We have a BLAST doing it.
If your comedy was a style of bathing suit, what style of bathing suit would it be and why? A tankini—‘cuz it’s ridiculous Celebrity Crush? Susan Boyle No, what celebrity would you like to see crushed? Mariah’s already doing that for herself. If 13-year-old you saw you today, what would they say? Thank God you left Arlington Heights! You’ll be in Nashville on November 29th performing at Zanies Comedy Club. Is this your first time in Nashville? Other than performing at Zanies, what do you plan on doing? Hopefully eating good food. I actually want to see live music: I know that sounds corny but it’s true. Also, local drag shows. Any advice for aspiring queer comedians? Be yourself and make your own rules. Respect your peers and be patient. To catch Matteo at Zanies on Tuesday, November 28, at 7 p.m., get your tickets at http://zaniesnashville.laughstub. com/event.cfm?id=495230. You can also find his podcast on iTunes.
Now some quickies: Favorite way to waste a day? Watch *Golden Girls*, make pasta and watch bad infomercials with my cousins. Favorite thing to hear after you perform? “We loved you in Cabaret.” JK… Probably just, “Thank you.” I’m not good with compliments. I’d rather hear what I did wrong so I can improve it the next night. Least favorite thing to hear after you perform? “My gay friends would love you: are you single?” Other than you, of course, who is your favorite comedian to watch? Joan. But my Aunt Cindy is also the funniest person I know. Ask yourself a question here! Will you ever find true love? Answer that question you just asked yourself! Yes—it’ll be in Italy and come with a bowl of carbonara.
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{
MONROE HARDING
}
STAFF
For those in the LGBTQI community, the option of fostering or adopting often involves a long journey full of questions about how it will affect their family unit. This is an important part of the process for anyone to go through to determine if becoming a foster parent is an appropriate option for them. Unfortunately, the need for great foster families in Tennessee is immense: it can often be difficult to find enough families willing to open up their homes to help a child heal. This month’s Nashville LGBT Chamber spotlight member is an organization that promotes foster care, Monroe Harding. “Membership in the LGBT Chamber was a no-brainer for Monroe Harding”, says Monica Beere, foster parent recruiter. “It gives us a professional and consistent way to reach out to potential LGBTQI foster parents and provides us the networking opportunities with other LGBT-affirming businesses and organizations we can utilize to provide services for our young people who identify as LGBTQI.” What is foster care?
Children enter foster care when the courts determine they need to be temporarily or permanently removed from their birth family due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. Right now in Tennessee there are over 6,000 children in foster care, including many teenagers and sibling groups. The goal of foster care is to provide children (up to 18 years of age) with a safe, nurturing environment while their birth parents improve their ability to care for their children, with the ultimate goal being reunification with the family. The majority of children who come into foster care are reunited with their birth family. If children are unable to return to their birth family or relatives, the goal will become adoption or, for older youth, independent living. When adoption is possible, children can be adopted by their foster parents and become part of their forever family. Why should I foster through Monroe Harding? Monroe Harding was founded in 1893 by Mrs. Fannie Harding, in memory of her husband, Dr. James Monroe Harding. Today, the youth who are recipients of Fannie Harding’s legacy
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either are, or have been, in state’s custody. Just as in Fannie Harding’s day, Monroe Harding still strives to give every child the chance for a better life. Through Monroe Harding, 24/7 support is given for the foster families by trained and compassionate staff who will be able to assist with everyday life as well as emergencies and crises. As a trauma-informed healing community, Monroe Harding provides wrap-around support with individualized case management focusing on the needs of the foster youth in the home. Who can become a foster parent? Like the children Monroe Harding serves, its foster parents come from diverse cultural, social and financial backgrounds. Below is the list of requirements needed to be able to become a foster parent: • Are at least 25 years of age. • Are single or married • Are able to meet basic income guidelines • Have reliable transportation • Can provide stable and consistent housing with comfortable bedroom space and a separate bed for each foster child. • Attend PATH (Parents as Tender Healers) classes, required by the state of Tennessee • Are willing for everyone 18 years and older in your household to undergo complete background checks. • Embrace differences of racial, ethnic, religious, social and educational backgrounds. For more information about Monroe Harding and the services they provide, or for more information about becoming a foster family, visit monroeharding.org.
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The Nashville LGBT Chamber is a professional and consistent resource to find businesses who are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally customers and clients. The Chamber directory at www.nashvillelgbtchamber.org/ list will help you find The Mockingbird and other LGBTfriendly businesses and organizations.
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MID-SOUTH PRIDE ROCKED BEALE STREET RECORD ATTENDANCE AT MEMPHIS FESTIVAL
This year’s Mid-South Pride in Memphis was one for the record books apparently! After the festival, the Mid-South Pride Board released the following: “We at Pride are overwhelmed with gratitude and in awe of our community from this weekend. We always go into this event with high hopes of success and Memphis helped us to succeed that expectation. Per the Sheriff’s Dept. on Saturday, there was a record breaking 15,000 people that attended our festival and parade and this was not including the patrons on Beale Street. WOW! We could not have done this without the love and support of our community, and its allies.” A number of awards were presented for those participating in the parade: • Best Walking Group - Friends Of George’s • Best Rolling Group - HOIST Men of Leather • Best Use of Theme - Rhodes College • Best in Show - The Pumping Station Nashville was represented at Mid-South Pride by members of a number of organizations, including TEP, HRC, and Team Friendly Tennessee. Enjoy these photos, and by the looks of it more of us may want to visit Memphis for Pride next year!
