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How Queer Country Artists Are Rewriting the Narrative and Increasing Their Impact

Queer country artists, like Ty Herndon and Brooke Eden, are increasing their impact in a genre where audiences have historically leaned conservative.

When Ty Herndon wrapped his 10th and final Concert for Love and Acceptance on June 2, he delivered his first hit, the 1995 release “What Mattered Most,” then broke into an a cappella version of the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art.” Runaway June ’s Natalie Stovall, who attended the Concert for Love and Acceptance as an ally, has seen the results when a gay creative co-wrote in a scenario where they were not comfortable to come out to one or more people in the room. “I think [CMT/SiriusXM personality] Cody Alan ’s coming out had such a great impact because he had such good existing relationships with artists on the charts like Dierks[ Bentley] and Carrie[ Underwood]and so many others who stepped forward immediately and supported him,” says Herndon’s manager, ZS Strategies president Zeke Stokes, formerly GLAAD vp of programs.

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