Chappell Roan made music history when she performed her lesbian country song “The Giver” on “SNL” last Saturday. This song breaks new ground in country music by focusing on intimate queer relationships, paving the way for other LGBTQ+ artists like Roan who have also defied conventional heteronormative expectations in their music.

This is Roan’s debut in the country genre, and she made a significant impact.

With fiddles complementing her vocals, the “HOT TO GO!” performer sang about pleasing her female partners in a way that no man could: “Take it like a taker, ’cause baby I’m a giver / Ain’t no need for help, ’cause baby I deliver / Ain’t no country boy quitter / I get the job done.”

During the bridge, Roan engaged the audience, asking, “All you country boys saying you know how to treat a woman right? Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right!”

Since her performance on Saturday, Roan’s debut has created a significant buzz. The decision to launch the song on “Saturday Night Live,” which attracted over 5 million viewers for its opening episode of the season, was particularly strategic.

The song “The Giver” is now being hailed as a representation of queer country music.

With everyone’s attention on Roan, the focus is shifting towards LGBTQ+ representation in country music.

While Roan’s performance was distinct and captivating, numerous artists before her have celebrated LGBTQ+ relationships and explored queer intimacy in their country songs.

Let’s delve into LGBTQ+ representation in country music.

Highlighting LGBTQ+ Relationships in Country Music

Many people recognize Patrick Haggerty, the frontman of Lavender Country, as the first openly gay country musician.

The band’s self-titled album released in 1973 is notable for songs like “Lavender Country,” “Back in the Closet Again,” and “Come Out Singing,” among others.

Haggerty passed away in 2022 at the age of 78 due to stroke-related complications.

Since then, numerous artists have followed in their footsteps, pushing boundaries with their open expressions in music.

These artists include Ty Herndon, Brandy Clark, Brandi Carlile, Chely Wright, T.J. Osborne, Brooke Eden, Orville Peck, Allison Russell, Cody Belew, Adeem The Artist, Chris Housman, Lil Nas X, Fancy Hagood, Trixie Mattel, Lily Rose, Steve Grand, Katie Pruitt, and many others who continue to represent queerness in country music, making the 5 million queer individuals in the South feel acknowledged.

Below are some songs that “The Giver” proudly joins as a queer country anthem.

‘Follow Your Arrow’ by Kacey Musgraves, co-written with Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally

Kacey Musgraves’ song “Follow Your Arrow,” released in 2013, was honored as the CMA Song of the Year in 2014.

This track, co-written with queer artist Brandy Clark and prominent gay songwriter Shane McAnally, has emerged as an anthem for LGBTQ+ rights. It’s widely acknowledged that this song broke barriers in country music nearly a decade ago.

In “Follow Your Arrow,” Musgraves urges her listeners to embrace their true selves with lines like: “So, make lots of noise / Kiss lots of boys / Or kiss lots of girls, if that’s what you’re into / When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight / Roll up a joint, or don’t.”

“Just follow your arrow wherever it points, yeah,” she sings. “Follow your arrow wherever it points.”

‘All-American Boy’ by Steve Grand

Steve Grand, a singer-songwriter and model, released his 2013 track “All-American Boy,” a queer anthem expressing a desire for a romantic connection with a man during a Fourth of July celebration.

His lyrics include, “Be my All-American boy tonight / Where every day’s the 4th of July / It’s alright, alright / And we can keep this up till the morning light.”

‘The Joke’ by Brandi Carlile, co-written with Dave Cobb, Phil and Tim Hanseroth

Brandi Carlile, an iconic figure in queer country and Americana music, has crafted several anthems for the LGBTQ+ community, including heartfelt tracks like “I Belong To You,” the poignant “Party Of One,” and the 2021 uplifting anthem “You And Me On The Rock,” celebrating life with a partner.

One of her standout songs, “The Joke,” released in 2018, has gained widespread recognition as an anthem for marginalized groups. In this track, Carlile reaches out to those who feel “under-represented, unloved, or illegal,” as she told NPR.

Nominated for Song and Record of the Year at the 2019 Grammy Awards, “The Joke” speaks directly to young people navigating their identities.

In the song, she reflects, “Let ’em laugh while they can / Let ’em spin, let ’em scatter in the wind. / I have been to the movies, I’ve seen how it ends / And the joke’s on them.”

‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X

Though not explicitly about queerness, Lil Nas X’s 2018 smash hit “Old Town Road” has significantly raised awareness for LGBTQ+ artists in the country genre and has been embraced as a gay country anthem by many.

Lil Nas X publicly came out as gay while the song topped the charts, making history as the longest-running number one single by an openly queer artist on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song earned two Grammy Awards in 2020.

While the lyrics center on achieving success and wealth rather than romantic relationships, the song sends a powerful message about the capabilities of queer artists to excel in the music industry.

‘Younger Me’ by Brothers Osborne

<p”Younger Me,” the 2021 release from Brothers Osborne, resonates as a poignant anthem for the queer male community.

In the accompanying music video, T.J. Osborne, who came out as gay that same year, delivers an empowering message to his younger self against the backdrop of the Tennessee State Capitol.

He sings, “Younger me / Hanging out but not quite fitting in / Didn’t know that being different / Really wouldn’t be the end / Younger me.”

‘Got No Choice’ by Brooke Eden

Brooke Eden’s “Got No Choice,” released in May 2021, came shortly after she revealed her queer identity. In the acclaimed music video, she directs her song to her then-girlfriend, Hilary Hoover, who is now her wife.

In this catchy country-pop number, Eden reflects, “Hearing gossip from my neighbors / We don’t fit on paper / From the bars to the church crowd / We’re the talk of the whole town.”

The memorable chorus features her singing, “I, I ain’t got no choice but to love you / Got no choice but to love you.”

‘In Your Love’ by Tyler Childers, music video story by Silas House

Tyler Childers’ song “In Your Love,” released in July 2023, gained attention for its music video depicting a gay love story, earning praise from LGBTQ+ activists and artists for its focus on queer representation.

Featured on Childers’ latest album “Rustin’ In The Rain,” the song conveys a message of enduring love: “I will wait for you / ‘Til the sun turns into ashes / And bows down to the moon / I will wait for you.”

Although Childers himself is not queer, he expressed to NPR that he wanted to portray a gay love story because of his close relationship with his cousin, a gay man. He collaborated with his friend, the Kentucky poet laureate Silas House, who wrote the narrative for the song’s video.

The “In Your Love” music video narrates the story of two men in 1950s Appalachia who fall in love while working in a coal mine. After facing hostility from coworkers, they retreat to the countryside to cultivate a farm together and remain devoted to one another.

The video features gay actors Colton Haynes and James Scully in these lead roles.

‘Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other’ sang by Orville Peck and Willie Nelson, written by Ned Sublette

This year, Willie Nelson revisited the classic “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other,” teaming up with Orville Peck, a prominent gay country artist known for works like “Midnight Ride,” “Dead of Night,” and “Roses Are Falling.”

Originally penned by Latin country musician Ned Sublette in 1981, this track was covered by Nelson in 2006, becoming a definitive gay country anthem.

In their 2024 collaboration, they croon, “Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other / What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?”

The lyrics continue, “There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand the way that he feels for his brother / And inside every lady, there’s a cowboy who’d love to come out.”

These eight songs are just a glimpse into the vibrant world of queer country music, a community that continues to thrive and expand, recently adding Chappell Roan’s “The Giver,” which joins an evolving catalog that amplifies the voices of the over 7.6% of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+.