A couple weeks back, Nashville Christian School senior B Hayes was denied entry to their prom because they wore a suit. The Instagram post they made in response went viral, and Marcie Allen Van Mol and Derek Van Mol, owners of the recently revamped AB Hillsboro Village, responded by offering to host an inclusive prom for Hayes and 25 friends. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to cover the costs, and once its initial goal was met, the organizers increased it to keep gathering money to donate to Hayes’ chosen nonprofits, Inclusion Tennessee and The Oasis Center’s Just Us program for LGBTQ youth.
A little more good news emerges from this terrible situation. Nashville songsmith Morgxn organized a boatload of stars to contribute short video clips with words of encouragement for Hayes and anyone else who’s been made to feel like they don’t belong. In the above compilation titled “this message is for B,” set to Morgxn’s recent single “Beacon,” you’ll see Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Ruby Amanfu, Margo Price, Allison Russell, SistaStrings, Ben Folds and lots of others from around Music City and elsewhere chiming in with a little support. While there’s a lot more to be done to stamp out the entrenched anti-queer sentiment that percolates through our social and political institutions, it can’t hurt for some well-known, very visible folks to take a minute out of their day to say “I see you.”
“Knowing the story of being othered by someone else and wishing my own inner child could see what it is like to feel seen and supported,” Morgxn, who grew up in Music City, writes in a release. “I sent out a call to artists all over and was blown away by the response. B — you are so loved. Your story has and will inspire a generation. Shine your light. Never forget there is a world of people waiting to love you as you are right now.”
You can click through above to donate to the GoFundMe or directly to the nonprofits Hayes pointed out. They’re among an array of local and regional resources for the LGBTQ community — find some other great causes in our roundup.
