Madonna Set To Play A Concert In Support Of Trans People's Rights

Madonna is set to play a concert in Nashville this December in protest against Tennessee’s new anti-drag law, with Bob The Drag Queen joining her on US Celebration tour dates.

As NPR reports, the state’s restrictive drag laws outlaw “adult cabaret performances” in public or in the presence of children. Drag performers must now stay outside 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.

The new drag law passed just a week after new legislation passed in Tennessee, which will ban transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormones and surgery.

Madonna’s Tennessee show will benefit organisations supporting transgender people and their rights.

The Like A Prayer singer said about performing in Nashville (via Pitchfork):

“The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane; it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color [sic]. 

“Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to fuck with a drag queen. Bob and I will see you from the stage in Nashville, where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.”

Madonna isn’t the only artist using her platform against the new laws. Earlier this month, a Love Rising concert was held in Nashville, starring Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Brittany Howard, Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris, and many more performed in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in Tennessee.

Madonna’s Celebration World Tour kicks off this July, beginning with dates in the US and Europe. Her tour currently features over 35 dates of shows that start in Vancouver and end in Amsterdam. While Oceania dates could come later, it looks like Australian and New Zealand fans won't be visited by the Queen Of Pop.

Madonna's 2023 and 2024 tours will be her first-ever live retrospective. The singer will reportedly perform music from her extensive discography, from her 1983 debut to her most recent album, 2019's Madame X.