Why Miranda Lambert Cried When Her Brother Gave Permission to Post Pride Parade Photos
Miranda Lambert says she wept when her brother, Luke Lambert, gave his permission for her to publicly post photos of herself and her husband, NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin, with him and his husband at a Pride Parade in New York City on June 30.
In a new interview with Pride Source, Lambert described the experience, which was her first-ever Pride Parade, as "the happiest day," with "glitter and rainbows everywhere." She got to see the parade, which was part of a massive WorldPride event marking Pride Month, from behind a barricade with the NYPD, and she says, "It was just lighthearted. Everybody had wings that day and I loved it."
She says it was very emotional when Luke gave his permission for her to share photos to her Instagram, which boasts 3.7 million followers.
"It was so special, and when he was giving me permission to post about it, we both cried because it was such a big moment," Lambert shares. "I see now, talking about it, why it’s a big moment for other people: because it was a big moment for us too. So I’m just glad that he was OK with that, and we could share that moment and be supportive of each other no matter what we’re doing or who we are."
The "It All Comes Out in the Wash" singer says she's always been a supporter of the LGBTQ community, even growing in the small East Texas town of Lindale. Describing herself as a "band nerd and drama nerd," she says her first experiences with uncloseted gay people were in drama in high school, where she encountered "the absolute sweetest, coolest, most creative people who were a couple of the gay guys in drama."
She's always supported her brother since he came out to her, she adds.
"I support him 100 percent in whatever he does. He is a brilliant individual and the most amazing person, and just so genuine," she raves. The singer adds that her brother is "way cooler than me" and not particularly a fan of country music, though he did tell her that he likes her new album, Wildcard.
Lambert says she's found smaller ways to express her support for the LGBTQ community in the past, pointing to songs including "All Kinds of Kinds" and "Heart Like Mine" as musical examples. She was surprised when some country music fans expressed disapproval of her Pride post.
"I didn’t even realize it was making a statement ’cause I just thought it was normal, and I guess what I mean by that is, I didn’t think it was stepping out of bounds or anything because to me it’s all the same, it doesn’t matter," she reflects. "And I was just there celebrating with my brother and his husband and having a great time."
Those who threatened to stop listening to her music or unfollow her because of her stance are not of great concern, she adds.
"I feel like the people who commented negatively weren’t my followers. When people say “unfollow,” they weren’t following me to begin with," Lambert observes with a laugh. "Also, I don’t understand why people have time to get on social media and be negative. I think they should get a hobby or a job, or both. So I just don’t let those affect me. But I also know that if you’re polarizing, you must have an impact. Can’t be loved by everybody. So I try to take the good and run with that."
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