For the first time, a drag queen has the #1 album on iTunes’ Christian chart.
And the story of how it happened is an interesting one.
It started last week when Christian musician Sean Feucht, best known for his maskless concert tour during COVID quarantine, criticized a fellow musician for collaborating with a drag queen artist named Flamy Grant. Feucht called it a sign of “the last days.”
However, this callout may have had the opposite of his intended effect; following Feucht’s criticism of the musical collaboration, Flamy Grant’s album Bible Belt Baby, and her lead single Good Day rocketed to the top of the Christian charts on iTunes.
Fighting Fire With Fire
After Feucht told Flamy Grant that “hardly anyone listens or cares what you do,” Flamy Grant took the ball and ran.
On her Instagram and TikTok, Flamy Grant called her thousands of followers to action, encouraging them to “prove Feucht wrong” by getting her album and song to the top of the charts.
“Sean Feucht thinks hardly anyone is interested in a worship song by a drag queen,” she wrote. “Good Day deserves a spot on the #christianmusic charts, dontcha think?”
Here's an excerpt of the tune:
“I love this song, I believe in this song,” says Flamy Grant. “It’s an uplifting anthem for anyone who’s felt excluded by the church, especially queer people because those are my folks. But [it’s for] anyone who’s felt like there just wasn’t a place for them to worship at church.”
The campaign worked. Both Flamy Grant’s album and song shot to the top of the contemporary Christian charts on iTunes.
Even more notable, this is reportedly the first time a drag queen has charted on contemporary Christian charts at all.
“Thank you all so much. I’m gonna sleep so well tonight,” Flamy Grant wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know what else to say except: if you’re gonna come for a drag queen, you better be ready for how she comes back. She comes back with an army of love.”
Topping the Charts
For Flamy, the historic chart-topping is a win not just for her, but for all queer people who feel under attack over the last few years. “I definitely had a moment of pause where I was like, OK, queer people are legitimately under attack — physically, our bodies are under attack in this country, there are fights breaking out outside of drag shows,” she said.
“But at the same time, it was just too good. Because his point was, no one cares, no one listens to you, you’re a non-entity, you’re not going to make an impact. And just knowing what I know about the queer community and allies, I rolled the dice and placed my bet on that being dramatically wrong. And I think I won.”
Her collaborator, Derek Webb, feels similarly. Webb played in popular Christian rock band Caedmon’s Call, which had a series of megahits within the Christian music world in the 90s and early 2000s. “Artists like Flamy and I both wait for these moments,” he explained, “because there’s really no better press than somebody hating what you’re doing for the right reasons.”
What do you make of this situation? Flamy Grant’s surprise chart topping success certainly seems a strong rebuke of Feucht’s assertion that “hardly anyone” cares about her music. But will the success last?
Do drag, God, and country actually mix?
44 comments
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Clay Serenbetz
This must make Evangelicals furious. Congratulations on your personal success and for making a statement about Equality that has resonated among Christians.
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Najah P Tamargo
Minister Najah Tamargo USA
ROCK ON FLAMY!!!!!
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Larry Mager
God LOVES You, Flamy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep the hits rolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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David Arthur Lewis
One more small step towards Liberty and Justice for ALL.
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Joy
Flamy, keep on “Flamming your Flames!” Awesome job!!
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Geoffrey C. Olive
So why are you talking about drag queens? Are you too simple minded to think we can’t talk about more than one thing at a time? Although I haven’t heard her music, kudos to someone who’ll stand up against xtian bigotry and hypocrisy!
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Rev Frankie PG
Great job Flamy!! Keep it up gurl!! You are definitely a blessed person, not only in voice but in determination as well. For decades I've tried to explain to people how I'm a Gay Christian but I'm normally scoffed. I was raised in a Christian Academy, until the 8th grade where I demanded out. I had already realized that I had gay tendencies and that men were definitely more attractive then women, yet I continued living the lie and went with women still. It wasn't until I was 27 when I finally came out of the closet and realize now all of the opportunities I missed out on. It is people like you that God has sent to show that though we may be of the GayBCs Community, we are still Christians and that our Fruits of The Spirit are as filled as any other good Christian. It is truly God that is our final Judge and it is Jesus that is our Redeemer.
