Queer “Christian’ artist Semler has been pleading to be considered for this year’s “Best New Artist” at the 53rd annual Dove Awards, which are given for outstanding achievements in the Christian music industry. She hoped the committee would consider her despite her flagrant promotion of LGBTQ theology and beliefs in her public and private life and ignore the fact that she is an out-and-out pagan.
Baldridge gained publicity after her profanity-laced album briefly took the top spot on iTunes Christian and Gospel charts. Last year she toured with Relient K, the queer-affirming former Christian band, gaining prominence and visibility. She also recently wrote the “world’s gayest worship song” after channeling the hurt of someone who “broke my heart for Jesus.”
Unfortunately for her, she didn’t even make it past the first round of voting, which is decided by Gospel Music Association (GMA) members (professionals who work full-time and earn their income primarily from the Christian and Gospel Music Industry.)
After begging to be invited as someone’s plus one and seemingly having no takers, she chastised the show for being “goofy” and “on the wrong side of history,” announcing that she is holding a ‘protest show’ in the same city on the same weekend.
Here’s hoping to decades of never being invited.
