GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today released a new and exclusive interview with GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist, Shania Twain on LGBTQ acceptance and inclusion.
Twain told GLAAD’s Vice President, Communications & Talent, Anthony Allen Ramos, that it’s time to giddyup for the LGBTQ community, sharing how she’s inspired by drag artists’ courage to perform and transform: “we need drag queens to share their talent with us,” she said. She also shares the deep connection she’s had with the LGBTQ community and shouts out to queer artists like RuPaul, Orville Peck, Sam Smith, Kim Petras and more for changing the game across the music industry. In anticipation of her upcoming “Queen of Me” world tour, Twain shares that she’s looking forward to delivering fans an experience unlike anything she’s done before, while also promising a show stopping display of all her classics.
Watch the full interview with Shania Twain HERE and select quotes below:
Shania Twain on feeling connected with the LGBTQ community early in her career
“I’ve had so many friends in my life from early on that I would say… some openly, some not so openly who’ve struggled with their sexuality. When I was younger, I would say I even resented society for just making anyone feel like an outsider. I’m an all inclusive person first of all, to each his own. I mean, you know, and we need more love in the world, not rejection and criticism and judgment. So you know when I started when I got into the industry, at the time there was no being a member of the LGBTQ community… so for me this is just all the part of my life, a part of my career, the part of my support, the part of the creative teams, so many of the creatives in my teams are part of the LGBTQ community, so I mean yeah I feel great. It’s a sign that our society is just slowly getting there at least anyway getting somewhere. I want to say that I love you LGBTQ community. You are rock solid. I am inspired and I admire your courage to get out there and be yourself to be beautiful and be at the show so we can all dance and that’s right well and laugh together. That’s what we have to do.”
Shania Twain on supporting drag queens among the many protests that are happening across the country:
“Drag shows are so fun. I’ve been to a couple of drag shows, big ones in Las Vegas. Obviously RuPaul’s Drag Race! I so admire the talent there. First of all, it takes a lot of courage. I mean, fashion in itself takes courage. You’re taking on a lot. And then the makeup, the ability to put their own makeup on and do such a beautiful job. I’ve learned a lot from drag queens. I watched their tutorials because no, I’ve never seen such transformation in some of these talents that their faces go through. Just through creative makeup. It’s very impressive and their fashion, I don’t know, I’m very inspired by it … I think we need this inspiration; we need drag queens to share their talent with us.”
Shania Twain on vibing with Sam Smith and Kim Petras
“Kim reminds me of a living angel. This is a person that carries no ego and is very, very elegant in person. I mean, just beautiful beauty and kindness and sweetness and always a big hug for me and I admire all the talent. And don’t forget Sam! I mean like I met Sam at the Montreux Jazz Festival a few years ago and (they’re) just such a beautiful, beautiful vocalist. I mean I would say a voice that I wish I had. Sam’s just got one of those voices that’s just so beautiful and so perfect. I’m a big fan of both of them and their performances were incredible. Both at the Grammys and at the Brits. So I was just jamming away and I was rooting for them!”
Shania Twain on what to expect for her “Queen of Me” World Tour Setlist
“You can expect the ‘Queen of Me’ tour to be a set list that I’ve never done before. I will do the classics – if I wasn’t going to do the classics, I’d put a warning sign up! I would never do that to you! So I will do the classics and I will include several songs from ‘The Queen of Me.’ And I want the fans to tell me which ones they want me to do because it’s hard for me to decide. It’s still so fresh. So I want to do whatever the most popular ones are from ‘Queen of Me,’ which is part of why I was so anxious to get it out there. I’m going to do songs that I haven’t done in a very long time as well or that I’ve never I’ve never done on tour.
Shania Twain’s album “Queen of Me” is available now.
The Queen of Me Tour kicks off on Friday, April 28th at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA and makes stops across North America and Europe in Vancouver, Denver, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin and more before wrapping up on November 14th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC.
