Discontinuing Buttondown E-mails

October 26, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes, Thanks to Jeremy LeRoux (of Country Everywhere)’s help, I made the switch to the new Rainbow Rodeo site much sooner than expected. I also...

Rainbow Rodeo 3.0

October 25, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! This newsletter is going out a bit late today to make sure my interview with Flamy Grant makes it in! Important Changes to Rainbow Rodeo I...

Bend in the Middle

October 18, 2024

Jeremy Dion’s upcoming album Bend in the Middle is out today. Dion describes the album as “folk therapy for late bloomers.” In this essay, Dion tells us...

Weekend Update

October 11, 2024

I took a week off for Rosh Hoshanah so here are some links for your reading pleasure this weekend! I will likely write two posts next week to catch up on...

Salvaged By Creation

September 27, 2024

Writer CL Frankenbach reviews Jake Blount and Mali Obamsawin’s astonishing new album symbiont Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin’s revelatory album, symbiont, is...

Catchy Rhythms and Difficult Situations

September 20, 2024

Tacilim Oréfice comes to us all the way from Brazil with this thoughtful review of Kara Cole’s new EP Firefly. Thanks for helping to support music...

Are Cowboys Really Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other?

September 13, 2024

Columnist Felipe Oliveira doesn’t have time for sacred cows of country music, and the Willie Nelson song is no exception. You should also check out his essay...

LIVE in New York -- Again! (And LINKS)

September 6, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! Time to get back in the saddle after vacation and I have LINKS. Lots of them. But first — I hope those of you in New York will join us on...

Exploding Genres

August 9, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes, Sorry it’s been so long. A life-altering decision, plus another string of family health crises (different people than the one who’s been...

Out West: Upending the White Straight Mythology of the American Cowboy

July 5, 2024

Howdy cowpokes, Happy July 5th to everyone else who is stuck at work like me. I hope the rest of you are having fun! If you missed it earlier, make sure to...

The Podcast is Back -- Featuring Chris Houseman!

June 28, 2024

If you missed the dulcet tones of my voice, dear reader, fear not! The Rainbow Rodeo podcast is back in the saddle and this month’s conversation is with...

Rainbow Rodeo For the People

June 21, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! It’s a big week for Rainbow Rodeo. Thank you, as always, for being a part of this project and supporting queer country artists and...

Happy Pride, Maren Morris!

June 14, 2024

Happy Pride to Maren Morris! https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AGJTTJqdm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Morris posted on Instagram on Tuesday...

Rainbow Rodeo on Sirius XM!

June 7, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! I am the Voice of Sirius XM's Country Pride channel, which is running throughout the month! I am also hosting an hour-long block of tunes...

Happy Pride!

May 31, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes, I want to thank everyone who made it out to the Rainbow Rodeo show at Branded last week. I basically spent all of my twenties there, hanging...

Protecting Community

May 24, 2024

Hey, cowpokes, I should be back online with Rainbow Rodeo next week! I want to highlight two community-building events this week: one online and one in...

LIVE Queer Country Next Week!

May 17, 2024

Hey, cowpokes, The last couple weeks have thoroughly kicked my ass!!! I got home from Canada after my dad was hospitalized…and then my workplace got hacked...

Late Bloomer: How Queer Country Informs Queer Parenting

May 10, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! So sorry for the radio silence — my dad had to undergo emergency surgery in Calgary, of all places, the night before we were supposed to fly...

Fundraiser Update -- Giveaway -- NEW Live Show!

April 15, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes! Thank you so much for all of your support so far! We are only $300 away from hitting the fundraising goal! If 30 of you contributed $10,...

The Inherent Campiness of Country Music

April 12, 2024

Fundraising Update Hey, cowpokes! We are in the home stretch of the Rainbow Rodeo issue 4 fundraiser -- only $350 left to go! Now, anyone who makes a...

Issue 4 Update AND Another T-Shirt Contest!

April 5, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes, I am thrilled to announce that we are just over halfway to the funding goal for issue 4 of Rainbow Rodeo! But if owning or downloading a...

Win a FREE Lizzie No T-Shirt TODAY (4/2!)

April 2, 2024

Hey, cowpokes, We are 17% of the way through the fundraiser already! If you or someone you know is a fan of Lizzie No, you can win a free shirt when you...

Get In On the Ground Floor!

March 29, 2024

Hey I heard there was an earth-shattering country album that dropped today by an artist some people like? Don't worry, I won't write about it today. I know...

Music For the People

March 22, 2024

We now have one Rainbow Rodeo live show in the books and it went better than I could have imagine it. Watching Robert Bock of the Locksmiths nail it from the...

Queering the Cowboy (And Live Events!)

March 15, 2024

Hey, cowpokes -- before we dive in to Stefanie Cuthbert's brilliant history of queer cowboys in country music, I want to make a few announcements: 1) The...

