Are you watching Monarch on Fox? If not, you’re missing out on some Texas-sized drama. Monarch is a multi-generational musical series about the biggest country music family in America. The Roman family is led by the “Queen of Country Music” Dottie, played by Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon and her husband the “Texas Truthteller” or Albie, who is played by Country Music Award Winner Trace Adkins.
In addition to featuring some great country music and binge worthy drama, Monarch highlights the stories of LGBTQ people in the country music scene. Out actors Beth Ditto and Kevin Cahoon joined GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos to talk about their characters and the importance of this representation.
Queer actress and singer Beth Ditto, who’s character Gigi is a body positive lesbian, talks about some of the similarities and differences between her real-life persona and her character. “I tried to make Gigi as butch as I could possibly make her on Fox,” noting how important it is to have characters like these on network television.
Cahoon speaks about how his character Earl Clark is based off of a real stylist for country music icons we all know and love. “Earl started as Dottie Roman’s personal stylist and then became her best friend in the process.”
Ditto took a moment to discuss how Earl’s closeness to the Roman family is a perfect example of a chosen family. “They’ve adopted you into their family. It’s such a common theme for queer people,” she says.
“Make Nashville gay!” Ditto jokes about increasing queer representation in the country music scene. “Well, Nashville is pretty gay,” Cahoon explains. Whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes, there have always been queer people in country music. “LGBTQ people in Nashville are writing the songs, they’re producing, they’re coming up with the looks. I always say they are the engine and the pick-up truck of country music. They are driving this.”
As more and more people in country music come out as queer or as outspoken allies, the scene is becoming a more accepting place. “I think people can smell when things are not authentic. When things are authentic, they gravitate towards those things,” Cahoon says.
The two actors are great friends off screen, Cahoon stating that he “first fell in love with Beth during their first table read.” They joke about going to the gay bar together and the DJ’s blasting Beth’s music.
Fans can catch the season finale of Monarch December 6th on Fox.