Country superstar Miranda Lambert is standing up proudly in support of the LGBTQ+ community this week, and says she has a family connection to the cause.
Speaking with GLAAD for sweeping new interview, the country hit maker says her brother, Luke, has inspired her to become more vocal about LGBTQ acceptance — and Luke even helped make her “Tequila Does” (Remix) happen.
In the interview, Lambert explains that she asked for her brother’s advice on her first ever dance remix, feeling unsure of whether or not it was any good. After that, she decided to cast Luke, his husband and their friends in the colorful new “Tequila Does” (Remix) video, which features a pulsating EDM beat and plenty of hip-shaking heat.
“I was a little nervous because I had never done anything like that, so I sent it to my brother Luke, his husband Marc and all of their friends, because that is their vibe — they are dancers, they go to clubs … and I was like, ‘How is this, tell me the honest truth because if you hate it, it goes away forever,’” Lambert explains. “He said ‘I love this and you should put it out!’ So it gave me the confidence, they totally pushed me over the edge!”
But Lambert’s entry into new musical territory wasn’t all Luke helped inspire.
She went on to explain that at this point in her career, she wants to use her platform to be a positive force. Lambert says she has a lot of learning left to do, but truly wants to be an ally for the LGBTQ community. And she thinks others feel that way, too.
“I do think we are in a moment of change and I have so much to learn,” she explains. “I am always sensitive, I always call my brother because I want to make sure I say the right things … I know I am uneducated, but I am full of love. Being in a family where I am surrounded by LGBTQ people, it has me learning and figuring out how I can be a part of the change and still be the same person I have been as an artist for 20 years. I don’t see why those worlds can’t mesh. I speak up about things I care about! If I can be a part of this change in any way … I always want to do that.”
GLAAD is the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization. Miranda Lambert is returning to the road with concert scheduled through the fall, and a new album out with The Marfa Tapes (with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall). She went on to talk about filming her “Tequila Does” (Remix) video with her husband, Brendan McLoughlin, and how advocating for state legislatures to ensure LGBTQ rights should not be considered political. Watch the full interview above.