Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne Join Benefit Show Combatting Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
Maren Morris and Brothers Osborne are two of the headlining acts for Love Rising, a benefit show set to raise funds for a variety of LGBTQ+ organizations. The event will take place later in March at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
Billed as "a celebration of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," the event will also feature performances from Allison Russell, Brittany Howard, Hayley Williams, Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow and Amanda Shires. Folk/pop singer-songwriter Hozier will perform, as will Yola, Joy Oladokun and many more special guests.
The show is being organized in the wake of two new pieces of legislation recently signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. One of those is a total ban on gender-affirming health care for the state's minors who are transgender or nonbinary, and it will, according to the Tennessean, require all minors who currently take hormone therapy medication to stop their meds by March 2024. The second law imposes new restrictions on drag performances in the state. That new legislation will take effect beginning April 1.
"Art & community are, and always have been, medicine," Morris wrote on social media as she announced her participation in the show. "Let's show these politicians that they do not speak for all of Tennessee. Love will prevail."
Organizations benefitting from ticket proceeds include the Tennessee Equality Project, Inclusion Tennessee, Out Memphis and the Tennessee Pride Chamber, in partnership with the Looking Out Foundation. Tickets go on sale Wednesday (March 8), and the event will be held on March 20.
Many of the artists on the bill have previously voiced their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Brothers Osborne's T.J. Osborne came out as gay in early 2021, becoming the first openly gay artist to be signed to a major country label.
Morris has been vocal about her allyship in many instances; in 2022, she drew headlines when she entered into a dispute with Jason Aldean's wife Brittany about some transphobic comments that Brittany made on her social media account. The feud ultimately led Morris to launch a limited-edition t-shirt line, dividing the proceeds between the Trans Lifeline and the GLAAD Transgender Media Program. The shirt raised $100,000 for trans organizations in just one day.
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