Conservative boycotts typically don’t lead anywhere. Remember the Great Keurig Embargo that crippled the single-serve coffee company? Neither do I. But the targets of their anger–whether it be a football player for taking a knee to protest injustice in the legal system or an entertainment company for acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people–are numerous but yet unscathed.
Add to that list Country Music. Yep, all of Country Music, because the Country Music Association has banned any display of their (perhaps) second most favorite flag–after Germany’s 1935-45 version–the Confederate flag, from the CMA Fest to be held in Nashville next week, the Charlotte Observer reports.
“This year’s CMA Fest is our first major fan-facing event in nearly three years. We have always had policies in place that protect the safety of our fans and ban discrimination, but we felt it was important to further refine our language to explicitly outline what will and will not be tolerated,” the CMA said in the statement. “In line with our first CMA Fest lineup announcement in early April, our event policy was published on our website, which states any behavior that causes one of our attendees to fear for their personal safety will not be tolerated, and that is inclusive of any displays of the Confederate flag.”