Being an openly gay man in the country music world hasn’t been the easiest path for Will Lexington on Nashville. He’s been boycotted, groped, embroiled in a sham marriage, blackmailed, assaulted, and accosted, and that was pretty much in his first five episodes. Because of all that, Will’s journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance has been wonderful to watch — Chris Carmack’s acting has been skilled and powerful — and I know that Will will come out on top. But, right now, things are still pretty tough for him. In Wednesday's episode, Will was courted by a gay-specific label on Nashville , and he just couldn’t seal the deal.
Dropped by his label last season, Will has been searching for a way to distribute his records for a while. When Three Dollar Records (as in, “queer as a three-dollar bill”) came a-knocking, Will drove to Atlanta for a meeting. Beggars and choosers, you know? But, it wasn’t what he wanted — the head of the label was really just interested in Will as something to market. He wasn’t interested in Will’s music. In fact, he couldn’t even tell Will what he liked about Will’s music — just that he knew how to sell Will. But he decided he would rather be known as a country singer and not the “gay country singer," and he opted to turn down Three Dollar Records.
Now, it’s not that Will is ashamed of being gay. He’s past that point now. Will just doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into only being a gay artist. Will has some real talent — both singing and songwriting abilities — and he wants to be known for what he can do rather than who he chooses to sleep with. I don’t blame him — it would be exhausting to be known for your sexuality first and talent second. Labels, especially in the land of Nashville, are extremely limiting, and Will knows better than to back himself into a corner before he’s realized his true potential of country stardom.
Images: Mark Levine/ABC; Giphy