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PHOTOS: STEPHEN BLOODWORTH
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STUDY OF RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION LAWS DEMONSTRATES TROUBLING TRENDS
NEW REPORT DETAILS ATTACK ON LGBT PEOPLE, WOMEN, FAMILIES AND HEALTH CARE STAFF
On October 17, 2017, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a new report, Tipping the Scales: The Coordinated Attack on LGBT People, Women, Parents, Children, and Health Care, detailing the alarming and widespread push to pass a variety of religious exemptions laws that would give businesses, government agencies and individuals a right to discriminate on religious or moral grounds. “The sheer volume and variety of these efforts to write religious exemptions into all areas of American life and law is incredibly disturbing,” said Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). “Freedom of religion is a core American value, but religious freedom doesn’t give anyone the right todiscriminate, to harm, or to impose their religion on others. This is a coordinated effort to say that, as long as you have a religious objection, you shouldn’t have to follow the law when it comes to hiring and firing employees, discrimination protections for customers and clients, providing
health care, administering government services and issuing documentation, serving children and families in child welfare agencies, and the list just goes on.” On October 6th, the Department of Justice issued sweeping guidance instructing federal agencies to provide significant leeway to staff and government contractors and grantees seeking religious exemptions from federal laws, rules and regulation, if they cite a religious belief as the reason for doing so. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services announced in early October a sweeping religious exemption allowing any employer or insurance company to refuse contraceptive coverage in their health benefits. Tipping the Scales: The Coordinated Attack on LGBT People, Women, Parents, Children, and Health Care analyzes the mounting legislation and litigation across the country orchestrated to undermine nondiscrimination protections, comprehensive health care, and the regulations administering social and public services by inserting exemptions into the laws based on religious or moral beliefs.
From lgbtmap.org/equality_maps/profile_state/TN – visit the interactive chart for deeper analysis of this and other issues facing LGBT Tennessean
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These attacks on the law include the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), state religious exemption laws in adoption and foster care, religious exemptions in health care including for reproductive care, denial of government services including marriages, denial of service in public businesses, the denial of employee benefits, and cases like the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision. The report details the myriad ways religious exemption laws and lawsuits are being pushed forward, and their impact millions of Americans including 10 million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their children, 11.6 million single parents and children, 14.1 million unmarried couples, 62.4 million women who are eligible for birth control under the Affordable Care Act, and 1.6 million unmarried pregnant women. Freedom of religion is a core American value, but religious freedom doesn’t give anyone the right to discriminate, to harm, or to impose their religion on others. And most Americans agree. According to a September 2017 PRRI survey, 72% of Americans support laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The same survey found that 68% of the public oppose allowing agencies that receive federal funding to refuse placing children with gay or lesbian people. For more information about the report, visit: lgbtmap.org/religious-exemptionslicense-to-discriminate.
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’ COUNTRY PREACHES ‘LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE’ A Truth Rooted in Personal Tragedy, LGBT Connections JAMES GRADY
In 1996, a thirteen-year-old vocal talent LeAnn Rimes hit it big with her album, Blue, making her a household name, especially among country music fans. Two decades later, Rimes is still making music and inspiring her fans—2017’s Remants is her SIXTEENTH studio album! One of the most notable songs on Remants is an anthem celebrating the LGBT community, “Love is Love is Love.” In an interview with Us, Rimes explained, “A Pride celebration is a living thing. It is breathing authenticity. It’s a space we hold for one another, a place to come into what our souls move us to be, it’s a place in love and only love… That’s why the LGBTQ community continues to inspire me and enliven my spirit every time I perform for them.” Rimes’ general charitable work is extensive, but in relation to the LGBT community, she has supported the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), The Trevor Project, No H8, GLADD, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Choir. This year Rimes’ long relationship with her LGBT fans and her support for their community has been particularly highlighted: Rimes was honored an Ally for Equality Award at the HRC Nashville Equality Dinner on Saturday, March 25, 2017 for her advocacy for and outreach to the LGBT community. “LeAnn Rimes is boldly using her influence in the music world to empower people to accept and be their true selves,” said Blake Brockway, co-chair of the HRC Nashville Equality Dinner, when the award was announced. “An outspoken advocate for LGBTQ equality, she is also making a difference in the lives of countless young people across the country by standing up for LGBTQ youth and speaking out against bullying.” On December 10, 2017, Rimes will return to Nashville to perform at the Ryman as part of her “Today is Christmas Tour.” In advance of the even, Rimes shared some insights into her history with the LGBT community, why she feels so strongly about her obligation to be an active O Uwhat T A N Dthe ABO U T N A Sholds H V I L Lfor E .CO M NOVEMBER 2017 ally, and future her. 20
