Kacey Musgraves Defends Coachella Performance

Kacey Musgraves has been beloved by the gays since releasing Golden Hour last year, a pop/country crossover we still can't stop singing along to. Her status as a queer favorite was solidified by her appearance as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, thanks to her denim jumpsuit, a literal whip, and a wig better than what you'll find on most local drag queens. And let's not forget about this iconic retweet, which all but solidified her as a gay icon

Musgraves is set to perform at this year's Coachella Music Festival, a booking some queers might take issue with due to the owner of Coachella's parent company Philip Anschutz's history of funding anti-LGBTQ+, pro-gun, and anti-abortion legislation.

On Wednesday, a fan commented on one of Musgraves' Instagram posts asking why she was playing Coachella "if you're a friend of the gays?"

"I can't move to a different planet," Musgraves replied. "There's always going to be people with vastly different viewpoints than me. And what's stronger than NOT playing it? Being one of not many females to play it and use the opportunity to shine light on my own perspective."

Musgraves makes a point: Ariana Grande, who will headline this year's festival, is only the fourth woman to do so (following Bjork, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga) in Coachella's 20-year history. Only 33% of the artists on Coachella's 2019 lineup are female, an increase from last year's 25% but still far too low. And while this year's lineup features a number of queer performers (including Janelle Monae, King Princess, Christine and the Queens, and SOPHIE) it's still pretty straight. And yet, it's still the biggest music festival in the United States in terms of cultural impact, meaning it's important that women, queer people and artists who stridently support the community are represented. Yeehaw!

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