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John D. Partin
It has always been people's objective and practice to make up a "God" to suit themselves and bring him down to what they want and get him to go along with all of that, instead of allowing Him to raise them up to what He wants for them. Homosexuality and all other sins were already included in the world before Jesus came and so Jesus didn't need to come to the world to give them what they already had. If there can be "gay Christians", why can't there also be white and black racist "Christians" (as the Aryan Nations wants for inmates' "religious freedom" in Michigan prisons and everywhere else that they can get that to happen), and Communist "Christians*, and atheist "Christians", and pedophile "Christians" (not sneaking around about it, as with priests, but coming out in PRIDE marches and demanding "equality and their rights"), etc., who will also ignore, manipulate, and "interpret" Scripture to "legitimize" and "justify" what they want to call "Christianity", too?!!
Otherwise, you are being "repressive" toward all of them and operating on a double standard. Love has never meant telling people that "nothing that they do is ever wrong and everything they do is right", since that is licentiousness, not love. Jesus wasn't "accepting of other people" to the point that he didn't tell people who were sinning that they were sinning, but always told them to "Go and sin more" That isn't our politically correct version of "Jesus" today, but was the actual Jesus. Parents who truly love their children don't just let them do whatever in the Hell they feel like doing and run out and play ball in busy streets, and play hooky and not go to school whenever they don't feel like going, and use profanity and beat up their younger siblings or neighborhood children, if they can, and try to live on cake and Ice cream, and just generally become brats and out of control, and exercise no authority or supervision over them whatsoever, because that isn't or wouldn't be their really being responsible and loving parents and these children would cause problems for the larger society.
So-called "adults" need authority and supervision over them, too, beyond just whatever rules they make up for themselves to suit themselves or they also get out of control and cause society problems, as our prisons and crime in society prove. Morality and truth and right and wrong can't be decided by popularity polls or political correctness or current propaganda or else they become meaningless terms. We need a higher standard than just whatever everyone decides for himself or herself for what is right and wrong and truth and morality, since muggers, rapists, sex traffickers, serial killers, and white and black racists are also just deciding those things for themselves and hurting and killing people by their decisions. God is that higher standard that we all need and God as He is, and not made up to go along with your agenda.
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John D. Partin
Correction to post below: The first Christians went to torture and death rather than compromise any part of Christ's teachings or give them up ..
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Colleen McAllister
Haven't heard the song so can only speak to the basic situation. Flamy is a drag queen which translates to sinner in some peoples thoughts. I am sure that everyone else on the Christian charts are also sinners. Therefore I see no problem with Flamy being on the charts. Jesus welcomed all and I am happy to hear that music listeners do also.
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Mrknowitall
Homosexuality has a spiritual side to it. Evil spirits will attach themselves to people because of that Homosexuals become warped and twisted because of demonic influence. It's not a good thing.....An example : Why do you think most Homosexuals are for child gender re-assignment ? This group openly promotes the destruction and mutilation of children at any age.....That kind of stuff comes only from Satan.
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Lisbeth Kieran Bushey
It's near impossible for any minor to get any surgical treatments. The extent of the VAST majority of treatment minors get for gender-affirming care is puberty blockers, possibly hormones in teens; and in pre-pubescent kids it's just a different name, a hairstyle change, and different clothes. Nobody is "mutilating" kids. It's a very detailed process involving parents/guardians, therapists, and doctors. Gender-affirming care IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY. Paediatric and adult medical groups agree on this. Now religious groups, however, DO mutilate kids with circumcisions. Intersex kids are mutilated all the time and it's considered acceptable by society even when it's not medically necessary. Priests and other religious leaders abuse kids all the time.
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Tamara E Rant
You are delusional if you think they are not pushing these surgeries on kids. HELP FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY! "Gender-affirming care" is child abuse, sorry.
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Michael Hunt
You're delusional thinking that they are. You clearly have no clue what goes into the process of receiving gender affirming care since it involves years of therapy and consultation with medical experts before they even consider surgeries.