O&AN: Where is your commitment to the LGBT community rooted? LEANN: Well I mean my love and appreciation and support of the LGBT community has always been there, ever since I was very young. My uncle passed away from AIDS when I was 11, and, being from the south, me and my dad were the only ones who showed up at his funeral. So I kind of saw this major discrimination and just … pain throughout the family, throughout the south in generally. Just like really, it’s dehumanizing in a way. And it feels like it’s a disease or something. I remember that’s kind of how I felt when I was 11. He had this disease. He was gay. It stuck with me very deeply, and I’ve always, I just have in my heart, I’ve always been a huge supporter of equality across the board. And I’ve had tons of LGBTQ fans ever since I was young. I have so many guys that were like, “We were obsessed with you. And our moms thought, ‘Oh, we want you to be our girlfriend.’” They were like, “No, we just wanted to wear your shoes and go in your closet.” I’m like, “Perfect!” So these kids came out, used me and my music to come out, to tell their parents. I mean there’s so many stories that I’ve heard, and it’s just always been a part of my heart. And especially starting out as a country artist, that was one thing that I never shied away from—showing my support of the LGBTQ community. O&AN: What kind of stories have fans told you? LEANN: I’ve had some funny ones like I said where the kids were like, “Oh, yeah, my mom thought we were totally obsessed with you, but obviously in a completely different way.” And then I’ve had kids who said just the connecting through my music has helped them be able to express themselves. Some of the messages in my music have given them hope when they didn’t have it. Me just even speaking out about it and being a support system has helped them realize that they aren’t alone. I mean there’s so much that has been told to me—like the ones where
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kids were really thinking of not being here anymore. And somehow, they heard one of my songs and it gave them this boost to go, “Okay, I can do this. I can be me. And I can make it through.” Those are the hardest ones for me, and the most amazing ones, too, because you don’t realize, every day, how much music, your music, can be touching somebody and helping them in their life. Those are the beautiful stories for sure. O&AN: You grew up in the Nashville music scene: how have you seen the Nashville music scene changing as far as its acceptance of LGBT people? LEANN: I think it’s been a slow process, obviously. I knew my friends Ty Herndon, Billy Gillman, Chely Wright… I mean I’ve known Ty since I was eight, and we all knew. It just, it wasn’t ever talked about, even between us, because it was just, it was something that always had to be hidden. And I know from being around them and discussing it with them later on in life how painful that was. I can only imagine. I mean we all hide ourselves in a way, parts of ourselves. But when it comes to something that is such a core part of who you are—you don’t go around choosing these things, it’s who you are… And not being accepted for that, I mean that comes with its own set of issues and it rips your soul out. So to be around that and to witness it is very hard for me. And every time one of them has come out, I’ve been so excited. When I saw Billy came out, I was in a McDonald’s. I was texting him from the bathroom because I had just seen it on my phone and I was crying, and I’m like, “People are gonna think I’m crazy!” But it makes me so happy when people can be themselves and be free. I think that the country community is slowly but surely really, really accepting it. I don’t think they can get away from it anymore. But the true acceptance of it? Hopefully this won’t even be a conversation we’re having several years from now. Sooner rather than later, hopefully. O&AN: How did you feel when HRC Nashville presented you with their Ally for Equality Award? LEANN: Honestly it’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever received, just because it’s not about music, it’s about the human and it’s about a connection and being an ally for each other. As much as I’ve supported [the LGBT community], they have done the same for me for many, many years now and continue to. O&AN: What are some of your upcoming projects? LEANN: I have a Christmas tour coming up which we’re about to embark on. I can’t believe it’s almost that time again. So we’re doing that end of this year. We’re playing the Ryman. So if anybody gets a chance
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to come out and see us, it’s gonna be a really beautiful time. I love touring at Christmas because it has just a whole different vibe. Everybody’s super cheerful and joyful, and in these times right now, I think the more we can spread joy here, especially around the holidays, the better. I have a little acoustic tour that I’m doing right now, too. And then next year’s going to be pretty crazy. I can’t talk about anything yet, but-I’m excited. Some more acting upcoming next year; I’ve got some good stuff and some new music. I’m about to start writing again and playing around in the studio, so there will definitely be some new music within the next four or five months. You can keep up with all of her new work at leannrimesworld.com, and of course get tickets to the Christmas show at the Ryman at ryman.com/ events/leann-rimes.
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WA
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ERIC PATTON
Nashville, I’m bringing you yet another non-household name that you need to know. Olivia Lane is a young, pop-country singer fresh on the scene. Her sound is very Taylor Swift-gonerogue, without the awkward rapping that nobody is too sure about. It’s an edgy, but still mainstream take on the subgenre. The mischievousness in her lyrics makes her out to be a fun artist with a target audience of 13-25. The single I discovered was “Wrong Girl.” It’s about her meeting a guy who has no idea what he’s getting into. I heard the song and decided I needed to meet her.
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‘Wrong Girl’ Heating Things Up for Olivia Lane
O&AN: How did you make your way to Nashville? Olivia: I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I was sort of a suburb kid, so I grew up in West Houston, and I actually moved out to Los Angeles when I was 16. I begged my parents to move so I could do acting and singing. I did two years of high school in LA, and I did four years at the University of Southern California, where I did theater and songwriting. I graduated in 2013, packed up my car, drove across country with my two best guy friends and went to Bonnaroo. I remember watching Paul McCartney, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, I belong. This is where I belong.”
