Arts & Entertainment
Emmylou Harris on her LGBT support, love of animals
Country legend to play D.C. show next week
Emmylou Harris came to prominence in the Washington, D.C. music scene. (Photo by Jack Spencer)
Emmylou Harris
Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.
The Hamilton, 600 14th St., N.W.
Tickets $94 and $104
202-787-1000;
Those that assume country, bluegrass and Americana artists aren’t supportive of LGBT rights may not realize that many routinely work to further the cause.
Consider 12-time Grammy Award-winning artist Emmylou Harris, who came to prominence in the Washington, D.C. music scene, and will soon perform here. Harris has performed and donated auction items to the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Dinners in Nashville and has otherwise lent her voice to furthering LGBT rights.
“You know, Nashville still has a ways to go there, but we’re on the move,” the legendary artist said in an interview with the Blade. Harris lives in Nashville in Davidson County and says that, “Davidson is a little blue county in a sea of red in the State of Tennessee.”
Harris lent her name to hasten that move just this past May when she joined fellow musicians Big & Rich’s William “Big Kenny” Alphin, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Rodney Crowell in co-signing an open letter in support of the now successful marriage equality push in Illinois.
“Traditionally speaking, country music, arguably more than any other genre, draws its inspiration from that inexplicable conundrum known as the human condition,” the letter reads. “Songs and stories of love, family, joy, and human imperfection are the root of its appeal. To deny our gay brothers and sisters the right to legally ritualize their love – to marry – is to deny that they too experience the complexity of human emotion that make a song like Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ the shared phenomenon that it is.”
Harris doesn’t recall a particular turning point that heightened her awareness of LGBT issues when she lived in the D.C. area but was caught up in the urgency of it in recent years.
“I was totally not aware of that at all,” she says of the discrimination faced by the LGBT community, especially in the 1970s when she lived in the D.C. area. “Really it just sort of came to me later in life, the urgency of the situation. You broaden your horizons as you meet people and more people come into your fold as friends. I just believe in equal rights for everyone. Everyone has the right to happiness — to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And, you know, it shouldn’t be different for anyone.”
She was quick to add that she would welcome the opportunity to perform at Capital Pride and other LGBT events. For now, fans can support Harris by attending her upcoming show to benefit Bonaparte’s Retreat, which she operates from her Nashville home. Named after her beloved dog Bonaparte who died nearly 10 years ago, Harris takes in dogs whose time has run out at Nashville’s Metro Animal Control and houses them in a bunk house in the corner of her small backyard. She relies on support from the greater Nashville community, which pitches in to foster the dogs. “We keep them, socialize them and love them until we find homes for them,” Harris said.
Key to the success of the retreat are the many fundraising efforts Harris undertakes around the country on top of her regular – and busy – touring schedule. The show next week is another homecoming for Harris who fondly recalls her years in D.C. and often returns. “I was kind of a staple there at Clyde’s and my mother and I used to shop there at Garfinckles,” she says of the famed department store that was at the site currently occupied by the Hamilton. Harris says she hopes the Hamilton benefit becomes an annual tradition.
She also fondly recalls performing at the now defunct Childe Harold bar and restaurant in Dupont Circle, which saw early performances by Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, Al Jarreau and Bonnie Raitt. Harris laughed when told her name was used for a sandwich at the Childe Harold. “Right, well, you know, you get publicity any way you can, a sandwich, or whatever,” she said.
Now, of course, Harris receives publicity everywhere she goes, and everywhere almost always includes her dogs. During her March show in the D.C. area with Rodney Crowell in support of their album “Old Yellow Moon,” she welcomed a special canine guest appearance by her yellow rescue dog Keeta. “I love it when I can travel with the dogs,” she says. “They make life so much richer, especially when you’re on the road and away from home.” She recalls that Bonaparte was an incredible travel dog and went everywhere with her. Her one regret during her many years on the road was that she spent many of those years without a dog. When Bonaparte died and Harris eventually adopted Keeta and then Bella, “the big black dog that came into my life, they were just great!”
Fans know that Harris wrote the song “Big Black Dog” based on her experience meeting and then rescuing Bella from the pound. Listen for her to likely include that song in her upcoming concert. Although her show will take place after Thanksgiving, she says her heart is always full of thanks for the joys she has found in life. “As far as music, I think I’ve been able to do whatever I want. I’ve been able to play with extraordinary musicians, all of whom have remained friends,” she says. “You don’t work alone; it’s all sort of a group effort, whether in the studio or on the road. I’ve been so fortunate to work with so many wonderful musicians on my own records and then with so many of my heroes like Neil Young, Mark Knopfler and, of course, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton. It’s been like being at Disneyland, my whole career, you know, it never gets boring.”
Photos
PHOTOS: Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza
LGBTQ celebration held in downtown Silver Spring
Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza was held on Sunday, June 29 at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, Md.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The fifth annual Fredericksburg Pride march and festival was held on Saturday, June 28. A march through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg, Va. was followed by a festival at Riverfront Park.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
India
Anaya Bangar challenges ban on trans women in female cricket teams
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar’s daughter has received support
Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has partnered with the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport in the U.K. to assess her physiological profile following her gender-affirming surgery and undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
From January to March 2025, the 23-year-old underwent an eight-week research project that measured her glucose levels, oxygen uptake, muscle mass, strength, and endurance after extensive training.
The results, shared via Instagram, revealed her metrics align with those of cisgender female athletes, positioning her as eligible for women’s cricket under current scientific standards. Bangar’s findings challenge the International Cricket Council’s 2023 ban on transgender athletes in women’s cricket, prompting her to call for a science-based dialogue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the ICC to reform policies for trans inclusion.
