CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHT WORDS_ LOUISA GHEVAERT

Popular country singer-songwriter Chely Wright’s LGBT rights journey is not unlike America’s own. Missouri-born, Kansas- raised, church-going, socially-conservative country sensation Chely presented as every bit the archetypal southern belle so associated with the genre. In reality, though, Chely is, and always was, gay.

hen, in 2010, she revealed her secret to the World Smith, as a child, she would read the liner notes of albums she became the first country star ever to do so. “much like a kid would read fairy tales out of storybooks”. Before Today Chely is married to long-time girlfriend Lauren Chely had even began school, she had started to learn the piano. Blitzer and in May this year gave birth to the couple’s According to her autobiography, Like Me, Chely decided upon a first children, twin boys George and Everett. Chely’s career as a country music performer by the time she was four. decision to come out has brought her happiness, If music was Chely’s first passion, though, God was a close peace and closure but it was a tough decision to make. second. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, Chely revealed that, as a child, she prayed every day for God to CHILDHOOD change her; to make her straight. So began 20 years of what the Born Richell Rene Wright, in Kansas City, 1970, Chely spent her singer describes as ‘compartmentalization,’ during which she early years in Wellsville, Kansas, deep in America’s heartland. With led two separate lives. a population just over 1,800, Wellsville prides itself on its ‘midwest values and small town charm’ namely, faith, family and country. SINGLE WHITE FEMALE A model student, Chely scored consistently high grades. At At 19, Chely left Wellsville for Nashville, Tennessee, in search of Wellsville High School she was elected class president of the greater freedom. Here, in her chosen genre’s spiritual home, school band and, throughout her teenage years, performed at she supplemented her song writing with industry internships the funerals of veterans in the town. On Sundays she attended until, in 1993, Chely landed her first recording contract with church with her family. major-label Mercury. Her debut album, Woman in the Moon, From an early age, Chely’s first passion was for country followed a year later and won Chely an industry award for Best

music. Enthralled by stars such as Loretta Lynn and Connie New Female Vocalist. » / vanguardrecords.com Crosta © Laura

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Chely’s coming out documentary ‘Wish Me Away’ has garnered 12 film festival awards and has recently been nominated for an Emmy Award. Chely was also one of a number of famous faces to back The NOH8 Campaign, a charitable organization using photographic silent protests against the now overturned Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban in California.

Chely married LGBT rights advocate Lauren Blitzer in 2011 and gave birth to identical twin boys on May 18, 2013.

» Her professional success continued apace. In 1997, with her affection for. Discussing the matter with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, third album Let Me In, Chely secured her first top 20 hit in the song Chely explained that, whatever her professional accomplishments, ‘Shut Up and Drive’, whilst her next album, 1999’s Single White she was “never able to fully absorb the joy ...” and that “... with each Female, was her first to go Gold, selling more than 100,000 copies. rung of the ladder I climbed, people wanted to know more”. In addition, she had by that time penned songs for several other However, these short, very public relationships never worked out. best-selling country stars. In private, the pressures of leading a double life, coupled with a However, whilst Chely found success in Nashville, she didn’t hectic touring schedule led Chely to seperate from Julia. By 2006, find the freedom she wanted. As her success increased she found Chely found herself isolated, depressed and full of self-loathing, it more difficult to acknowledge her sexuality. both for her sexual orientation and her inability to be open about it. Country music deals primarily with the most fundamental of Chely believed that she would never fit the largest pieces of her life American sensibilities: love of God, love of family, love of flag. Within together: successful country star and gay woman. She was also tired the genre, the principle of love is strictly heterosexual and country of trying. After several days shut away from the world, alone in her fans expect their stars to act accordingly. Any divergence from bedroom, she placed the barrel of her 9mm handgun in her mouth. these norms is risky business for a country act, as the Texas-based Chely didn’t pull the trigger and she took that as a sign. Instead, Dixie Chicks found to their cost in 2003, after criticising then that night, she made a conscious decision to come out. President George W. Bush in the run-up to the Iraq War. When the bands’ comments hit the news it resulted in a widespread country LIFTED OFF THE GROUND radio boycott, loss of sponsors, the ceremonial crushing of former Chely felt the public announcement of her coming out deserved fans’ Dixie Chicks CDs, and even death threats. something more sophisticated than a press release. It was a Consequently, despite having made what she describes as ‘a decision she had wrestled with for two decades and it could have deal with God’ to come clean when she made it big, Chely ended her career. Instead, she set about coming out by writing an increasingly resigned herself to remaining closeted. album: 2010’s Lifted Off The Ground. She also began work on her autobiography, Like Me, which became the subject of a multi REVELATION award-winning documentary, Wish Me Away, released in 2011. Chely’s life remained compartmentalised for more than twenty Her decision to come out was big news. In the US, country years. Between 1993 and 2004, Chely maintained a secret music is a hundred-million dollar industry. There are more radio relationship with a similarly closeted woman named Julia. In their stations dedicated to country music and its derivatives than any last few years together, the couple even shared a home in Nashville, other genre and these stations are routinely amongst the most- despite Chely’s public relationships with male country stars Brad listened to in America. Similarly, whilst overall music sales have Paisley and Vince Gill during this period. slumped, sales of country albums continue to grow. Chely reasoned that she needed to do all she could to avoid Reaction was mixed. Chely estimates that, as a consequence of inadvertently revealing her secret, going as far as to enter coming out, she lost as much as two-thirds of her existing relationships with men she had no attraction to or romantic audience, and, although she received many kind words in private,

