Paramore’s Hayley Williams may be focusing more on her solo career these days, but she’d like to let you know that she hasn’t forgotten about the community that has supported her since she was still singing about succumbing to “Pressure” and having an “Emergency.” No, not the general community of Paramore fans — though I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten about them either. Hayley specifically wants you to know that she’s here for the LGBTQ+ community.
Yesterday evening, the singer took to Twitter to declare as much, as plainly as possible. Taking a staunch position against homophobia of any kind, Williams wrote, “There’s a reason there are only 3 people left in Paramore,” referring to previous members that are no longer involved with the popular pop-punk band. “Surprise, haters, it ain’t cause of me.”
“Paramore do not condone religiously/politically dogmatic beliefs which leave our LGBTQ+ friends, fans, & family feeling abandoned and hopeless,” she added. Then, in a followup tweet posted several minutes later, she continued, “And ya know, if that doesn’t jive with you, well, feel free to go where all past members of Paramore have gone which is literally anywhere else but Paramore.” She then shouted out Brian O’Connor, her close friend-cum-hair and makeup artist: “To Paramore’s LGBTQ+ family (and @ColormeBrian I am talkin straight to you), you are full of love and you are loved.”
Though Williams was careful not to name names, internet sleuths have deduced that her tweets were not-so-subtly directed at former Paramore guitarist Josh Farro, who left the band back in 2011. (At the time, he left alongside his brother, Zac Farro. But Zac rejoined the band in 2017, ahead of the release of Paramore’s After Laughter album.)
According to reports, in a recent Facebook post, Josh Farro equated homosexuality to pedophilia while referring to both as “a perversion.”
“No we should not [accept that pedophilia is a sexual preference]. It’s not a preference it’s a perversion just like homosexuality,” he wrote in a convoluted Facebook comment. “This is a subtle tactic to brainwash people into a state of tolerance. Then from tolerance to acceptance. Acceptance to advocacy. No.”
Needless to say, Farro’s insensitive comment offended many Paramore fans, especially those of us who identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. So, thank you, Hayley Williams, for being willing to take a stand against ignorance like this. Paramore is for the LGBTQ+ community. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to listen to “crushcrushcrush” on repeat.
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
