See Country Music Association Awards Nominees' Opinions Of The Gay Community

Noah Michelson
Updated

Tonight the biggest names in country music will come together for the 45th annual Country Music Association Awards.

Stars like Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, and Sugarland will vie for bragging rights in categories including Entertainer of the Year, Musical Event of the Year, and Album of the Year.

Country music has a long and rich history in the United States, but due to its often conservative point of view and fan base (remember the reaction to the Dixie Chicks dissing President Bush?), it also has a reputation for not always being the friendliest when it comes to issues and themes related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Revealing you're LGBT or even pro-LGBT can lose you fans, get you the boycotted, or much worse.

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Still, there are many country stars who have embraced their LGBT fans and have spoken out on behalf of LGBT rights.

To celebrate the Country Music Association Awards, airing tonight on ABC at 8pm ET, we're taking a look at 14 of the biggest names in country music, many of them nominees at the Awards tonight and others simply legends in the industry, to see what they've said and where they stand on the LGBT community.

Martina McBride

When asked by <em>Out</em> magazine if <a href="http://www.out.com/entertainment/2009/03/15/martina-mcbride-shines" target="_hplink">she feared a backlash from conservative fans</a> if she supported the gay community, the country singer, nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, replied: <blockquote>"Honestly, I just have to do what's right for me, and what I would tell people is what I believe, which is that I feel like tolerance is very important. I have three daughters and that's what I teach them. I think we should all be tolerant of each other and embrace each other's strengths and differences and uniqueness and beauty."</blockquote>

Toby Keith

When the country singer recently dropped by "CMT Insider" and was asked about gay marriage, Keith said <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/01/toby-keith-weighs-in-on-g_n_990404.html" target="_hplink">he didn't doesn't see any reason</a> to get into people's personal lives. When asked about the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," he offered that anyone with the training and passion should have the right to defend the country and added, "Somebody's sexual preference is, like, who cares?"

Chely Wright

When <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20365936,00.html" target="_hplink">the country star came out in 2010</a> she told <em>People</em> magazine, "There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality... I wasn't going to be the first." But Wright changed her mind and revealed, "Nothing in my life has been more magical than the moment I decided to come out." But it hasn't all been magic -- <a href="http://www.autostraddle.com/chely-wright-country-music-gay-interview-72366/" target="_hplink">in an interview with Autostraddle.com</a>, Wright revealed that since coming out she has received death threats and her record sales have dropped by 50 percent.

Blake Shelton

<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/blakeshelton/status/65999662171172865" target="_hplink">After tweeting</a> "Re-writing my fav Shania Twain song.. Any man that tries Touching my behind He's gonna be a beaten, bleedin', heaving kind of guy..." earlier this year, the country singer, nominated for five awards including Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year, was met with outrage and demands for an apology from GLAAD and angry fans. Shelton <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/05/blake-sheltons-homophobic-tweet_n_858042.html" target="_hplink">quickly tweeted a series of apologies</a>: <blockquote>"Hey y'all allow me to seriously apologize for the misunderstanding with the whole re-write on the Shania song last night... It honestly wasn't even meant that way... I now know that their are people out there waiting to jump at everything I say on here or anywhere...But when it comes to gay/lesbian rights or just feelings... I love everybody. So go look for a real villain and leave me out of it!!!... @glaad hey I want my fans and @nbcthevoice fans to know that anti-gay and lesbian violence is unacceptable!!!!! Help me!!!! And DM me..."</blockquote>

Dolly Parton

Parton has long been a supporter of the LGBT community. In July of this year, when asked <a href="http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=32900" target="_hplink">how she feels about her gay fans</a> by the <em>Windy City Times</em>, she replied: <blockquote>"Hey, a big shout-out to them! We have fun with my gay crowds and we always have them. In fact, we are going to California and be in L.A. for two days at the Hollywood Bowl, then in San Francisco. Already, so many of my gay fans have said they are going to be there and be on the front row. I love it. I have always loved my gay fans. They accept me and I accept them. We get along just fine. I am very proud and honored when they dress up like me or whatever they want to do!"</blockquote>