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just three other artists made public their support at the time. GetGetGetGetNevertheless, expert Chely’sexpert expertexpert story broke down barriers. Not only didGet she provide encouragement expert to other gay men and women growing up her proactive approach to discussing the treatment fertilityfertilityoffertilityfertility homosexuality in the country music industry and wider fertilityculturefertility won Chely many more supporters. In 2010, the US- based Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which informationinformationpartners with schools to assist teachers in creating positive informationenvironmentsinformationinformation for gay young people, made Chely its national spokesperson, whilst Out Magazine named Chely amongst its andand100andand People of The support Yearsupport supportsupport 2010. andand PERSONAL LIFEsupport support AND DONOR CONCEPTION Chely’s personal life was, however, transformed by her onlineonlinedecisiononlineonline to come out. In 2011, with with atwithwith an LGBT rights event, Chely onlinemetonline Lauren Blitzer, a music with executivewith and gay rights activist. Two floors of fairtrade Less than a year later the two were married at a private TwoTwoTwoTwoTwo floorsfloorsfloors floorsfloors ofofof ofof fairtradefairtradefairtrade fairtradefairtrade fairtrade of floors Two BootsBootsceremony in Connecticut. WebMDWebMD &Two Twoeco floorsshoppingfloors ofof fairtradefairtrade in the fairtrade of floors Two BootsBootsBootsIn January 2013, the coupleWebMD WebMD WebMD confirmed publicly that Chely &&&& & ecoecoeco ecoeco shoppingshoppingshopping shoppingshopping ininin inin thethethe thethe the in shopping eco & had conceived twins with the help of a sperm donor. In June pituresque&& ecoeco shoppingshopping town ofinin thethe the in shopping eco & this year, George Samuel and Everett Joseph (taking the names pituresquepituresquepituresquepituresquepituresque towntowntown towntown ofofof ofof of town pituresque LetLetofLet their great-grandfathers) us usus support support supportwere born in New York City. Hebdenpituresquepituresque Bridge towntown ofof of town pituresque LetLetLetDonor conception,us usus assupport Chelysupportsupport and Lauren have found, can HebdenHebdenHebdenHebden BridgeBridge BridgeBridge provide a successful family building solution. Although HebdenHebdenHebdenHebden BridgeBridge BridgeBridge Bridge Bridge Hebden Hebden youyoucelebritiesyouyou like in Chelyin inin can taking taking maketakingtaking it look easy, it pays the tothe the dothe the yougroundworkyou andin in this includestaking taking expert management the the of the relevant legal issues. If the legal aspects are overlooked, this OnlineOnlineOnline Shop ShopShop Now NowNow Open! Open!Open! firstfirstcanfirstfirst cause all manner step. step. step.step. of unwanted legal and practical problems OnlineOnlineOnlineOnline ShopShop ShopShop NowNow NowNow Open!Open! Open!Open! Open! Now Shop Online furtherfirst down the line,step. particularly if it involves door conception OnlineOnline ShopShop NowNow Open!Open! Open! Now Shop Online with a known donor, the prospective parents have complex ClothingClothingClothing && & BagsBags Bags personal circumstances or anonymous donation (which is ClothingClothingClothingClothingClothing && & &Bags&Bags BagsBagsBags Bags Bags & & Clothing Clothing VisitVisitcommonVisitVisit www.bootswebmd.com inwww.bootswebmd.com www.bootswebmd.com thewww.bootswebmd.com US and other parts of the world unlike the UK HomeHomeHome FurnishingsFurnishings Furnishings VisitwhereVisit donors www.bootswebmd.com www.bootswebmd.com are now identifiable) is not ultimately a good fit HomeHomeHomeHomeHome FurnishingsFurnishings FurnishingsFurnishingsFurnishings Furnishings Furnishings Home Home WantandandWantforandand the overall searchsearch searchsearch character to and ‘fertility’.to‘fertility’. ‘fertility’.nature‘fertility’. of the family unit. Food & Kitchenware andandThe legacysearch search of donor conception‘fertility’. ‘fertility’. (legally and practically) will FoodFoodFoodFood && & Kitchenware&Kitchenware KitchenwareKitchenware not begin to crystallize for another decade or so, when donor FoodFoodFoodFood && & &KitchenwareKitchenware KitchenwareKitchenware Kitchenware Kitchenware & & Food Food bebeconceived a childrena dad? anddad? families will reach critical mass and HandmadeHandmadeHandmadeHandmade FurnitureFurniture FurnitureFurniture maturity. Law and policy governing donor conception continues HandmadeHandmadeHandmadeHandmade FurnitureFurniture FurnitureFurniture Furniture Furniture Handmade Handmade to evolve and it continues to raise challenging issues across the Children’s Toys LesbianLesbian couples couples and and single single Children’sChildren’sChildren’sChildren’s ToysToys ToysToys womenworld. As such,are celebritieslooking like for Chely genuine could use their status and Children’sChildren’sChildren’sChildren’s ToysToys ToysToys Toys Toys Children’s Children’s profilewomen to promote are greaterlooking awareness for genuine and debate surrounding JewelleryJewelleryJewellery gaythesegay men important men willing willing issues, towhich to ultimately affect them as much as JewelleryJewelleryJewelleryJewelleryJewellery Jewellery Jewellery donatemany others sperm around the world who use assisted reproductive Natural Skincare technologydonate to sperm have their own much wanted families. NaturalNaturalNaturalNatural SkincareSkincare SkincareSkincare by personal NaturalNaturalNaturalNatural SkincareSkincare SkincareSkincare Skincare Skincare Natural Natural by personal BooksBooks & &Music Music arrangement.arrangement. FINAL THOUGHTS BooksBooksBooksBooks && & Music&Music MusicMusic Chely has undoubtedly been an inspiration to many other gay BooksBooksBooksBooks && & &MusicMusic MusicMusic Music Music & & Books Books young people by coming out, and as Chely explains it, ‘coming- together’. Perhaps she can continue to be so as a parent of donor conceived children and a proponent of the important legal and practical issues surrounding donor conception.

