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Back in April, when Bryan Adams was canceling a concert in Mississippi and Sharon Stone was moving a film project out of that state because of its anti-gay "religious freedom" bill, Belinda Carlisle went ahead and performed in Biloxi.
But Carlisle, who gained international fame as the lead singer of the Go-Gos, was most definitely not acquiescing to HB1523, which allows Mississippians with "religious objections" to deny wedding services to same-sex couples as well as determine workplace policies.
No, she took to Facebook to declare that Gov. Phil Bryant was making life the direct opposite of her 1987 solo hit "Heaven Is a Place on Earth."
"I was proud of the message of that song then and I continue to be proud of it today. Unfortunately, Governor Bryant, you and those around you are making life hell on Earth for many Mississippians."
Six weeks later and 1,500 miles northwest of Biloxi, Carlisle will headline the Utah Pride Festival in a state that passed a bill banning discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in 2015. She's scheduled to perform on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on the Main Stage at the Utah Pride Festival — and she's "probably the biggest" act the Festival has ever booked, according to festival entertainment director Matthew Landis.
Festival entertainers "have to be LGBTQ supportive, and her son is gay," Landis said. "And she's a huge P-FLAG kind of parent — mama dragon. That was a huge factor in us getting her."
Carlisle was signed before she took on Mississippi's governor, "And when that happened, we knew we got the right person," he said.
Carlisle wrote that she "very nearly canceled" her appearance in Mississippi, but that "after discussion with various LGBTQ groups, however, I've decided to go forward with the show in order to say a few things to those who live in the Magnolia State — and I want to start off by addressing you directly."
The self-described "very proud mother of a gay child" said she couldn't "imagine anything less Christian than using the law as a weapon against others. Because of my career as a performer and the privilege that has brought to our family, my son will be all right, but the pain you're causing LGBTQ Mississippians is devastating, especially the transgender folks and LGBTQ people of color who will be most directly impacted by these attacks."
(Carlisle is the mother of actor and activist James Duke Mason.)
Organizers believe getting in to see Carlisle and the rest of the festival will go more smoothly than in past years. For the first time, the Pride Festival is accepting credit cards — both online (at utahpridefestival.org) and at the gate. And that, organizers believe, will cut down on the long admission lines that were the norm in previous years.
"In the past, we've sold about 200 pre-sale tickets, and most of the 38,000 people that come buy tickets at the door," said festival director Valerie Walker. But as of Thursday, about 5,000 presale tickets have been sold this year. "So that's 5,000 less people who have to stand in line and buy a ticket."
(Festival goers must have their tickets scanned and receive a wristband. But even at the gate, you can buy tickets online using your smartphone and ticket-takers will scan the QR code off your phone.)
Carlisle's performance will bring down the curtain on the three-day Utah Pride Festival, which will feature more than two dozen other acts on three stages near the City-County Building and Library Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City. "We have something for everyone," Landis said.
The entertainment lineup also includes the following:
FRIDAY
DeelanZ (7-7:45 p.m., Main Stage) • Dylan Lewman performs "self-help music"
DJ Suzy Bean (8-8:30 p.m.; 10-11 p.m., Main Stage) • Open format female DJ
SATURDAY
Samba Fogo (3-3:45 p.m., Main Stage) • Afro-Brazilian music and dance
Scenic Byway (3-3:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Electronic hip hop group
Violettas (4-4:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Lo-fi pop group
Salt Lake School for Performing Arts (4:05-4:50 p.m., Main Stage) • Various performers
Rockin' Jukes (5:10-5:55 p.m., Main Stage) • Blues band
Batty Blue (6-6:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Provo-based band
• Jason Cosmo (6:05-6:50 p.m., Main Stage) • Drag artist performs as Liza Minnelli and Dolly Parton
Talia Keys (7-7:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Funk-soul-reggae-hip hop-rock 'n' roll singer/songwriter
Perfume Genius (7:10-7:55 p.m., Main Stage) • Seattle-based solo artist Mike Hadreas
Minx (8-8:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Electronic music duo
AB Soto (8:10-8:50 p.m., Main Stage) • Solo artist who combines fashion and dance with music and visual performance
DJ Tracy Young (9-11 p.m., Main Stage) • Electronic music
Hive Riot (9-9:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Electric dance music duo
AudioTreats (10-10:45 p.m., Pride Stage) • Electronic hip-hop
SUNDAY
DJ Jared Sato (11:30-1 p.m., Pride Stage) • Dance music
Oscar Alvarado Group (noon-12:45 p.m., Main Stage) • Latin music
Wiseguys Comedy (1-2:30 p.m., Library Stage) • Stand-up comedy
Salt Lake Men's Choir (1:05-1:50 p.m., Main Stage) • Choral music
Karamba (1:05-2:55 p.m., Pride Stage) • Dance music
Sister Wives (2:10-2:55 p.m., Main Stage) • Blues band
Wasatch Wordsmiths (2:30-5:30 p.m., Library Stage) • Youth and college poetry slam team competition
Utah Repertory Theatre Company (3:15-3:40 p.m., Main Stage) • Selections from "Cabaret"
DJ Jesse Walker (3:15-5:05 p.m. Pride Stage) • Underground dance music
Saliva Sisters (4-4:30 p.m., Main Stage) • Comedy/parody music
Voodoo Productions (4:50-5:35 p.m., Main Stage) • Circus, cabaret and specialty acts
DJ Luis Perez (5:10-7 p.m., Pride Stage) • Dance music —
Utah Pride Festival
The 41st anniversary of the Utah Pride Festival, celebrating the state's diverse LGBTQ+ community, includes three days of food and libations, entertainment, activities, panels, awards and more, plus a parade Sunday. See the full lineup at http://www.utahpridefestival.org .
Friday • Gates open at 7 p.m.; $5; opening night ceremonies start at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday • Gates open at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. for Emerald Pass holders); $10, $12 at the gate
Sunday • Gates open at noon (11 a.m. for Emerald Pass holders); $10, $12 at the gate; the Utah Pride Parade is 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning at 200 South and West Temple and running east and ending at 200 South and 400 East; free.
Where • The Main Stage is southwest of City-County Building, on the corner of 500 South and 200 East; the Pride Stage is northwest of the City-County Building, on the corner of State Street and 400 South; and The Library Stage is on the plaza just south of the Salt Lake City Main Library.
Tickets • Credit card sales available this year online and at the gate; single passes noted above; also available, a 3-Day Pass, $20-$30, and Emerald Pass, $50-$60; http://www.utahpridefestival.org/tickets