Shane Stevens, Openly Gay Nashville Songwriter, Discusses New Reality Show, Country Music

When Sundance Channel's "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" chose Nashville, Tennessee, as the location for its second season, it only made sense that a country music star might turn up. But a gay country music star?

That's exactly what happened last night when songwriter Shane Stevens, who has had his tracks sung by everyone from Lady Antebellum to Jordin Sparks, was introduced, along with his BFF, straight girl friend and country singer Sherrie Austin, to viewers during the show's premiere episode, reports TheBoot.com.

The reality show follows four Nashville-based "couples" for 12 weeks to learn more about the dynamics of the special bond the gay men share with their straight girl friends.

Country music has a complicated history when it comes to the LGBT community, but Stevens says that he hasn't personally felt the sting of homophobia from the industry.

"Faith [Hill] has always been amazing," he told TheBoot.com. "Barbara Mandrell has always been amazing. Sara Evans ... Tammy Wynette. No one has ever said anything derogatory to me ever. If they have it's been behind my back."

Even Blake Shelton, who infamously tweeted what many took to be a homophobic comment earlier this year, is in Stevens's corner.

"He loves me," Stevens said. "And I love and adore him. Last year when something was on Twitter or somebody took it the wrong way, I was like, 'OK, people, I've known him since I was 17 years old. He's far beyond being a homophobe. He'll pinch my ass and pick on me and tell me he loves me. He'll say, 'I know you're gay but, really, the blue nails last night?'"

But, while the songwriter has found a support system in Nashville, he admits that being gay and living in the country music capital can be challenging.

"In New York, you can really be who you are," he said. "In L.A., Miami, a lot of other cities in America, no big deal to be gay, who cares? But being in Nashville it's still tough. Sherrie always says we're 'unbuckling the Bible belt.' Matt [Shane's longtime boyfriend] and I can't walk down the street holding hands. Somebody might throw something at us. That's happened to me before here. It's getting better. It's getting more and more open-minded, but it's still not safe."

For more from TheBoot.com's interview with Stevens, click here. For more on "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys," visit the show's official website here.

Below, see a slideshow exploring where 14 country music stars stand on the LGBT community.

Comments

[spidermom]

08:09 AM on 12/04/2011

Dolly has at least one gay relative. Life is a learning process.. Some times it takes awhile to learn that we should all be treated the same.

[rockysparks]

05:45 AM on 11/21/2011

My son Shawn, who is the best damned undiscovered guitarist in East Kentucky, moved to Nashville more than a year ago to pursue his dream of being a studio musician and songwriter. He's openly gay but was worried about "having to tone it down" and pass for straight in a city long rumored, with some justification, about being openly homophobic, or at least unwelcoming to gays.

It's an interesting experiment. When he was a teenager and young adult, I'd pick him up after bar gigs and drive him home at 2 or 3 a.m. As I was walking him into the house, he'd empty his pockets out --- they were filled with phone numbers written on scraps of paper --- sometimes intimate garments --- handed to him by inebriated women during his gigs.

"What am I supposed to do with this stuff, Daddy?" he'd ask, as I walked him over to the couch, just before he'd pass out.

"Burn the phone numbers, honey," I'd say. "I'll wash out the panties and donate 'em to Goodwill Industries."

Apparently, the gaydar of shameless hussies goes down as they approach closing time ... hmm, maybe that could be worked into a country song ...

[lijebailey]

06:17 PM on 11/20/2011

Looks like Ima hafta do me some CD shoppin, right soon!

[Contact1972]

12:29 PM on 11/19/2011

While I appreciate the support I also feel a lot of it is rather vague. I'm glad you don't want to judge but that doesn't answer the question-do you support equality under the law for GLBT tax paying Americans or not? Would be nice of some of them answered that.

[jmoser1973]

04:48 AM on 11/20/2011

yes it would be nice, but it is nice to know that they at least aren't hating.