Why Miley Cyrus' Pride Concert Means So Much to One Fan
Proud to celebrate Pride!
Miley Cyrus super-fan Gavin Hill was beyond thrilled to "Party in the U.S.A." with the Grammy nominee for the taping of Peacock's special concert event Miley Cyrus Presents Stand By You, streaming today, June 25 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
Gavin exclusively spoke with E! News to share his first-hand experience at the star-studded evening. "Miley and pop music in general—especially the pop girls—have a HUGE impact on the LGBTQ community," Gavin, under Instagram handle @therealgavhill, shared. "When everyone is telling you to tone it down, Miley's music and the pop queens say, 'No! Tone it UP!'"
Gavin especially was wowed by Miley's concert venue choice of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. "The fact that Miley came to Nashville to throw a Pride concert is huge," he explained. "Would this have been as successful 20 years ago? Probably not. The line for this show wrapped around the building and down the street. When Pride was whispered about years ago, has now turned into a ROAR."
Miley Cyrus Presents Stand By You BTS Concert Pics
The return to an in-person concert also marked a "surreal experience" with Gavin's best friend Alannah. "Streaming helped get us through the pandemic but nothing compares to LIVE music," he added.
Stand By Me special guests Maren Morris, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Orville Peck, Mickey Guyton and more only emphasized the party with covers of Cher, Madonna and ABBA performed. Yet, Gavin's favorite artist remains Miley.
"I saw Miley during the Bangerz tour—her last ticketed show here in Nashville—and as an artist she has matured so much," he gushed. "I mean that in the way that she interacts with the crowd. She has such command of the crowd, even when the songs are not on. It was great to have my first show back after the pandemic."
Miley's commitment to LGBTQ+ rights made her Pride Month performance extra special for Gavin.
"Pride to me means being accepted and equality, not better than. Equal," he explained. "When you are gay, and you have to tell your friends and family, it doesn't always go well. But now that people are actually discussing it, there is more of an understanding...Gay, straight, bi, God made everyone the way they are supposed to be. And the conversation is now out there and an understanding has been made. It's a great time we are living in. And the fact that we can even HAVE a Pride concert without fear of violence is why I believe America is a truly great country."
Gavin shared a sweet Instagram post with his BFF on June 8, writing, "Grateful to live in this country where we can even have a @mileycyrus Pride show. Truly feeling the love tonight."
Miley similarly took to social media to share her excitement around the streaming event. "This feels like a peaceful protest. There are laws endangering the LGBTQ+ community all around the country and even here in my home state," she captioned on June 23. "We can't stop and we won't stop doing everything in our power to create the changes we want to see not just here but AROUND THE WORLD! You've gotta start somewhere! So I've begun in Nashville."
Miley Cyrus Presents Stand By You premieres today, June 25 on Peacock.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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