Shawna Virago Reflects on LGBTQ Country Music: ‘We’re Breaking the Mold and Keepers of the Flame’

Joe Lynch

May 31, 2024

Billboard

Review

Shawna Virago's album 'Blood In Her Dreams' is a bold and empathetic exploration of anger, loneliness, and romance in LGBTQ country music, challenging traditional norms and paving the way for trans musicians in the industry.

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Shawna Virago A trans woman wearing sunglasses and a lace top plays a golden electric guitar against a backdrop of a colorful mural depicting stylized nature scenes.

Photo Credit:

Lindsay Gauthier

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LGBTQIA+ Country

NPR Music playlist of queered country expression

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Gay Ole Opry Playlist

Karen & the Sorrows have been building queer country community in Brooklyn by running the Queer Country Quarterly and the Gay Ole Opry (gayoleopry.com) since 2011. Most of these bands have come to play for us, but some we're still wishing on!

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Country Universe

The longest-running country music blog, Country Universe was founded on and remains committed to the fact-based notion that country music has never been the exclusive purview of artists who are straight, white, Christian, Southern, and (mostly) men. When focusing on either the genre's history or its present, CU takes a "big tent" approach to the broader country universe and believes that a foundation of empathy makes country music an essential part of our shared popular culture.

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