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Kenneth Gary Roye II
Whoa. First of all....MOST homosexuals are NOT for child gender reassignment. Every group has its fringe members and this is no different. Speaking as a "member" of that "group", you have to remember the loud, controversy-causing voices get all the press. The moderates who oppose mutilating children get shoved to the back and labeled anti-trans or whatever. We have to stop confusing the views of a few fringe groups with the mainstream. This goes for race, gender, orientation...everything. Look to your faith and your higher power and not the worldly. Because yes, Satan does influence the world and he is on an all-time high campaign to distract us from the true spiritual war we are facing. And what better way than to turn us against each other so that we forget that through love and compassion we can literally overcome anything.
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Tamara E Rant
Exactly! I am bi-sexual and I am just tired of who you sleep with being all there is to some people, and that if you aren't attracted to them, you're somehow mean and bigoted? You can't go around claiming you want sexual equality, then slamming every one who is equal to YOUR preferences, etc. Such hypocrisy that I barely tell ANYONE I am Bi anymore because I don't want to be associated with the rainbow brigade hell bent on turning our boys into girls and vice versa nor do I support ANYONE who insists on dancing provocatively in front of kids.
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Michael Hunt
Someone's been getting too much right-wing propaganda in their lives...
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Claire Echo Blackmoon
gross
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Claire Echo Blackmoon
Please see my comment to Father Flanagan. Applies here too.
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Claire Echo Blackmoon
I think this is FABULOUS! Queer and Gender Non-Conforming folx have always existed,We are a part of the beautiful spectrum of Life and Love created equally in Her eyes. In fact we were considered sacred and often held in high regard for our unique connection to, and and perspective of Source, and all Her Universal Creation.
The song is great uplifting inclusive and, I Believe in my heart of hearts that Jesus would approve. Did he not show unconditional love and compassion to EVERYONE EQUALLY and sought out the marginalized people.
All Love, Always and, In All ways. Claire Echo Blackmoon (she /her) Cosmic Creatrix
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John D. Partin
Are you for real or just OUT OF YOUR MIND INSANE!! Rapists, pedophiles, killers and serial killers, domestic abusers, racists, and all other despicable people have also always existed. So are and were they "a part of the beautiful spectrum of Life and Love created equally in Her eyes" and "sacred and often held in high regard for our unique connection to, and end perspective of Source and of the Universal Creation"?!! That is just obvious brainwashing and indoctrination in favor of gayness that it will make you say any kind of 'spiritual' and flowery sounding nonsense just for the purpose of "justifying" it!!
Jesus didn't just accept everyone's sins unconditionally or tell them that they weren't sinning, since that is merely a New Age and politically correct and current propaganda version of him, but told them to "Go and sin no more". This singer can tell "herself" or "himself" or "itself" whatever they like about "gayness being consistent with Christianity", since sinners have always lied to themselves and other people, anyway, about their "not being sinners" and Satan can appear as an angel of light to deceive people, but their saying it doesn't make it true. If that were really all that it took to make sinners not sinners, there wouldn't be any sinners at all, but, thankfully, that isn't all that is required and God still says that they are sinners and overrules their opinions and self-deceitfulness.
Some gay people might be devout church goers, in "churches" that have compromised the Gospel and teachings of Christ, just in order to be accepted and popular and tickle men's ears with what they want to hear, instead of what they need to hear, but they and their "churches" are fooling themselves and foolish!! The first Christmas went to torture and death rather than compromise any part of Christ's teachings or give them up, but today it only takes the fear of being unpopular and rejected by secular atheistic society to make many people distort and twist Christianity out of all resemblance to itself!! This should cause all of those doing so the greatest shame and conviction in their hearts over their cowardice and weaknesses, but their consciences are too seared and corrupted by worldliness for that to happen!!
These gay "Christians" are just more examples of whited sepulchres, which Jesus condemned. If you break any part of the law of God, you have broken all of it, s Scripture teaches, and homosexuality is against God's law, if you aren't interpreting it to suit yourself. You can't just call anything that you want to "love" without making "love" a meaningless term and defying and contradicting God, who has defined love and marriage as between a man and a woman. Acceptance just isn't more important than truth or real love, which corrects wrongdoing, so that they can be sacrificed for its sake and everything be accepted and considered "right and true"!!
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Laura McAllister
With the world going crazy I don’t think about drama queens. I worry and pray for the world that kids are killing each other. I think if a drama queen was the first of anything God bless she isn’t out there killing anyone. We should worry about the killing and kids beating up our older seniors that can’t even go to a store. That’s what we should be talking about.
