Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris and Jason Isbell are joining forces for a benefit concert in Nashville for LGBTQ organizations, as Tennessee lawmakers propose multiple bills restricting drag performances.
The music stars will team up for the Bridgestone Arena concert event, dubbed “Love Rising,” on March 20, the Tennessee Equality Project announced Tuesday.
Hayley Williams, Hozier, Brittany Howard and the Brothers Osborne are also among the performers at the concert event. Proceeds from ticket sales, which begin Wednesday, will benefit the Tennessee Equality Project, Inclusion Tennessee, OUTMemphis and the Tennessee Pride Chamber, according to organizers.
News of the high-profile show came a day after Tennessee House lawmakers advanced a second bill targeting drag shows in the Volunteer State.
Tennessee House Bill 30, introduced by Rep. Clay Doggett (R), would amend state law to prohibit minors from attending performances that feature “adult cabaret” entertainment. The bill defines such entertainment as “erotic in nature” or which features exotic dancers or a “male or female impersonator.”
Last week, Tennessee became the first state in the country to ban drag performances that take place in public or where they could be seen by children. The GOP-led legislation also banned gender-affirming health care for transgender youth.
In a statement, musician Isbell called the legislation part of “clearly targeted attacks on Tennesseans who haven’t done anything wrong.”
“These bills add up to an attempt to eradicate a valuable part of our community and force good people to live in fear. We can’t in good conscience just stand by and let that happen,” Isbell said.
“The Middle” singer Morris said in a Tuesday Twitter post that “art and community are, and have always been, oppression’s medicine.”
“Let’s show these politicians that they do not speak for all of Tennessee,” Morris said. “Love will prevail.”
A promotional site for the concert, being held in partnership with the Looking Out Foundation, called the gathering a “celebration of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”