Boygenius Performs in Drag to Protest Tennessee Governor’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Views

Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker took a stand in opposition to anti-LBGTQ+ laws in Tennessee through their Nashville show on June 25. Dressed in total drag, the Boygenius members, who are all overtly queer, gave the metaphorical middle finger to Republican Governor Bill Lee.

Decked out in glitter, rhinestones, and hairspray for Pride Thirty day period, the band members introduced their drag alter egos: Queef Urban (Bridgers), Shanita Tums (Baker), and Lucille Balls (Dacus). Even the cameraman did their section, sporting a costume though recording the effectiveness from the entrance row. The present will come just a couple of months just after Tennessee grew to become the initial point out to go a ban on public drag reveals on March 2.

As a Tennessee native, Baker stepped in entrance of the mic to speak out from the state’s anti-trans rules and to share her individual journey as a member of the queer neighborhood. “Now, I am so grateful for my daily life, not due to the fact I get to stand on phase with my most effective good friends — and my gentleman, James,” Baker said, referring to the stagehand who introduced her a new guitar mid-sentence, “but for the reason that I’m content with the individual that I am.” She continued, “I have a lot of anger for the persons who have manufactured me really feel small and make me sense erased. And I have uncovered it is really a seriously effective and humiliating instrument for creating people folks f*ck off. I would like you to scream so loud that Governor Lee can hear you.”

As the formal point out agent, Lee has been a important proponent in passing laws that specifically targets trans youth, drag performers, and the LGBTQ+ community at large. In March, Lee also notably signed a bill that banned gender-affirming healthcare for youth in the condition. The crowd came as a result of on Baker’s request, screaming at the best of their lungs just before breaking into a refrain of “F*ck Bill Lee.”

A few months prior, Boygenius produced their debut studio album, “The File,” on March 31. Forward, see clips from the band’s Nashville functionality, and acquire a closer seem at their remarkable drag outfits.