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Rev Frankie PG
Awwww, Laura, may God Bless you and your clogged eyes. Music brings people together and Christian music is a great outreach for people. When people are united for good they're not out looking to destroy each other. rather to rejoice with each other, old and young.
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Kenneth Lafe Eric Sanderson
What people don't like about Sharia law is that it in effect makes everyone a Muslim by proxy - by making illegal that which is not Muslim, thereby forcing people to follow the Muslim religion by the force of law.
Christians do the exact same thing - with the abortion bans, for example, and all the anti-trans laws they have been writing and passing. There will be a backlash now against this song and this singer, and it's going to be ugly.
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Mrknowitall
Anti-Trans ? Have you turned on the TV lately ? That hideous lifestyle and look is being promoted like its a good thing.
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Kenneth Lafe Eric Sanderson
What's the matter Daniel - do some people not live the way you do? Do some people not dress the way you do? Do some people, whom you are likely to never meet, let alone know, make different life choices than you do?
Call out the busybody Gestapo! Daniel does not approve of some people, and the world needs to know!
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Robin Anne Hannon
Somehow a gay person on the top of the music charts for a song does not portend the end of the world to me. If you don't like it change the channel. Honestly the music world has always been unconventional. Does anyone remember, "Sympathy for the devil?" Rock became more and more in your face as time went on. Then there was violent, dirty, words, sexually explicit words, on and on, but what sends us over the cliff is a gay singer? I would hardly think so.
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Father Flanagan
First off, please stop referring to “Him” as “Her”! This is a man period, there is absolutely no such thing as transgender and this dude isn’t claiming to be a woman! Secondly, “Drag” is adult entertainment for homosexuals and has no place in churches, libraries, schools or anywhere children might be present. That being said, everyone is entitled to earn a living and if this guy wants to dress up like a woman and sing Christian songs he has that right in America - the fact that it’s reached #1 on the Christian charts doesn’t mean anything other than people enjoy his song, people have a right to like a song regardless of the beliefs of the artist, look at Jason Aldean - people were calling his song racist and CMT removed it yet he’s still #1 on the country charts!
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Claire Echo Blackmoon
Dear Father Flannagan, Congratulations for so eloquently verbal vomiting the SAME hateful rhetoric pumped out the "Evangelical 'cHriStians'" to create an "Other" to demonize and, utilized to create distractions and divisions in an attempt to colonize and dehumanize marginalized people and oppress "their" white cis hetero normative narrative for centuries.
Jesus was a Black man who did not cast judgement on people for being different and He embraced many who would be discarded the Authoritarian Church of the time.
God is Love, She Loves All, Always and in All ways.
And my upvote is sarcastic in case you missed it.
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Rev. Russ Macomber
I love all people in my heart. If you want to dress that way fine. But you are not more feminine than a real woman so please stop acting that way. We see you, we get it. The rest is God’s to judge.
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Lionheart
Do you have a particular favorite God, that you like to worship as being real?
I have a friend that likes to worship Ganesha. I’m hoping that one isn’t real.
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Lisbeth Kieran Bushey
Monet X Change (a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race) is deeply religious and involved in the Church - to the point of going to choir practice in full drag before shows sometimes. Many drag queens are Christian, they just go to churches that are accepting. Drag queens have freedom of religion just like non-drag queens, why not let them be Christian music artists? Clearly she's talented and is praising her god with her talents if she's topping the Christian charts. Jesus loved everyone. Full stop. I may be a Pagan priestex, but I do agree Jesus was a good person who had excellent points on how we should treat each other.