Rascal Flatts

In 2009 the country music trio, nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, released "Love Who You Love," which many in the LGBT community interpreted as a supportive move by the band. Regarding <a href="http://blog.cmt.com/2009-03-23/rascal-flatts-encourage-gay-fans-to-love-who-you-love/" target="_hplink">the reaction to the song</a> Rascal Flatts said: <blockquote>"We actually have some gay people that work with us, and we have a lot of friends that are gay, too, and I know that this song has inspired them... I know that coming out was tough on their parents and on them and the whole entire family. For a long time, some of them didn't get to hear 'I love you' from their dads or be accepted in that way. ... It's helped a lot of our friends... We don't judge anybody's lives..."</blockquote>

Kenny Chesney

When Renee Zellweger stated the reason she was divorcing Chesney, nominated for three awards including Musical Event of the Year, was due to fraud, many were quick to assume that the country star was gay. <a href="http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1604902/kenny-chesney-talks-candidly-in-playboy-interview.jhtml" target="_hplink">Chesney responded to the accusations</a> in a 2009 <em>Playboy</em> interview by saying: <blockquote>"That is the most unbelievable thing in the world. ... What guy who loves girls wouldn't be angry about that shit? I didn't sign up for that. I think people need to live their lives the way they want to, but I'm pretty confident in the fact that I love girls. (laughs) I've got a long line of girls who could testify that I am not gay."</blockquote>

Jennifer Nettles Of Sugarland

Jennifer Nettles, one half of Sugarland nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year, <a href="http://chicago.gopride.com/news/interview.cfm/articleid/146169" target="_hplink">praised her gay fans</a> when talking to <em>Chicago Pride</em> in 2009: <blockquote>"I am aware of that, and interestingly enough, I've been aware even before Sugarland. I've actually performed at Gay Pride in Atlanta three times in my career. I've always had a large gay following, particularly in the lesbian community. I am grateful for that. To me, it means my music transcends categories. It also means that I'm a cute girl singing a rock song in an alto voice... I had a friend write me that our music was being played at Gay Pride in New York, which is a big compliment. In the biggest city in the country with the most culture and the most grit -- I love it... It makes me feel proud."</blockquote>

Garth Brooks

Brooks, who has a lesbian sister, released the song "We Shall Be Free" in 1993 which included the lyrics "When we're free to love anyone we choose." The song was pulled from some radio stations' playlists because of its perceived pro-LGBT theme. <a href="http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/aae/music/516-the-road-to-country-musics-first-openly-gay-star" target="_hplink">Speaking about LGBT rights</a>, the country singer told <em>George</em> magazine: <blockquote>"I can't see love being a bad thing. Lust is different. But if you're in love, you've got to follow your heart and trust that God will explain to us why we sometimes fall in love with people of the same sex. Judgment Day is coming, and I ain't going to be the one standing over people up there."</blockquote>

Willie Nelson

The country singer "Cowboys Are Secretly, Frequently (Fond of Each Other)," which he unveiled in 2006, was timed to coincide with the release of the gay cowboy film "Brokeback Mountain." The song was originally written in 1981 by Ned Sublette. Nelson's manager David Anderson, who came out in 2004, noted, "<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4715822.stm" target="_hplink">This song obviously has special meaning to me</a> in more ways than one... I want people to know more than anything -- gay, straight, whatever -- just how cool Willie is and ... his way of thinking, his tolerance, everything about him."
When asked by <em>Out</em> magazine about <a href="http://www.out.com/entertainment/2009/08/17/reba-stands-her-gays" target="_hplink">her gay friends and fans</a>, the country singer responded: <blockquote>"I just try not to judge. Don't judge me, and I won't judge you. And that's what it says in the Bible -- 'Don't judge.' Keep an open mind. That would be my voice. I have gay friends. I have a lot of straight friends. I don't judge them. I take them for what they are. They're my friends, and I can't defend my feelings for them, other than I like 'em."</blockquote>

k.d. lang

Before the Canadian singer jumped the fence to the pop world -- and before she came out of the closet in 1992 -- she was a country singer. In fact, she <a href="http://www.autostraddle.com/7-lesbian-country-musicians-whove-been-out-44213/" target="_hplink">won a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals</a> in 1989 for duet with Roy Orbison on "Crying" and received a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her 1989 album <em>Torch & Twang</em>. In 2002, she ranked #26 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women in Country Music.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.