One Year of Country Queer: Tributes
Some of Our Favorite People Say Very Nice Things About Us
I asked a bunch of readers, artists, and contributors to say anything they wanted on the occasion of our first birthday. Luckily, they all said very nice things.
— Dale
Happy anniversary to Country Queer! One of my favorite places to find new music I love.
— Aaron Lee Tasjan, artist
I’m so glad that Country Queer exists. As a bisexual kid who grew up loving country music, a publication like this existing was a pipe dream for me even well into my teens and early 20s. Wishing y’all many more great years!
–– Lindsay Graves, CQ reader and artist
Within just months of launching, Country Queer became one of my must-read country and roots music publications for its mix of reported features, deeply considered perspectives, and even newsy scoops!
— Jonathan Bernstein, music journalist
Witty and inclusive journalism is what makes Country Queer one of my favorite music publications!
–– Lilly Hiatt, artist
I had a conversation last year with country music scholar Dr. Jada Watson about who’s queer in country music. It became clear to me that as a queer person in the industry, I was privy to a lot more queerness in country music than the average fan. Around this time I started to read Country Queer. I read thought-provoking and in-depth interviews and high-quality album reviews, and I realized there was even more queerness in country than I thought! That’s why I believe we need Country Queer now more than ever. Who better to write our stories than ourselves? Congrats to Country Queer on their one-year anniversary. I’m looking forward to celebrating Country Queer for years to come!
–– Ellen Angelico, musician
Country Queer has given me access to so many incredible musicians I would’ve struggled to discover before and is nurturing a sort of “local scene” with an international web of like-minded artists & listeners.
— Adeem the Artist (Adeem Bingham), CQ Editor and artist
Finally…our voices, our stories, our music has a home. Thank you.
— Brandon Stansell, artist
When my first single was released in 2007, I couldn’t fathom the types of conversations that we are having now in Country music. In the time of “Shut up and Sing”, there was no room for the concerns of women, People of color, and LGBTQ. Country Queer does the work of acknowledging all the voices that would otherwise be ignored and othered… its a much needed platform.
— Rissi Palmer, artist
Happy birthday, CQ! I’m so glad we have a place to see, be seen — and heard!
— Rachel Cholst, CQ Podcast Producer and Contributing Editor
On the year anniversary of CQ, I feel humbled. It’s not only an incredible feat to be able to exist out and proud in the realm of the Country genre, it’s also incredible to have a collection of work, writers, editors, and dreamers willing and ready to make that voice louder, to create the space so necessary to cultivate inclusion in the narratives formerly gate held. Country Queer is the porch we all needed to sit on and gather to. Happy birthday! Here’s to many more years and triumphs.
— Eryn Brothers, CQ Staff Writer
Happy Anniversary to Country Queer! Keep on pushing the boundaries, keep on making waves. Love is love!
— Mary Gauthier, artist
I am spoiled with endless music where I can easily identify with the straight, white male artist. I love Country Queer because it gives me a chance to promote that same connection for LGBTQ+ fans (and people of color) who haven’t been as fortunate as I have.
— Sean Farragher, CQ Playlist curator
Happy birthday to Country Queer, the first place I’ve ever felt like I can express all my passions to their fullest!
–– Sydney Miller, CQ Staff Writer
Happy Birthday, Country Queer! Thank you for all you do to illuminate and truly support LGBTQ+ songwriters, artists, and allies. It’s been such a joy to be a little part of your big, inclusive world. I am so grateful!
– – Jaimee Harris, artist
Country Queer has given me access to a community of other LGBTQ+ people who like country music, which from the other side of the pond (in the UK) can be especially hard to find!
— James Barker, CQ Staff Writer
Country Queer is a vital publication for not only us queer artists, but for all those LGBTQ+ country fans who want to see people like themselves making the kind of music they love.
— Tommy Atkins, artist
Thank you, Country Queer, for spotlighting an important but underreported piece of this genre I love and, by doing so, inspiring me to look deeper for those stories that need telling.
— Angela Stefano, music journalist
I wish I had known that there were country queers when I was growing up!
— Linda Tirado, journalist
Country Queer is one of the last bastions of the outlaw spirit that makes country music great! A place for misfits, outsiders, and other assorted oddballs, it proves that country music can be welcoming. It is queer in the most beautiful sense of the word.
— Cher Guevara, CQ Staff Writer
I love Country Queer so much. It feels like the site I never realized I needed: Gifted writers covering artists whose queerness is integral to the music they make. Happy Anniversary! May this be the first of many.
— Jim Andralis, artist
Happy Birthday, Country Queer! Thank you for giving all of us homos a home online and in the real world. Lez keep it going…Excelsior!
— Mya Byrne, CQ Staff Writer and artist
Happy 1 year, Country Queer! Thanks for helping us show the world that country music is for everybody. Thanks for the sexy trucker hat, too. xo
–– Paisley Fields, artist
I truly love everything that Country Queer is about! A wonderful, welcoming voice of positive force in an industry that can be callous and cold.
— Trace Faulkner, CQ reader and artist
Country Queer is a VERY important publication because it is the only representation for queer artists that fall into the country-genre label. I’m so honored that they have featured my art so much and am very excited to see what the future holds for this publication!
–– Ryan Cassata, artist
Country Queer is changing the ‘gay’me of country music, a much needed & long overdue undertaking.
— Brian Falduto, artist
Happy Birthday to my favorite music publication. Thank you Country Queer for showing you care not just about the music made but the human beings behind it. Your inclusivity makes our music community more magical and open. Your existence has grown and shown our imaginations. Thank you for helping us let go of the boxes we have felt we had to confirm to. With all my love, Bonnie.
— Bonnie Whitmore, artist
I discovered Country Queer during the peak of the Covid-19 quarantine and it’s been one of my favourites finds ever! Fab articles, great insights and a key resource for all LGBT fans of Country & Americana music. Now all I need is Shania Twain to come out and my gay country loving life is complete…
— Yvonne Murray, contributor
Happy birthday to Country Queer! The website, the account, the community has meant so much to me. I thought I was all alone. I was trying to be brave but it was scary, and then y’all came along and now I know together we can be loud & proud & queer & country and no one can stop us.
–– Ellie Perleberg, artist, reader, CQ model
Happy, happy birthday and thank you for spreading the queer country word far and wide!
— Karen Pittelman (Karen & the Sorrows), artist