Damon Beirne Celebrates Lavender Outlaws

Sometimes, New York is just a small town. I met Damon Beirne while standing online outside a party for FlameCon, the queer comic book convention, back in 2015 or so. We hung out a few times after that but life gets in the way. I did a double-take when I saw his name in my inbox as the director of a short documentary, Lavender Outlaws.

Lavender Outlaws focuses on the fight for queer country artists to be recognized amidst the backdrop of Tennessee’s repressive anti-drag legislation. The film features performances from Rainbow Rodeo favorites Paisley Fields, Cindy Emch, Mya Byrne, Crys Matthews, Jessye DeSilva and Lilli Lewis.

How did you come across this subject matter?
I had gone with a friend to Queer Country Quarterly hosted by Karen Pittelman at Branded Saloon in Brooklyn but I really started to meet people years later through the record label Trans Trenderz. Through them I met artists like Mya Byrne, Apollo Flowerchild, Lara Americo, and Freddy Oaks. After that it was just about going to shows and making new friends.  

What has queer country music meant to you?
Queer country music means hanging outside around a fire listening to your friends tell stories, it means delicious pancakes in a house full of new friends, and endless covers of Jolene.

This documentary is 15 minutes. What’s the next step in the process? What would you add if you had more time to tell this story?

This film is mostly about having a good time and introducing people to new music, so I think that story has been told. But one question I asked that didn’t make the cut was “How did you get involved with the queer country community?”. Nearly everyone had the same answer, Patrick Haggerty found them.

I would love to work on a project that focuses on Patrick Haggerty’s legacy and the community he created by inviting all these different people to join Lavender Country. The dream is that I follow someone on tour to make this and get to do the driving. I love a road trip.

Lots of queer folks have preconceptions about country music. What do you hope your audience will come away with?

I hope people watch this and find at least one new artist that resonates with them and that they go to a show sometime. There’s a wide variety of music styles to enjoy and definitely something for everyone. Go support local artists.