The Grammy winner was advised by fans on social media to cancel any concerts she has planned in Tennessee, but she instead chose to show her solidarity with the drag community in a bold way when she brought 'The Special Tour' to Knoxville on Friday (21.04.23). At the Thompson-Boling Arena, the singer was joined onstage by over a dozen local Tennessee drag performers as well as alumni of RuPaul's Drag Race Aquaria, Kandy Muse, Asia O'Hara, and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo.
She previously told CHANNEL Q: "I don't have any intersections in my mind about the people who have been marginalized, who deserve to be celebrated and uplifted, so I feel very parallel to the queer community, because I'm fighting for the same freedoms that they're fighting for. We can march together and make this a party. That's why I've always been so connected to the Queer community. Drag Queens were the first people who put my music on, and saw my music, and identified heavily with it in the beginning."
See how our Queen @Lizzobeeating tells Ryan Mitchell why #Pride in 2022 is gonna be a "muthaf******party!" #queer #lgbtq #ally #party
Posted by We Are Channel Q on Friday, June 17, 2022
Tennessee's drag ban was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee.
The first law of its kind prohibits "adult cabaret entertainment" on public property or in places where minors can see it. Topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers are included in this category, according to the measure.
First-time offenders will be charged with misdemeanors under the law, which went into effect on April 1. The punishment for a subsequent offense could be up to six years in prison and would be considered a felony.
