The 65th Annual Grammy Awards were rife with controversy. From Harry Styles’ interesting word choice in an acceptance speech, to popular artists being snubbed in the coveted Song of the Year category, there has been no shortage of debate.
It was trans artists Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s performance of their duet “Unholy” (which won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo Performance earlier in the night), however, that has garnered the most attention.
The performance itself consisted of Smith, dressed in tight red latex, being circled by dancers as they sang. Petras was confined to an oversized prison cell on the main stage guarded by two prominent drag queens, Violet Chachki and Gottmik.
The right has been quick to condemn the performance, with Senator Ted Cruz quote tweeting a clip by saying “This…is…evil.” The original tweet read: “Don’t fight the culture wars, they say. Meanwhile demons are teaching your kids to worship Satan. I could throw up.”
These are just two examples of what has turned into a “Satanic Panic” among the right, and even moderate Christians, claiming that the left has turned to blatant Satan worship on major media outlets.
This comes at a perfect time for many Republicans pushing the narrative that those in the LGBTQ+ community are “grooming” children through public displays of gender nonconformity. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent “Don’t Say Gay” bill is proof of the impact of this culture war.
Smith and Petras’s choice in theme was not as much a call to action for Satan worshippers as much as a tongue-in-cheek acceptance of the eternal damnation they are condemned to by their critics. Laughing in the face of their accusers, they dance choreographed routines among the flames. If they’re going to hell anyway, why not make it fabulous?
While whether or not their performance was actually fabulous is still up for debate, there is no doubt that the conversation surrounding the performance will not die any time soon. In fact, this is only one addition to what has already been a decades-long argument. From Lady Gaga’s “Judas”, to Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”, accusing prominent LGBTQ+ pop stars of Satan-worship is by no means new.
However, with alt-right extremism on the rise, the “groomer” narrative increasing in popularity, and a Republican-led house the stakes are higher than ever. There seem to be two separate spheres: on TV, queer and trans artists are celebrated, or even awarded. On the ground, lawmakers decrease access to gender-affirming care and local militias intimidate drag performers.
There is no easy solution. The right’s hatred of the LGBTQ+ community will not magically disappear when pride does. It’s easy to get lost in that world on the screen where well-off artists are allowed to be themselves. It is up to us to continue supporting our queer and trans peers when we turn the TV off.
Included below are links to several organizations dedicated towards fighting anti-trans legislation and providing direct aid to transgender people in need across the nation.