I think you're right in that it appears there are far more 'out' women than men, but it probably has as much to do with how an entertainer 'expresses' themself and how they choose to tell their story.

Folk music is pretty laid back and I think most creative gay men would aim their art in far more 'glitzy' musical areas.

Someone once said that gay men want to be entertained, and lesbian women want to be 'validated'. That's pretty general but I think there's a germ of truth in it.

For the last twenty or so years, young women 'singing their stories' from a stage, have been taken pretty seriously, so it means that the audience is already there.

Also, most female listeners have no problems fantasizing physical contact with a same-sex balladeer. Much harder for guys to admit to it.

Goldie