I’ve been back to California for work and to see friends, but I’ve been here for four-and-a-half years. I love it. I think Nashville is a really great midway point between the Houston and LA vibes. I feel like Nashville always has something going on, but you can still get away and not feel like you’re missing out on everything. So far in Nashville, you’ve recorded some singles. You’ve been on a couple of radio tours. How are things going so far? So probably the second and third year I was in Nashville, I was on the road. I was gone about two to three weeks out of the month. I thought it was important for me to go on the road and learn about myself, learn about what kind of music I wanted to put out there, what my fans saw in me… Because I am an independent artist, I kind of had to do things my own independent way. So I was on the road with my manager … and basically you go on the road with one to two musicians who are your band. You walk into a conference room. There’s people sitting around a table. You perform at the end of the conference. You get to chat for a bit, and then you’re like at the very end of the conference table and they’re all sitting in front of you being quiet. It’s such a weird environment to open your heart to people who may or may not like you. When I was walking into the room as an independent, that’s already one strike, like, “Oh gosh, she’s an independent artist. I don’t know if we’re going to like her or not…” But then I’m also a female, that’s like two strikes. So I was walking into the room already kind of losing, because for some reason, and I don’t know what the answer is, but females are just not getting the love on country radio. O&AN: Why is that, do you think? Why are country females having such a hard time getting traction on country radio right now? Olivia: You know, I don’t know the exact answer. I have my suspicions. I do believe this, but I think it’s too easy to say, “Oh, good music will just rise to the top.” You know what? I hear good music
every single day coming out of this town. Part of me does not believe that. I know so many women here who are waiting in the wings. I really do think it’s a mixture of having the good music, having the right people around you to get the music into the right hands, which means basically being in the country game. It’s almost like you have to be at a label because they have so much power, and when an independent starts to rise, they either sign that artist because they want a part of it, or they squash you. That was pretty much my experience. Also, you have to be able to sell the goods. You have to have the confidence, and you have to be able to put that music to life. Another necessary part is being a personable artist... You have to check every single box for them to even remotely think about giving you a chance. And even when you check all the boxes, it still might not work out. That’s the most infuriating thing. O&AN: So let’s talk about your music. What sets you apart from everyone else right now? Olivia: That’s always a tough question for an artist, especially me, because some days I wake up one way, like, “Oh, I love this pop/country stuff.” And then some days I’m like, “I just love Patsy Cline and the traditional stuff.” But for me I definitely am that pop/country vein. I’m a very positive person. My energy, I just have like an overabundance of energy that I was given in birth. I’m not exactly sure where it comes from. My idols are Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Patsy Cline, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, all of the women who were very unapologetically themselves and just putting their personality out there through their music and let their treasure shine. You know, they just let themselves shine and they have the confidence. I think my music is starting to take on that Olivia character, that part of me, where I’m digging deeper emotionally into relationships in my life and growing up, but there’s always going to be that special Olivia Lane positivity fairy dust sprinkled on top, because I’m not the kind of person to sit in the corner and cry about my emotions and write a
song of how miserable I am. I deal with the misery, and then the song comes afterwards after I’ve healed. O&AN: So what about your new single? When is that dropping? Olivia: Yes, October 20th the song is out. The music video is dropping on the same day. This song is called “Devil and You”… It’s loud, it’s rocking, it’s in-yourface, it’s dramatic, and it’s showing a little bit more of a sensitive side to me. The song is basically ... you know that experience when in movies where somebody’s trying to make a decision and they have a devil on their shoulder and an angel on their shoulder? And obviously the devil’s like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, do that, it’s going to be way more fun,” and the angel’s like, “I don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t.” That’s what this song is about. Should I go down this road of hanging out with this “I know this man is bad for me” kind of guy? Should I do it? I don’t know. That’s what this song is talking about. To follow Olivia Lane’s music, check out her website olivialane.com, and follow her on social media!
@OUTANDABOUTNASH
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KALIE SHORR:
ASPIRING COUNTRY DIVA AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC PATTON A couple weeks ago, iTunes suggested I listen to a new song called “Love Like That.” From the first two measures, I was hooked. It’s a boppy, wit-filled song that has lyrics like “Casanova” and “John Mayer.” I was rolling around on my way to lunch and just danced all around my front seat like a teenage girl. After listening to the rest of the EP, Slingshot, I was mesmerized by the sheer potential this young artist was exuding. I had to meet her. Kalie Shorr has been in Nashville four years. Originally from Portland, Maine, the 23-year-old songstress got her start playing in the pop and punk world. “My first concert I ever went to was the Dixie Chicks with
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Michelle Branch opening at Madison Square Garden. And that explains so much of my styling,” she said when we finally met, “because Michelle has those rock influences, and the Dixie Chicks are always so unabashedly themselves; I’ve always adored them…” “I listen to a lot of Alison Krauss, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain,” she added, “all the divas of 90s country... But also, my first band I was ever in was a Nirvana cover band ... it was awful, and I mean really bad. So yes, I had a very wide array of influences. I listened to a lot of grunge music and a lot of country. My interests are varied, for sure.”
