The Forward Roll
Lonely Together
Pride, for me, is somewhat of a self-contained thing: it’s more important where I am now to be proud of myself, of the fact that I’m gay and that I survived long enough to feel okay writing that phrase and publishing it, than it is to be proud in defiance of someone else. Bluegrass is an interior thing, too: I can jam in a community, I can have a wonderful time, but the joy I feel spools back into that high lonesome sound. That loneliness, that otherness. Playing with other people shows me it’s better to be lonely together.
What's Next?
As the end of Pride Month approaches we were recently made aware of the wonderful news that the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional organization for those making their living from bluegrass music, will be sponsoring Bluegrass Pride in 2018.
This is wonderful news for LGBTQ+ folks in the bluegrass community. Our voices have not only been heard but acknowledged. We should all thank the IBMA and welcome this news as a huge step in the right direction.
But as President Josiah Bartlet famously asked, “What’s next?”
For Larry
I’ve been trying to come up with a post for this blog for weeks without success. Words have failed me. And I write for a living. When words fail me, there’s usually a pretty good reason. I think I have it now.
Della Mae in Their Own Words
Della Mae has traveled to over 30 countries, sharing music, language, food, and culture with people on all corners of the earth. Time and again we find the world becomes a better place when we build bridges, not walls. We firmly believe each one of us should be honored, not ostracized, for what makes us unique. And so we stand in solidarity with our LGTBQ friends, fans, and family.
IBMA Sponsors Bluegrass Pride and Handsome Ladies
Just two short years after the first Shout & Shine diversity showcase was hosted at IBMA World of Bluegrass 2016, the IBMA is demonstrating its commitment to developing the spirit of inclusivity as a fundamental characteristic of the bluegrass music community by partnering with two bluegrass-centered non-profits, Bluegrass Pride and The Handsome Ladies. As a driving force for the advancement of bluegrass music for over 30 years, this sponsorship exemplifies the IBMA’s stated core value of diversity and inclusivity in bluegrass music.