Hayley Williams says she hopes bigots feel ‘uncomfortable’ at her shows. (Getty)
Hayley Williams says she hopes bigots feel ‘uncomfortable’ at her shows. (Getty)
Hayley Williams has said she has absolutely no patience for fans who still believe trans people are a “burden” while discussing her relationship with the southern US.
The Paramore singer song-writer drew a “hard line” in the sand on banning sexist, racist, and transphobic fans from her live performances.
Speaking with Clash Magazine, Williams, 36, said she hopes bigots “won’t feel comfortable” at her shows and would only perform for people who “believe all should be welcome.”
“I’ve always said, all are welcome at our shows. But I don’t want racists around, and I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people there who think that trans people are a burden,” she said. “I think that’s a hard line for me now.
“All are welcome if you believe all should be welcome… If you don’t believe that, you’re not welcome!”
Hayley Williams. (Getty)
The staunch LGBTQ+ ally, who has made no secret of her support for the trans community, said she has always tried to foster a welcoming community around both Paramore and her solo music.
Part of those efforts come from her willingness to confront uncomfortable realities within her music, which is no more apparent than in her third studio album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.
The album delves into Williams’ struggles between her love of the US south and its “deep-rooted” racist and prejudicial history.
Her song, True Believer, tackles the ongoing gentrification of Nashville, Texas, and the bigoted roots that flow deep through the city’s cultural foundations.
“Look, it’s amazing to have southern pride,” she said. “It’s a beautiful area of not only the country, but the world. It’s so rich in culture and meaning, but we’re focusing on the wrong thing.”
US southern states have been at the forefront of anti-LGBTQ+ political and societal rhetoric, with states such as Tennessee, Texas, and Arkansas becoming the first to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.
Williams said she wanted to write about the legacy of racism, as well as the present transphobia, in the US south for “so long.”
“I’ve never known how to. And you can’t make it happen – it happened at the time it was supposed to,” she said. “I’ve just always felt very grateful that our band can be a part of that conversation.”
