DRAG ON

Lizzo Protests Tennessee Drag Ban by Bringing Queens Onstage

The singer brought out several drag queens at her Knoxville show, a few hours east of where Gov. Bill Lee signed a law banning “adult cabaret” in public or in front of minors.

Lizzo stuck it to Tennessee lawmakers Friday night when she flooded her concert’s stage with drag queens—an apparent attempt to protest the state’s legislation to restrict public drag shows. The Grammy-winning singer brought out several high-profile drag queens at her show at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, just a few hours east of where Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation banning “adult cabaret” in public or in front of minors. “In light of recent and tragic events and current events, I was told by people on the internet, ‘Cancel your shows in Tennessee,’ ‘Don’t go to Tennessee,’” Lizzo said during her concert Friday. “Their reason was valid, but why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most?” Lee signed the law back in February, but it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in late March, who said it was written too vaguely.