Kelsea Ballerini Defends Performing with Drag Queens at 2023 CMT Music Awards: ‘Important Time to Show Up’

Kelsea Ballerini proudly stands with the drag community.

In an interview on Call her dad podcast, the country star opened up about receiving anti-LGBTQ+ backlash after performing with RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Kennedy Davenport, Olivia Lux, Jan Sport and Manila Luzon at the 2023 CMT Music Awards and what she learned from the experience.

Ballerini, 30, performed her single “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” with four drag queens at the annual country music awards in April — about a month after Tennessee signed Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 9 of the law, which prohibits the performance of drag shows on any public property or place where children may be present.

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The Grammy-nominated musician has received praise from queer-identifying viewers and allies, though she’s also faced numerous homophobic comments, and such reactions have changed her perspective on what it means to be an ally.

“What I will say is that I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a drag queen on stage because the hate I got for that was the loudest I’ve ever gotten from the public, but it doesn’t compare to what they get all the time,” he said. Ballerinas.

“It really put me in my place and checked me out,” she explained. “I’ve always been an ally, but what does that mean, you know?”

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Kelsea Ballerini performs at the 2023 CMT Awards Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty

In reference to the law passed just before the ceremony, Ballerini added, “I just felt like it was a really important time to show up in a way that I could on a stage that felt really important.”

The “Blindsided” singer realized that drag performers face a lot more negativity than she does — in several areas of their lives. “My takeaway from that was, like, what I felt from the backlash times a million is literally what they go through to express themselves, to love who they love, to be who they are, whatever it is,” she said. “And that was a really, really encouraging conclusion for me.”

After the 2023 CMT Music Awards, all four drag performers spoke Party tonight about the impact of the performance on them. “Just like all these amazing country music artists, we drag queens are also artists,” Luzon, 41, said at the time. “We deserve space to be ourselves, express ourselves and create something beautiful for everyone to enjoy.”

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Manila Luzon, Jan Sport, Kelsea Ballerini, Kennedy Davenport and Olivia Lux. Kevin Mazur/Getty

Sport, 30, noted that it “means a lot” to be included in Ballerini’s performance. “Any opportunity for us to share our gifts with the world is a blessing. So it’s more than us having a message to bless other people.”

“It’s not bad. Everything is good. It’s all love,” she added. “It’s all total liberation – that’s the essence of art.”

Lux, 29, spoke about the queens’ conversation with Ballerini before the show, explaining that the “Penthouse” singer “made it clear” she wanted the performers to “take that space.”

“‘This is your time, too, and reinforce the fact that you’re here,'” she recalled the singer-songwriter telling them.

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Source: HIS Education