"Gay" Does Belong in Front of "Country Music," Actually

March 8, 2024

Howdy, cowpokes, I know things have been quiet around these parts. That's because I took the LMSW licensure exam (I killed it) followed in quick succession...

Live From New York! It's...Rainbow Rodeo!

February 16, 2024

Howdy cowpokes, Things have been a little quiet at the rodeo this week, and will be for the next two because I will be taking my LMSW exam on Thursday and...

A Feeling I Belonged

February 9, 2024

Want a glimpse at the next issue of Rainbow Rodeo? How about asking questions of our next DISARMING podcast guest? Subscribe to the Rainbow Rodeo Patreon!...

Analogue Pleasures

January 26, 2024

Issue 4 of the Rainbow Rodeo zine is chugging along! Subscribe to the Patreon today to get a sneak peek! In just about a month, I'll be speaking at Country...

Out of the Shadows: The Trans Story of Americana

January 19, 2024

This story was written by Stefanie Cuthbert thanks to the support of generous donations and Patreon subscribers! Subscribe to the Patreon to read the FULL...

Reader's Choice: The Top 10 Queer Country Albums of 2023

January 18, 2024

Hi, pals. I was prepping this week's newsletter and saw that the last two never went out??? Sorry about that -- sending this one today, and last week's...

Happy Holidays From Rainbow Rodeo!

December 21, 2023

Howdy, y'all! Got a lot of fun news items and also a reminder to vote in our year-end poll. As loyal subscribers I know you have Feelings about queer country...

Queer Country Dominates Year-End Lists

December 15, 2023

It's the week before the week before Christmas, and you know what that means: it's year-end list season. Personally, I like to publish those in January...

Vote in the Rainbow Rodeo Year-End Poll!

December 11, 2023

That's right -- everyone's doing it and we love following trends. Vote for your favorite 10 queer country albums in our year-end poll! And while we're at it,...

The Queer Country Holiday Gift Guide

December 7, 2023

Hey there, cowpokes! ‘Tis the season, and you are probably trying to find some gifts for your favorite people — or, after looking at this list, a little...

Some Exciting Rainbow Rodeo News!

November 17, 2023

Hey there, cowpokes! I will stop being dour long enough to say something exciting! After dragging my feet, I finally got around to setting up a new shop for...

Hardware for Homos(+)

November 10, 2023

Not a whole bunch to say for the newsletter this week -- as you'll see below, I've been a busy little beaver updating the website -- plus, I'm cooking up...

What We Talk About When We Talk About Equity

November 3, 2023

I haven't had much juice for these weekly recaps lately because I was busy working on this article for the Nashville Scene, which is about the transphobic...

A Crunch Time Roundup

October 27, 2023

Hi, all, I spent a good time this week working on an article and IRL job stuff so I did not have much brain power to think about other things! Of course, if...

A Rainy Roundup

October 20, 2023

Howdy cowpokes, I'm sorry I missed last week's post. Not much news to report or muse on at the moment. As I predicted, the Americana Music Association...

Two Weeks Later, Silence From Americanafest

October 6, 2023

To be fair, I'm writing this at 8 AM before I head out for the long weekend. It's entirely possible that the Americana Music Association (AMA) will release...

Country and Americana's Big Queerphobic Weekend

September 29, 2023

Something was in the water in the Southeast last weekend because, I tell ya, the Devil was hard at work. Last Thursday, gay country singer Adam Mac was...

L'Shanah Tovah! (Happy New Year -- And Forgiveness)

September 15, 2023

ose of you unfamiliar with the Jewish calendar, this weekend marks Rosh Hoshanah, the new year, and next week will mark Yom Kippur, our day of repentance and...

A Safer Space

September 8, 2023

(cw: mild homophobia) Last week, I wrote about Nashville's reluctance to risk a dollar in the face of the unfamiliar. It wasn't the most coherent...

Let's Get Back to Making Money

September 1, 2023

Welcome to all the new subscribers I met last week at the Hester Street Zine Fair! I try not to write screeds like this too often -- but here goes! Things...

Live in New York...

August 25, 2023

Hey, cowpokes! Not a ton to report right now, but I will be selling Rainbow Rodeo in person down at the South Street Seaport tomorrow, Saturday 8/26, from...

On Pigeonholes

August 18, 2023

It seems like every time I go on vacation this summer there is a new embarrassing country music fiasco. Does my presence in New York City protect some kind...

A Brief Queer Country Update

August 11, 2023

Howdy, cowpokes! Most of my brain space this week has been occupied by finishing up my master's thesis and, today, chilling out after my birthday, and going...

Video and the Country Star

August 4, 2023

I'm back from my honeymoon and I'm here to tell you one thing: I hate music videos. Sorry -- I know you guys spend a lot of money on them and, frankly, I'm...

Adeem the Artist Steps Into History

July 7, 2023

Howdy, cowpokes, Sorry it's been a minute! I'll tell you a little bit about my Nashville adventure in a second, but I also want to make two announcements:...