Louisa Ghevaert is a leading expert in UK fertility, surrogacy, parenting and family law, a prominent author and media PridePride Angel Angel is the is theleading leading Worldwide Worldwide LGBT LGBT Parenting Parenting Connection Connection commentator and a passionate supporter of parents, Site.Site. Visit Visit our oursite site for morefor more information information about about Legal Legal Rights, Rights, Health Health children and families. She is a partner with Porter Dodson LLP ScreeningScreening and and Home Home Insemination. Insemination. www.porterdodsonfertility.com. RegisterRegister as asa co-parent a co-parent or orsperm sperm donor donor for for free free ShopShopShop online online online at at at www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk ShopShopShopShop onlineonline online online atat at www.spiralsfairtrade.co.ukatwww.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk at online Shop OpenOpenOpenShopShop 7 7 days 7days days onlineonline a a week aweek week at at www.spiralsfairtrade.co.ukwww.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk11-1311-1311-13 Market Market Market Street Street Street www.spiralsfairtrade.co.uk at online Shop www.prideangel.comwww.prideangel.comfeelfeel good good Open&Open lateOpenOpen 7 every7 days 7days 7 days days Thursdaya a weekaweek a week week 11-13Hebden11-1311-1311-13 Market Market BridgeMarket Market Street Street Street Street Street Market 11-13 week a days 7 Open WWW.PINK-PARENTING.COM feelfeel good good feelfeel good good && late &OpenlateOpen& late late every every 7 every7 everydays days Thursday Thursday Thursday a Thursdaya week week HebdenHebdenHebden11-1311-13Hebden BridgeMarket MarketBridge Bridge Bridge Street Street Street Market 11-13 week a days 7 Open until&&until late &untillate& late8pmlate 8pmevery every8pm every every from from ThursdayfromThursday Thursday Thursday HX7HebdenHebdenHX7HebdenHX7Hebden 6EU 6EU 6EU Bridge BridgeWest WestBridge BridgeWest Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire Bridge Bridge Hebden Hebden Thursday Thursday every every late & late & until24thuntiluntiluntil 8pm Nov8pm 8pm 8pm –from from 22nd from from Dec HX7TelHX7HX7 01422HX7 6EU 6EU 6EU 6EU West 847West West West 462 Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire West 6EU HX7 from 8pm until 24th24th24thuntiluntil24th Nov Nov 8pm Nov 8pmNov – – 22nd – from22nd–from 22nd 22nd Dec Dec Dec Dec TelTelTelHX7 HX701422Tel 01422 01422 014226EU 6EU 847 847 West 847 West847 462 462 462 462Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire West 6EU HX7 from 8pm until 24th24th24th24th Nov Nov Nov Nov – – 22nd – 22nd– 22nd 22nd Dec Dec Dec Dec TelTelTel Tel01422 01422 01422 01422 847 847 847 847 462 462 462 462 462 462 847 847 01422 01422 Tel Tel Dec Dec 22nd – 22nd – Nov Nov 24th 24th

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