Now, she’s a rising star of the Nashville Song Suffragettes movement—a group of young women who play every Monday night at The Listening Room—and has been honing her music skill at shows in and out of town. The Suffragettes “started just as an idea with a production company in Nashville,” Kalie said. “They recognized there was a major problem with females, and it was before people were really talking about it. You hear Carrie and Miranda—and Taylor Swift when she was on country radio. People really didn’t feel like there was a huge problem, but then someone showed me the facts and figures, and I was blown away. There’s a very definite problem of women not being represented in country music. And it sucks to not be represented. To look at a genre I’ve loved my entire life, and feel like it’s not for me anymore, breaks my heart.” I stopped her for clarification, and I asked her what she meant by “not for you anymore.” “It’s not welcoming,” she said. “I’ll walk into a room at a label or whatever, and they’ll be like ‘Yeah, you’re great, but you’re a girl…’” “It was a hard realization to come to that country just wasn’t being hospitable to women,” she continued. “Female story tellers have accounted for so much of the genre, and so much of the progression of the genre. Where would modern country music be today without Shania Twain? It’s mind blowing what these women have done for country music, and what country music isn’t doing for women now... It’s incredibly sad.” And she’s exactly right. Since 2010, only three women had topped the Billboard Top Forty for Country Airplay until Kelsea Ballerini took top spot with “Love Me Like You Mean It” last year. That’s outrageous. “I don’t know if there’s any one right answer, and I don’t like pointing fingers because I’ve met so many great examples of people who are working at labels, or who were working in radio, and they’re doing so much for women. Guys like Bobby Bones… There’s a lot of label heads who are fighting so hard for these women to break through, but sometimes it’s just not stacking up.” “You know my manager, Todd, who started Song Suffragettes, is a guy,” she added. “He just believes in it so much, and he cares so much, because most of his favorite country singers historically have all been women. I mean … female country resonates with men. It resonates with everybody, it doesn’t have to have a gender attached to it. Good music is good music.” “I’m hoping the tides are turning, it’s like the Billboard airplay charts for country radio last week were six percent female, and there was one solo woman in the top 20. It’s a song suffragette named Carly Pearce, with her song Every Little Thing. It’s so cool that we’re seeing this, and I’m celebrating her success. She’s amazing and deserves it so much, but there should be more of us, you know?” “The one thing I do think is getting better,” she added, “is how women in Nashville treat each other. Song Suffragettes is all about empowering women, but it’s also about powering women to empower other women by creating a community where we support each other and jealousy doesn’t come in to play,” she explained. “It has made me a better woman in the long run because I’ve learned how to respect other women and not view their successes as my failures, and it’s really just been a great learning experience.
I’ve seen in the four years that I’ve been here the climate for how girls treat each other changing so rapidly.” “Kelsey Ballerini is a perfect example,” she said. “She had this big night at her house, like a wine night. Carly and I were there, and Lauren Alaina, and Raelynn... Any woman in country music you can think of who’s up-and-coming and new was pretty much there, and she said, ‘I want to sit down, and I want to talk about our successes and our failures, and what’s happening and how we can help, and just to be there for each other…’ We all understand, we’ve all dealt with the same stuff…” I asked her what it would take for women to really start being a commercial success in country again. “I think the audience needs to be very deliberate in how they’re telling people that they want to hear it. And that starts with awareness,” she said. “If people know women in country they start to feel passionate about it and personally invested. They purposefully make Spotify and Apple Music all female playlists of country singers.” She added, “I think the pressure is on female artists to create something that people care about and people want to listen to ... and the audience needs to respond to that by telling the labels and the radio people that they want to hear it. At the end of the day, the fans have the most power because they have the wallets.” As focused as Kalie has been on lack of representation, she’s fully aware of the LGBTQ community’s absence in the spotlight. That’s why she’s been such an advocate for the community. “So many people who have been a part of my support system along the way [have been LGBTQ], from people like my my stylists to Perez Hilton, who has been so supportive of me. He paid for my first trip to Nashville. He has such a great heart and … I adore him. All of these men have always supported me, how could I not possibly repay that? I want to be as strong of an ally as I can be to anyone who is marginalized.” “I’m a woman in country music,” she added. “We’re all a part of this struggle. Anyone who supports me and doesn’t discriminate against me, I’m there for them and I want to pay that forward… Supporting Human Rights shouldn’t even have to be edgy anymore. It should just be a given.” So what’s next for Kalie Shorr? “I’m working on another EP already. The current one came out in March, so I’ve got a new single that’s coming out. I know it’s soon, but I just think people are consuming music so much faster… You burn through an album so quick. I’ve been wanting new Taylor Swift music since the day 1989 came out, you know? And I’m evolving so fast and I’m writing so much—I write five days a week, just think about the percentage.” “I’ve sold a couple of songs; I have a single on Radio Disney Country with a group called Honey County called ‘Love Someone’, and I love that song. It wasn’t right for me but it was perfect for them, and I’m so glad I waited till someone cut it. My publisher’s always plugging songs to other people.” To read more about what the future holds for Kalie, as well as more of her observations about women in country, read the full interview online! Keep up with Kalie on all social media through her website www.kalieshorr.com.
