Melissa Etheridge on Why a 'Bald, Pierced, Tattoo, Kilt-Wearing Dyke' Made it to 'The Voice' Finals

Another TV season, another reality competition singing show. With the American version of X Factor about to drop Melissa Etheridge has weighed in on the just why someone like The Voice’s openly lesbian, bald, tattooed Beverly McClellan – an Etheridge acolyte of sorts – made it to the finals while American Idol has yet to feature an openly LGBT contestant on the show.

Tracy E. Gilchrist
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.