During the second half of their show at Nashville's Basement East last night (March 13), Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan and James McNew donned dresses, shawls and wigs to protest Tennessee's recently passed law that restricts drag performances in public.
The band didn't explicitly address the bill as their reasoning for the outfit change, but the intention was clear. The bill in question goes into effect on April 1, and prohibits "adult-oriented entertainment" from taking place on public property, limiting it to age-restricted venues. It specifically mentions "male and female impersonators."
The bill is part of a series of legislation signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee that also bans gender-affirming care for minors. It's all part of the very scary wave of anti-trans panic that's been rapidly growing in the United States and beyond.
Earlier this month, Bonnaroo — which takes place in Manchester, TN — issued a statement in response to the bill, stating that the festival "will remain a sanctuary for those freedoms and Bonnaroovians will see no changes in programming or celebration of self-expression at the festival."
Later this week, Hayley Williams, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Julien Baker and more will perform at Love Rising, a benefit concert for Tennessee LGBTQIA+ organizations that's taking place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
See some photos from Yo La Tengo's show below.
The band didn't explicitly address the bill as their reasoning for the outfit change, but the intention was clear. The bill in question goes into effect on April 1, and prohibits "adult-oriented entertainment" from taking place on public property, limiting it to age-restricted venues. It specifically mentions "male and female impersonators."
The bill is part of a series of legislation signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee that also bans gender-affirming care for minors. It's all part of the very scary wave of anti-trans panic that's been rapidly growing in the United States and beyond.
Earlier this month, Bonnaroo — which takes place in Manchester, TN — issued a statement in response to the bill, stating that the festival "will remain a sanctuary for those freedoms and Bonnaroovians will see no changes in programming or celebration of self-expression at the festival."
Later this week, Hayley Williams, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Julien Baker and more will perform at Love Rising, a benefit concert for Tennessee LGBTQIA+ organizations that's taking place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
See some photos from Yo La Tengo's show below.