@OUTANDABOUTNASH
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2015
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NOVEMBER 2017
10/11/17 3:23 PM
East Side Smiles (Dentistry) 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 | eastsidesmile.net
Papa & Roberts, PLLC, Attorney and Consultants Benjamin Papa/ Attorney & Mediator 1612 Westgate Circle. Ste 220 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-767-5900 | PapaRoberts.com
Look East (Optometrist) 1011 Gallatin Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-928-2281 | lookeastnashville.com
Bail U Out Bonding 306 Gay Street Suite G-2 Nashville, TN 37201 615-254-9555 | bailuoutbonding.com
HEALTH
Christopher May DC (Chiropractic) 2933 Berry Hill Drive Nashville, TN 37204 615-220-0777 | doctormay.net Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Bradley Bullock, MD 1607 Westgate Circle, Ste 200 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-376-8195 | coolspringsinternalmedicine.com Nashville Pharmacy Services 100 Oaks Plaza 615-371-1210 Skyline Medical 615-724-0066 npspharmcay.com
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 | bartdurham.com High Gravity Photography Mt. Juliet, TN 615-347-4515 | highgravityphotography.com John Cannon Studios 1108-C Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-496-1259 | johncannonart.com
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS PLAY Dance Bar 1519 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-322-9627 | playdancebar.com Tribe 1517 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-329-2912 | tribenashville.com
REAL ESTATE SPIRITUALITY
Sheila Barnard, Realtor THE REALTY ASSOCIATION 1305 Murfreesboro Rd | Nashville, TN 37212 615-385-9010 sheilabarnard.realtyassociation.com
Covenant of the Cross 752 Madison Square Madison, TN 37115 615-612-5040 | covenantofthecross.com Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville TN 37209 615-352-3838 | htccnashville.com
Kate Nelson, Realtor VILLAGE REAL ESTATE 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 | realestatewithkate.com
PERFORMING ARTS
ORGANIZATIONS
Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201 615-687-6400 | nashvillesymphony.org
Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue | Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 | nashvillehumane.org Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 | Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 | nashvillelgbtchamber.org
COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH
SHOPPING
Barbara Sanders, LCSW / John Waide,PhD,LCSW
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2016- 21St Ave South | 615-414-2553 2323- 21st Ave South, Ste .401 | 615-400-5911 Nashville, TN 37212 dignitytherapynashville.com
Hayes Nissan Rivergate, Tim McIntyre 1550 Gallatin Road North Madison, TN 37115 352-454-4145 | nissanofrivergate.com
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STRAIGHT OUTTA WHERE? TODRICK HALL PACKED PLAY DANCE BAR
On October 6, 2017, RuPaul’s Drag Race judge and YouTube sensation Todrick Hall returned to Nashville for an appearance at PLAY Dance Bar. Just months after his visit to Nashville on his Straight Outta Oz Tour, Hall’s appearance at the much more intimate venue was met with great excitement. Check out the crowd and the looks Hall was sporting on stage as he performed!
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@OUTANDABOUTNASH
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PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS
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@OUTANDABOUTNASH
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PAIGE TURNER | @PaigeTurner01
Holy Untucked has this been a wild year for me! As many of you may know, I have been out of touch for a little while. Well, it’s time to face the music and be honest, because I believe the best way to grow and move on is to accept things that have happened and learn from the experience. Things happened and it’s time to spill the T! It all started back in 2015, when I was arrested for my first DUI. Contrary to popular belief, I was not drunk—my BAC-level was .02. The DUI was a result of THC levels in my blood. The following year was a very hard year for me, as I suffer with severe anxiety and depression. I was dealing with a lot of personal issues and found it very hard to cope with and remain the happy go lucky person everyone always knew. I was arrested again later that year for reckless endangerment and later bonded out. This arrest was of course in violation of my probation, so guess what? “Go to jail!” and no I didn’t get to collect $200. After a short stay, I was released and given an extra year of probation. Fun times, right? I understand and totally agree—I made those mistakes. I’m an adult and can own up to it. The next year began well, however my depression was eating away at me. Instead of seeking professional help, I chose to drown my problems in alcohol. Terrible idea, right?
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In the past I hadn’t been a big drinker—I liked my weed, which I was very vocal and honest about. I drank from time to time but never like I did this past year. The people closest to me—and even those who weren’t—definitely noticed and missed the old me. I missed me too. It just took something big to remind me. Now that you’re up to speed, we can get to the juicy part. Back in July, I was arrested for my second DUI. That’s right I F***** up again! I’m not happy about what I did—not because of the consequences I endured but because of what could have happened. I could have ended some innocent person’s life. I am truly sorry for that, and it has really opened my eyes. My arrested for DUI-2 resulted in another violation of my probation. This gave me a long time to think—40 days to be exact! Have you ever been isolated from everything for over a month? That S*** is insane, but it’s also humbling. Turns out we actually CAN live without social media and technology. However, if you’re looking to try it, I wouldn’t recommend the resort I was in. I did get to learn a lot about myself, things that I missed and loved, and how I was going to get back to that place in my life. It’s still a work in progress, but I have already done so much with the little time I’ve been out.
