Anti-Gay Lyrics Shunned by Tiny North Carolina Town

The small town of Reidsville, North Carolina hired country western group Matt Boswell and the Hillbilly Blues Band to perform at its annual fall festival.  But the community got more red-neckedness than they bargained for when the lead singer started belting out an old Merle Haggard tune with a new set of anti-gay lyrics.  Although Reidsville can hardly be described as LGBT-friendly, city officials are saying that homophobia isn't an image they want to cultivate - and the Virginia-based musicians will be told that their "entertainment" is no longer welcome there.  It all started during a rendition of "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good?" when Boswell sang these words:

"Well you’ll never take my guns, and I’ll pray anywhere that I please.
My daddy told me, if you were able, and didn’t work then you don’t eat.
All you Wall Street bankers, as far as I’m concerned, you can all go to Hell.
And you can’t get married, you stupid gays and queers, so why don’t you go somewhere else?"

But it's not the "stupid gays and queers" who will be going somewhere else.  Blogger Matt Cormer writes:  Local news station WGSR 47 broadcast the event live...  A viewer later emailed the station asking that anti-gay lyrics be stripped from future broadcasts.  Reidsville City Manager Kelly Almond told Q-Notes the language used by Boswell was "tasteless."  "It was absolutely unacceptable and certainly unacceptable at a city-owned venue and city-sponsored event," he said.  Almond also said the employees in charge of booking public events have been "instructed not to book [Boswell] again," with similar thoughts echoed in an email to WGSR 47: "I can assure everyone involved that, if this language was used, this person, or anyone representing him, will not play another city event."  Pam Spaulding adds:  You see, Boswell, just because Reidsville hasn't progressed enough to include sexual orientation or gender-identity in its non-discrimination policy for city employees yet doesn't mean you have a venue to foment hate.

Can you image the surprise of those good ole' hillbilly boys when they find out they've been disinvited to future municipal events?  Whut duh fuck?  Pass the Skoal.  We want our cawn-try back. 

Kudos to Reidsville for saying NO to hate.   (Pictured: Matt Boswell)

Comments

[Carol]

Little things like this are important to know. It's easy to think all of rural America has the same prejudices. But there are decent people out there.

[Triad Observer]

If you want to see the video of Matt Boswell when he sangs (how they say it in cornpone country) about "stupid gays and queers" then click on this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcohPEzYNrM

[Max]

Thanks, Triad!