On the hit drama Nashville, the closeted bisexual character Will Lexington (Chris Carmack) is worried about collaborating with Kevin Bicks (Kyle Dean Massey) on a songwriting project. Bicks is an openly gay man in Nashville, a rarity in the Music City. The Broadway actor who portrays Bicks, Kyle Dean Massey (Wicked, Pippen, Next to Normal), is openly gay and supports the It Gets Better Project, a non-profit organization that helps support teenagers who have been bullied because they are gay.
In real life, gay songwriter Shane Stevens, who’s written extensively for Lady Antebellum, thinks Nashville’s relationship with the gay community is improving, but its conservative roots are still strongest. “In New York, you can really be who you are. In L.A., Miami, a lot of other cities in America, no big deal to be gay, who cares? But being in Nashville it’s still tough,” he told Huffpost Gay Voices back in 2011. Will Kevin Bicks inspire Will to come out? Is at least the TV Nashville ready? Tune in to find out. Nashville airs Wednesdays 10pm on ABC.
