Country Star Performs With Drag Queens At CMT Award Show, Pushes Gun Control

The annual Country Music Television (CMT) Awards show Sunday night was infused with political messages from 29-year-old singer Kelsea Ballerini, who co-hosted the ceremony alongside musician Kane Brown.

Ballerini performed on stage with drag queens from a reality TV show in an apparent rebuke of GOP-backed legislation. She also seemed to push gun control measures while invoking the recent school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, perpetrated by a former student, a 28-year-old woman who identified as a man.

“If you go down, i’m going down too // thank you to these iconic queens,” Ballerini said on Twitter, captioning a photo of the performance. The “Half of My Hometown” singer also thanked Country Music Television (CMT) “for celebrating love, self expression, and performance.”

A GOP-backed law in Tennessee would ban drag queen performances for children and in public spaces where they could be viewed by minors. The law was set to take effect at the beginning of April but has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Ballerini was joined on stage by four drag queens from the reality TV series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” while performing her hit single “If You Go Down (I’m Going Down Too).”

if you go down, i’m going down too 🏳️‍🌈 // thank you to these iconic queens and @manilaluzon @kennedyddoftx @janjanjan @TheOliviaLux and @CMT for celebrating love, self expression, and performance.

📸 John Shearer @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/jZ3JTVI3ny

— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) April 3, 2023