Comments on: Christians Slam Underwood For Faith-Based Marrige Equality Support

By: Country Fan

Country Fan — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 21:38:41 +0000

GLAAD started the Twitter idea of putting the tag “support Carrie” into posts, but many of us have taken that up, and are using the tag too, so that is not an indication of membership. A considerable number of the supportive tweets are from people I know as long term active Carrie fans.
I take the point that much of the outside support we’re receiving is in it for the symbolism and for advancing their own cause, and not for Carrie’s music. I think that’s inevitable, and I don’t blame them for that. All I’m asking is that they recognize that exaggerating a split specifically between Carrie and her own fans has the potential to damage her – an oft repeated assumption can take on a life of its own in the minds of people who don’t know that fan base well.

By: Bill Steward

Bill Steward — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:04:18 +0000

While I know you’re right, that not all of the negativity Carrie is receiving is coming from Fans, it’s also true that a vast majority of her support isn’t coming from her Fan-base either… Most of the supportive twitter posts have been from “Glaad” members and I doubt very much that her fan-base was/is comprised largely of “Glaad” Members… I don’t believe a large number of her fan-base will leave her over this but it could dampen enthusiasm a bit, for a while… The problem I believe she has going forward is, rather than being known as “Country’s Good Girl”, she’ll now be known as “Country’s gay rights Queen” and I have a feeling that the gay community may have come for the support but they’ll not be staying for the music…

By: Bridgette P. LaVictoire

Bridgette P. LaVictoire — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:52:36 +0000

You’re welcome. I try very hard to not blanketly assume that everyone in a group is bigoted.

By: Country Fan

Country Fan — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:11:50 +0000

Thanks for the coverage. I’ve visited a number of LGBT-friendly sites, and I’ve been grateful for the general support they’re showing us over this – but one thing concerns me. Many are suggesting that the Internet posts against Carrie are coming from her fans. This is largely not the case – which can be confirmed by checking the majority of posts on her discussion board and Twitter. It seems clear that the three posts you quote above are unlikely to be from fans (one “warns” fans, and another doesn’t know the name of her record company). I’m not disputing that some fans are troubled by her comments – but most are supporting her. The hostile posts seem to be mainly from two groups: people with a polarizing political agenda; and people who interpret passages of Scripture differently. Confusing this with Carrie’s general fan base can damage her career in the eyes of some journalists and programmers.
Gays, Christians, Country fans are like any other group of people – they run the gamut of emotions and personality traits, from inclusive and reasonable to bigoted and stereotyping. I hope that people who agree with Carrie will stand together, and see beyond the broad-brush caricatures.