NOVEMBER 2017
I really wanna tell you all about what it’s like on the inside for queens—and really any out LBGTQ person. So here goes… When you are placed in jail, they have this thing called classification, which assigns you to a certain pod/unit. They ask you questions about your age, background, and most importantly if you are homosexual or classed in that category. If you answer yes, you are placed in a “special needs” unit with people who actually have special needs and, here is the real kicker, sex offenders. They claim we are placed into this unit for our own protection from the general, which I suppose could be somewhat true. But how exactly are we safer with sex offenders? They justify this separation using a classification system that groups members of the LBGTQ community in the same category as those having a mental illness. Now I know I can get a little cray cray at times but this to me seemed very ridiculous. I can say I was in general population for four days before going to classification and everyone in my pod was very nice and couldn’t care less about my sexuality, nor did I feel preyed upon. I actually didn’t receive sexual advances until I was moved into the “special needs” pod, so tell me how this system actually protects us? Not only was I sexually harassed by multiple individuals, but I also was attacked twice shortly after being moved to this pod
for my “safety”. I know what some of you are thinking: “Well, don’t go to jail B****!” And that’s great advice of course, but making a mistake, or mistakes, doesn’t justify what LGBTQ people experience in jail. Television and some movies can make jail look entertaining, humorous, or sometimes even glamorous. Well I am here to tell you, honey, it’s not! People see things portrayed in media—with all gay and trans inmates in one big unit where we make dresses and costumes out of sheets and do makeup with
are out and have nowhere to go and have no interests in changing. They somehow feel important there and just don’t want to leave, and when they do they are back in no time at all. Another thing: in there, some of the guards/corrections officers that are there to watch or protect us just don’t give a flying f*** what goes on with the LBGTQ inmates. In fact during my stay I was constantly subjected to gay slurs and harassment by a corrections officer, even after filing multiple grievances.
others as well. Granted, I did meet some really great people there and they really helped me learn to laugh and make the most of my time, although I never have any intention of ever returning (of course). As Ace of Base would say “I saw the sign”—and boy did it open up my eyes! If anyone you know or love is a member of the LBGTQ community and is currently incarcerated, don’t turn your back on them— they just simply f***ed up. You never know
“They justify this separation using a classification system that groups members of the LBGTQ community in the same category as those having a mental illness. Now I know I can get a little cray cray at times but this to me seemed very ridiculous.” markers and pencils, then put on shows for each other. Don’t make me chuckle. Granted I did meet a few other “girls” in there that were cool, but I also met some that were very vindictive and shady. For example, when a new “girl” came in, the one who had gotten the most attention from the others in the pod became very territorial. She wanted—as they say in the movies—to claim “big dog” status by attacking or fighting the new one. This to me was so ridiculous, because my main focus there was to get out, but sadly not everyone there wants to get out. Some of these “girls” work the streets when they
Now don’t get me wrong not all of the officers were like that, but there were more than I felt comfortable with. If you ask me, one is too many. The truth is, our community is not safe or protected, at least not where I was incarcerated. So I highly recommend not going. “Keep ya nose clean, toots!” In all seriousness there needs to be a better system, designed to protect our brothers and sisters while incarcerated. So yeah, we messed up, but does that mean we deserved to be discriminated against or even sexually assaulted? I would say most definitely not! I will say that my time there really opened my eyes to not only my situation but that of
what someone is personally going through, and why they made those mistakes to begin with. More importantly, you have no idea what they are going through right now during their incarceration. They need you, now probably more than ever. Forgive and forget: it makes life and time go by much more smoothly. In the great words of RuPaul herself, “Everybody say LOVE! Now take that down to your nearest location and pick up an issue of Out & About Nashville to get all the T in the latest Nashville Untucked!” Well I think it was something like that. See you next month!
@OUTANDABOUTNASH
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OVER
the RAINBOW
EM B R AC ING T HE BU TCH IN S IDE
JULIE CHASE | @notninahagen
I am a transgender woman. It is a parallel track to that of cisgender women, but I will never claim this to be the same track. I have never had a menstrual cycle, experienced pregnancy or lived my entire life subject to acts of blatant misogyny. But when you openly transition, you get the same cultural expectations thrown at you as our cisgender sisters experience. My transition has been mostly stressfree since coming out in February of 2016. In private, I confess that one of the major reasons for this outcome is likely the fact that I just do not project as outwardly female as some of my transgender sisters are able to do. My “sheroes” have always been butch lesbians. That’s who I am inside and that’s how I choose to live. I will never willingly out-femme Soulmate (privately she thinks that philosophy to be quite silly…) and will never compete with daughter-unit for public attention. If I could get away with the buzz cut to match my small breasts without looking like a guy, I’d do it in a heartbeat. So when I go to work or synagogue, how do I dress? Either in a pantsuit or a respectable skirt combo of course. Some makeup without overdoing it, unless Soulmate is with me, in which case I go makeup free (she hates that too). Why? Because that’s what the straight and lez women do around me, and I’m just trying to pay my dues. I’m different enough as-is: no need to overdo it. Does this satisfy the majority of my critics? Nope. “Ok look, we’re behind you, but could you change your voice? Wear heels and dresses more often? Grow out your hair? Be less assertive, far more deferential ... and remember the majority HAVE to accept all of this even though they think it is completely wrong. Dressing and acting like a mainstream woman will go far in helping everyone around you to deal with the changes, and, besides, no one is going
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to take you seriously as any sort of woman until you do…” Le sigh. That’s a snapshot of the first six months. The remarks are from professional women. It probably did not help that the majority of my starter clothes were purchased from Old Navy’s “workwear for middle-aged lesbians” section, but I digress. My failure to embrace the bubbly femme supposedly hidden inside me and refusal to modulate my voice has not earned me brownie points. Think of the final stanza and scenes from Monty Python’s Lumberjack Song for the full effect with the women referenced. I have a teenage daughter. The rule I follow for my own transition is based on a simple question: would I allow her to dress or act in a certain way if she felt she HAD to in order to be accepted as a bona-fide woman? No, I would not. I would never tell someone how to live their life, but I would also never allow a gender stereotype to automatically trump reasoned choice. Daughter-unit made the decision at an earlier age to forgo skirts and dresses in favour of pantsuits for synagogue and formal occasions. She asked me before the HRT kicked in how I was going to look and dress as a woman and fell in love with the Brooks Brothers collection I showed her online. She wears blue, I wear grey, and the grandmother has still not forgiven me. The number one lesson I have learned from this experience is that the first year would have gone so much better had I adopted a style more influenced by drag queens outside the LGBTQ+ community. Straight Nation was prepared for that, and that says a lot in itself about how they really think. My preference for the culture and style of Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Maddow as a trans woman has gone over about as well as the Hindenburg. I suspect the majority of open lesbian and non-conforming women experience much of this too, but I gain the impression
NOVEMBER 2017
ILLUSTRATION: MELISSA GAY // PHOTOS: KELLY HUNTER AND ERLC
I LOOK IN THE MIRROR...A BUTCH WOMAN STARES BACK. MY TRANSITION IS NOT WHAT WAS PUBLICLY EXPECTED.
