While many notable pop and rock musicians have made a public show of disgust for North Carolina’s so-called “Bathroom Bill” by boycotting the Tar Heel State, the Dixie Chicks, no strangers to injecting politics into a concert set, took a decidedly different approach.
In performances in North Carolina, the country trio have handed out “No hate in our state” baseball caps to concert-goers, the Charlotte News and Observer reported on Saturday.
The band also took to social media to amplify the message. “We stand w/ @HRC against discrimination in #NorthCarolina. #NoHateInOurState hats FREE to #DCXCharlotte tonight!” the Dixie Chicks tweeted before their Charlotte show, Rolling Stone reported on Thursday.
Among the attendees at the Aug. 14 concert, according to the Charlotte News-Observer, was “Rep. Chris Sgro of Greensboro, a Democrat and the only openly gay member of the N.C. General Assembly.”
The Dixie Chicks are not the only country artists who have spoken against the North Carolina law while playing in the state. In a Charlotte concert in April, Kacey Musgraves took to the stage and addressed the controversy.
“What am I gonna do, cancel some shows and punish my gay fans even further by taking away the show that I promised?” Miss Musgraves asked before singing perhaps her most signature songs, “Follow Your Arrow,” which celebrates a live-and-let-live attitude about following one’s own heart, including in matters of sexuality.
“I just wanted it to be known that I really wanted to play here and [expletive] those stupid hate laws,” Miss Musgraves added.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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