Openly gay country 'n' western stars like ABC Nashville's "Will Lexington" have it easy compared to the 1973 LP Lavender Country.
Yup, the dichotomy of hetero vs. homo was broken down in the most unusual--and conservative--of music genres.
The artifact and its political protest document more than just country music geared toward LGBTQA members, it indicts the scathing injustices perpetrated on the homosexual community, all the while helping to define the gay cowboy/girl/other.
Thanks be, then, to Patrick Haggerty.
The record reflects Haggerty's experiences: his upbringing on a tenant dairy farm in rural Washington, on the Canadian border; his dismissal from the Peace Corps on the spurious grounds of his sexuality; and his righteous struggles as an outraged young gay man navigating the Pacific Northwest in the immediate aftermath of Stonewall. He designed Lavender Country as a vehicle for what he deems "the information"...valid cultural communications intended to resonate with those unable to access similar resources.
Grab the stream over at Pitchfork.
Or stay here and listen to Classicalite's favorite kicked out jam.
