DC Talk‘s Kevin Max has expressed support for Semler, having tweeted that “Grace knows I support her — this has been stated mucho times.”
Another one of Semler’s supporters is Christian band Jars of Clay’s Dan Haseltine, who shared with Religion News Service that he hopes Semler will encourage other artists to speak out, and to not be afraid of losing an audience just because there is another to be gained.
Semler Called Out Switchfoot
Semler, who has over 20,000 Twitter followers and nearly 175,000 TikTok followers, used her influence to get the popular Christian band Switchfoot to discuss whether they affirm the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Baldridge shared that Switchfoot was one of her favorite bands, and that her plan was to attend their concert to scream out “gay rights” during the band’s song “Dare You to Move,” in the hopes of getting a reaction from lead singer Jon Foreman.
The attempt was documented on her TikTok page. After Forman said from the stage, “If we disagree, then chances are we’re human,” Baldridge screamed but didn’t get a reaction.
RELATED: Did Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman Affirm the LGBTQ+ Community?
To Baldridge’s surprise, Foreman responded the next day to her in a TikTok video. In what Baldridge took as an affirmation from the lead singer, Foreman said, “Yes, I support your rights to freedoms. I want you to feel loved and supported. I want you to feel treasured and valued and seen. I want all love and joy and beauty and truth for you.”
“I am interpreting what you said as being affirming,” Baldridge responded to Foreman in another video, thanking him for taking time to clarify the band’s position.
CCM and LGBTQ+
A Religion News Service article quoted an anonymous 20-year veteran of the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) industry, who said, “The example of Semler going to No. 1 on Apple Music was a moot point, here in Nashville especially.”
The CCM veteran then explained that it’d be impossible for a someone like Semler, who is openly queer, to succeed in today’s CCM. The industry insider knows this, because they “work with the gatekeepers who make the decisions about who is going to play the music.”