“I am talking with scientific evidence in my hand,” Bangar said in an interview posted to her Instagram page. “So, I hope, this makes an impact and I will be hoping to BCCI and ICC talking with me and discussing this further.”
On Nov. 21, 2023, the ICC enacted a controversial policy barring trans women from international women’s cricket. Finalized after a board meeting in Ahmedabad, India, the regulation prohibits any trans player who has experienced male puberty from competing, irrespective of gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy. Developed through a 9-month consultation led by the ICC’s Medical Advisory Committee, the rule aims to safeguard the “integrity, safety, and fairness” of women’s cricket but has drawn criticism for excluding athletes like Canada’s Danielle McGahey, the first trans woman to play internationally. The policy, which allows domestic boards to set their own rules, is slated for review by November 2025.
Bangar shared a document on social media verifying her participation in a physiological study at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, conducted from Jan. 20 to March 3, 2025, focused on cricket performance. The report confirmed that her vital metrics — including hemoglobin, blood glucose, peak power, and mean power — aligned with those of cisgender female athletes. Initially, her fasting blood glucose measured 6.1 mmol/L, slightly above the typical non-diabetic range of 4.0–5.9 mmol/L, but subsequent tests showed it normalized, reinforcing the study’s findings that her physical profile meets female athletic standards.
“I am submitting this to the BCCI and ICC, with full transparency and hope,” said Bangar. “My only intention is to start a conversation based on facts not fear. To build space, not divide it.”
In a letter to the BCCI and the ICC, Bangar emphasized her test results from the Manchester Metropolitan University study. She explained that the research aimed to assess how hormone therapy had influenced her strength, stamina, hemoglobin, glucose levels, and overall performance, benchmarked directly against cisgender female athletic standards.
Bangar’s letter to the BCCI and the ICC clarified the Manchester study was not intended as a political statement but as a catalyst for a science-driven dialogue on fairness and inclusion in cricket. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing empirical data over assumptions to shape equitable policies for trans athletes in the sport.
Bangar urged the BCCI, the world’s most influential cricket authority, to initiate a formal dialogue on trans women’s inclusion in women’s cricket, rooted in medical science, performance metrics, and ethical fairness. She called for the exploration of eligibility pathways based on sport-specific criteria, such as hemoglobin thresholds, testosterone suppression timelines, and standardized performance testing. Additionally, she advocated for collaboration with experts, athletes, and legal advisors to develop policies that balance inclusivity with competitive integrity.
“I am releasing my report and story publicly not for sympathy, but for truth. Because inclusion does not mean ignoring fairness, it means measuring it, transparently and responsibly,” said Bangar in a letter to the BCCI. “I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you or a representative of the BCCI or ICC to present my findings, discuss possible policy pathways, and work towards a future where every athlete is evaluated based on real data, not outdated perceptions.”
Before her transition, Bangar competed for Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai and Hinckley Cricket Club in the U.K., showcasing her talent in domestic cricket circuits. Her father, Sanjay Bangar, was a dependable all-rounder for the Indian national cricket team from 2001 to 2004, playing 12 test matches and 15 One Day Internationals. He later served as a batting coach for the Indian team from 2014 to 2019, contributing to its strategic development.
Cricket in India is a cultural phenomenon, commanding a fanbase of more than 1 billion, with more than 80 percent of global cricket viewership originating from the country.
The International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, oversees 12 full member nations and more than 90 associate members, with the U.S. recently gaining associate member status in 2019 and co-hosting the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The BCCI generated approximately $2.25 billion in revenue in the 2023–24 financial year, primarily from the Indian Premier League, bilateral series, and ICC revenue sharing. The ICC earns over $3 billion from media rights in India alone for the 2024–27 cycle, contributing nearly 90 percent of its global media rights revenue, with the BCCI receiving 38.5 percent of the ICC’s annual earnings, approximately $231 million per year.
Women’s cricket in India enjoys a growing fanbase, with over 300 million viewers for the Women’s Premier League in 2024, making it a significant driver of the sport’s global popularity. The International Cricket Council oversees women’s cricket in 12 full member nations and over 90 associate members, with the U.S. fielding a women’s team since gaining associate status in 2019 and competing in ICC events like the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers. The BCCI invests heavily in women’s cricket, allocating approximately $60 million annually to the WPL and domestic programs in 2024–25, while contributing to the ICC’s $20 million budget for women’s cricket development globally. India’s media market for women’s cricket, including WPL broadcasting rights, generated $120 million in 2024, accounting for over 50 percent of the ICC’s women’s cricket media revenue.
“As a woman, I feel when someone says that they are women, then they are, be trans or cis. A trans woman is definitely the same as a cis woman emotionally and in vitals, and specially, when someone is on hormone replacement therapy. Stopping Anaya Bangar from playing is discrimination and violation of her rights. It is really sad and painful that every trans woman need to fight and prove their identity everywhere,” said Indrani Chakraborty, an LGBTQ rights activist and a mother of a trans woman. “If ICC and BCCI is stopping her from playing for being transgender, then I will say this to be their lack of awareness and of course the social mindsets which deny acceptance.”
Chakraborty told the Blade that Bangar is an asset, no matter what. She said that the women’s cricket team will only benefit by participation, but the discriminating policies are the hindrance.
“Actually the transgender community face such discrimination in every sphere. In spite of being potent, they face rejection. This is highly inhuman. These attitudes is regressive and will never let to prosper. Are we really in 2025?,” said Chakraborty. “We, our mindset and the society are the issues. We, as a whole, need to get aware and have to come together for getting justice for Anaya. If today, we remain silent, the entire community will be oppressed. Proper knowledge of gender issues need to be understood.”
The BCCI and the International Cricket Council have not responded to the Blade’s repeated requests for comment.
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