that those of us applying for the gender equivalent of a Green Card are supposed to be held to even more mainstream standards. None of us in the transgender club do this in order to embrace a stereotype of any sort. We transition in order to live as we know we really are. It’s just like being lesbigay; you know it from day one and there’s no running away from it (they put the T on LGBT for those reasons back in the day). The cisgender women in my personal and professional lives were raised as females and have the far better manners and social skills that I am struggling to obtain, but I personally did not do this to femme out and dress pretty. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it’s just not me. I am not trying to be a radical trans feminist by embracing my inner butch, but I do not mind anyone thinking that. It’s good company, and I would be willing to pay those dues too.
Julie Chase is the pen name for a local 40-something trans woman. A graduate of The University of the South at Sewanee, she is proud of her alma mater for choosing to retire symbols of the Confederacy.
Miranda’s
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A NEW ERA BEGINS AT STREET THEATRE COMPANY RANDY CRAFT NAMED NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JAMES GRADY
Few independent theatre companies have broken as much ground in Nashville as Street Theatre. Founded by Cathy Street in 2006, with an innovative spirit it has brought hits from Avenue Q and Spamalot to Miss Saigon and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to Nashville’s stages. At the beginning of 2016, Cathy Street stepped down and Jason Tucker took up the reins as the organization’s new executive artistic director. For the next year-and-a-half, Jason worked to build on Street’s commitment to artists and quality, affordable theater. In October 2017, however, Tucker announced that he was stepping aside. “At the beginning of 2016,” he wrote, “I Assumed leadership of STC when founder/artistic director Cathy Street stepped down after ten years of incredible and visionary leadership. I’ve worked hard to carry on her tradition of excellent craftsmanship, unique storytelling, and engaging content while making sure the company remained solvent and strong as it aims for the future. To that end, it’s now time for me to step aside and hand over leadership to a new and exciting theater professional.” In his letter, Tucker announced that one of Nashville theatre’s familiar faces would be the next to take the helm at Street Theatre. “I’m beyond thrilled to say that Randy Craft, one of Nashville’s finest music directors, as well as an accomplished voice teacher and coach, will be taking on the mantle of Artistic Director
Street Theatre’s mission is “to engage our audience with universal stories that speak to the human experience and challenge conversation, to support local artists, to provide arts education to children of all ages, and to foster a new generation of theater arts participants and supporters.”
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O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
NOVEMBER 2017
FRIDAY
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Monday – Friday • 4PM – 3AM Saturday – Sunday • 2PM – 3AM
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of STC,” he announced.
When contacted for comment, Tucker expressed confidence that Craft will carry Street Theatre to the next level. “I have enjoyed working with Randy throughout these last two years,” he said. “He is well poised to carry Street Theatre into the future with his passion and skill. I can’t wait to see what STC has in store.” In a post on Facebook, Street’s husband JJ wrote, “Thanks to Jason for carrying the STC torch and good luck to Randy as he takes it and runs! Street Theatre is lucky to have talented people like these continuing the work Cathy started. It’s exciting to see where it goes next.” And Cathy herself added, “I am so excited for Randy Craft! I loved working with him on countless STC shows and can’t wait to see what he has in store for next season!” Craft himself could barely contain himself in announcing the good news on Facebook, and he had this to say about work ahead: “I’m very excited to be given this opportunity as the new Artistic Director of Street Theatre Company. Street Theatre has a special place in my heart for daring to do theatre outside of the box. It’s a privilege having worked with both Cathy Street and Jason Tucker, and what an honor to be in both of their lineage. We have some awesome plans in the works for next season so stay tuned!”
Shake it up.
Stir it up.
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Be mellow. Be responsible.
O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
NOVEMBER 2017