Halsey slams "Straight Pride" and calls out homophobia in powerful concert speech

11 June 2019, 13:32

By Sam Prance

Halsey also paid homage to a lesbian couple who were victims of a recent homophobic attack...

Halsey just slammed "Straight Pride" and paid homage to a lesbian couple who were victims of a recent homophobic attack.

It's no secret that Halsey has no time for prejudice. The bisexual icon regularly uses her platform as one of the biggest queer stars in the world to support and defend the LGBTQ+ community. Ever since the start of her career, Halsey has routinely put homophobic bigots on blast. Last night, Halsey stunned fans with a powerful speech about "Straight Pride" at her Electric Ballroom concert in London and fan, @iamsuckeriam, filmed it and shared it on Twitter.

What did Halsey say in her speech?

Before performing her hit Lauren Jauregui collaboration 'Strangers', Halsey opened up about her outfit saying: "Do you guys see the two young women on my shirt? Do you know who they are? The two people on my shirt are a young couple named Melania and Chris. A couple nights ago, right here, they were assaulted because they're lesbians, because they gave the appearance of being lesbians."

Halsey then continued: "And it's Pride month right now, which is a really exciting thing, because it means that we get to get together in moments like this and we get to create a safe place where we can look at our friends and look at our peers and other members of the LGBTQ community and we can look at them and say: 'I'm like you and you're like me. We're in this together.'"

"The sad reality is that after the Pride parades are over and after the bars close their Pride nights, when the glitter's being swept out of the streets, a lot of people get on those trains and they get on those buses and they try to wash the rainbows off their bodies and they peel the stickers off their clothes because when Pride is over, it's not safe to be gay anymore. Because they are worried that someone is going to viciously assault them or viciously attack them."

Bringing up "Straight Pride", Halsey said: "So when the people around the world ask the question, why isn't there a "straight Pride" parade? The answer is: because if there was one, you wouldn't have to get on the bus and be terrified of getting fucking beaten or killed afterwards. That's why there's not a "Straight Pride" parade because every fucking day on public transport is a "Straight Pride" parade."

Halsey ended her speech stating: "So we need to take moments like this where all of us are together and we need to remember how lucky we are to have a safe space right now cause that's exactly what we should have is a safe space. If you are in this crowd and you are queer, you need to make a promise to me that you will not be afraid." Halsey then lead her audience in a chant of: "I will not be afraid".

The women on Halsey's t-shirt, who she referenced in her speech were Melania Geymonat and Chris. On May 30, they were attacked by multiple men on a bus in London after they refused to kiss each other for entertainment. Speaking about the incident, Chris said: "I want people to take away from this that they should stand up for themselves and each other."

It's 2019 and LGBTQ+ phobia is still overwhelmingly prevalent. Seeing artists like Halsey address it and speak out against it, is so important.