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Brandon Terry
Why are so many “Christians” so hyper focused on the LGBT+ community? I keep seeing or hearing about these blinded “believers” who attack or try to boycott media for having one or more LGBT+ characters or relationships in films, shows, music, etc.; however, they will very easily watch a movie with murder or GD or some other craziness in it! Candace Cameron is definitely supporting anti-LGBT+ propaganda, yet she started in murder mystery films. I do believe “thou shalt not kill” was one of the 10 Commandments. These “believers” are quick to use some of the seemingly anti-LGBT+ Bible verses to attack the community, but they easily accept actual sins in the media. In fact, Galatians 5:19-21 lists quite a few actions outside of sexual immorality as ways to not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. These include any acts of impurity, sensuality, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions (arguments), divisions, envy, drunkenness, and “thing like these.” We have been instructed by Jesus to love each other as He has loved us—to love unconditionally! We’ve also been instructed to live in harmony with each other and to judge not lest we be judged with the same measure with which we judge others. The fact is that so many have been culturally conditioned to accept one thing as the norm and to detest anything outside of the definition of normalcy by a Roman-influenced religion that was built by Constantine and his Council. I encourage anyone who lives with tunnel vision to do proper research. Look at all of these groups like the Essenes, for example. They all believed in a different view than what we have been forced to live by from leaders who sought and continue to seek to control the population. Stop quoting from dead scriptures, for God is a living God and His creations are testaments to His Law. Stop living with hate and judgment in your hearts. Live and love with your entire being! Go commune with the angels and the Heavenly Father. Let yourselves be open to love—and not be blinded by the wicked one who clearly knows how to fool the hearts of men by covering up hate by using love as a disguise just as a wolf in sheep’s clothing would do.
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Kenneth Lafe Eric Sanderson
Can't have sin without sinners.
In this way the 'different' are human sacrificed to this day.
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Alexander Arends
I don't believe Jesus was into music that much. At least I can't remember. If he listens to Christian music artists today, he will let you know it's not about worship but all about the money.
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Lionheart
I think Jesus’s dad was into rock. He condoned stoning people to death, so I bet today he’d be into The Rolling Stones. 🤭
🦁❤️
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Joy
OMG. Lionheart I still live for your comments. I think this is one of your best!!!
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ServantOfJudgement
I've never heard of any of these people, Christian music is a tad too bland for me. It all sounds the same to and uses a lot of the same key words & phrases. It's extremely dull. The snippet of this song is the same, it lacks luster and has no body, just another revenge song with God sprinkled in here and there. Still, the guy is trying to make his dreams come true, I'm happy he's happy. Hopefully he keeps on the path and one day realizes his dilemma before he leads anyone else awry. After all, God did say a dude in chic clothes is a no-no. God's not a fan of deception, which is in Satan's toolbox. That brings me here:
The Christian dude that this guy Flamy is fighting with didn't say it would flop, he said the end is near. Flamy told his followers the guy said it would flop so please buy the album, which they did. It should not surprise anyone that someone who lives in deception would deceive his fans with a false claim against his opposition. His success spawned from deception, which as I said, is one of Satan's tools.
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Stephen Smith
Deuteronomy 22:5
Words from the most high abba! They know not what they do
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Lionheart
Personally, I loved Abba. They were one of the best Scandinavian groups to hit the rock industry in the 70’s.
I’m not sure who Mr Deuteronomy ever was. I always thought that was a weird name for someone. Was he a goat herder?
🦁❤️
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Marion Sowerby
Fantastic! Christian music is generally boring af. Whilst I can't say that I find this song any more interesting, I'm glad that they are becoming more inclusive. Drag has been an intrinsic part of artistic culture for hundreds of years - women were not allowed to be on stage during Shakespearean times or in ancient Greece, for instance. All parts were played by males, and female parts were costumed in drag manner. It's about time that drag is recognised as a legitimate part of entertainment culture. All these homophobes need to realise that drag is not necessarily borne of homosexual culture, but that homosexual men tend to gravitate towards it because they are more accepting than your average "alpha-male" types. Perhaps if Christian types were a bit more Christ-like with their acceptance of all people, they might have less if a PR problem with the rest of us. All you judgy folk - your God in your Bible reckons that the judgemental types get it first. Even I know that.
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Tamara E Rant
No one had a problem with this until they started involving kids. Can anyone explain to me why they require an audience of children? Seriously, anyone? Why no go read to the homeless or prisoners? Leave the kids alone, thanks.
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Rolando Couce
Nothing surprises me anymore us humans have sunk to new low everyday It Is our weakness that have caused this turmoil it is going to get worse it is not going to better do you better this country while it last
Great! A real christian wouldn't have been so dismissive in the first place. She handled this in the best most matture manner. And the fact that she did so well , proves that at least some people agree. It couldn't have been only her followers & friends who got her that far.