Kesha supporters rally outside Sony Music Nashville

A group of Kesha supporters marched from the Scarritt Bennett Center to Sony Music, holding glittery signs and chanting "Shame on Sony."

But only a few were actually Kesha fans before the ruling stating Kesha must stick with her Sony contract despite alleged sexual and psychological abuse from her producer, Dr. Luke.

"She has given a public face to a huge issue women and people all over the world face," said Samantha Blanchard, a member of the Nashville Riot Grrrls who organized the #FreeKesha rally.

The group consisted of sexual assault survivors, music industry personnel, and Brandon de la Cruz, who created a GoFundMe account to raise money to buy Kesha's contract from Sony.

"Rather than just the money, it's been kind of a vehicle for people to speak up and be heard," de la Cruz said. "I've received thousands of messages about people sharing their experiences."

Vanderbilt student and Riot Grrrls member Jules Wilson participated in the rally both as a longtime fan of Kesha's music and a sexual assault survivor.

"I get my justice through doing rallies, through speaking out about what happened to me, through writing about it," Wilson said. "She's trying to get legal justice and I admire her so much for that, and it's terrible that she didn't get it."

The Tennessean does not normally name victims of sexual assault, but Wilson wanted to be identified.

As they stood across 18th Avenue South facing Sony, they chanted, "What do we want? An end to sexual violence. When do we want it? Yesterday."

Blanchard proposed that music industries could include a "Sony clause" in artists' contracts, specifically giving the artist a right to break a contract if sexually abused by his or her producer.

"No woman or man or person should be forced into a position where they would have to give up their livelihood or continue doing business with the person who is harming them," Blanchard said.

Reach Jen Todd at 615-313-2760 or on Twitter @jentoddwrites.