Can Music Move Us Away From Discrimination?
posted in: Country • Music News
It is clear that the world is changing, and it seems like most of these changes are for the better. New technology and trends have enabled us to do things we never thought possible. And, even more importantly, opportunities are available to people, no matter what race, gender, sexuality, or religion they happen to be. But how is this change reflected in the world of music? It seems that while some genres of music are taking great leaps in the right direction, other genres are still digging in their heels.
Country singer Chely Wright, one of the few country artists who is openly gay, recently married her girlfriend Lauren Blitzer in Connecticut. And while this was one of the happiest days of Wright’s life, many of her fans did not see it this way. In fact, since Wright came out in 2010, she has been harassed and threatened by people who used to support her. Country fans have historically been more conservative than other music fans, but for Wright it was a shock that her fan base seemingly disappeared after she opened about her sexuality.
This is especially surprising since country music is seemingly moving closer to pop, with acts like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood bridging the gap. Even star Miley Cyrus, who is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, recently got a new tattoo of an equals sign (representing that all love is equal) showing her support of marriage equality. The pop world has been consistently more open to the gay community, and has been leading the rest of the music world in acceptance for quite a while. Madonna and Cher were both known for their strong voices in support of the gay community. And stars like Elton John, George Michael, Boy George have paved the way for others to come out and be comfortable with their sexuality. More recently, Lady Gaga has built a tremendous fan base with her stance on acceptance and love for all.
As a culture, we seem to be moving in the right direction when it comes to eliminating discrimination. Women used to be discredited in the music world based simply on gender, African-American artists were not given the same opportunities as their white counterparts because of race. But today, anyone can be a star. Music proved to be a powerful vehicle for change in the past and it is capable of moving us forward even more in the future. Hopefully someday music will speak for itself and that we will base our opinions (negative or positive) on the talent, sound or genre of the music, not on what the person making the music believes. What do you think? Leave us a comment.