Over the last few years, the LGBTQ+ community has been ruthlessly targeted by conservative lawmakers and bigoted individuals.
From the various pieces of legislation in the US to the UK’s rising number of horrific hate crimes, the lives of queer and trans individuals are being threatened worldwide.
While animosity towards the community has reached alarming levels, many LGBTQ+ activists and allies have used their platform to spread awareness and fight against hate – including ‘New Rules’ singer Dua Lipa.
In a recent interview with Vogue France, the beloved talent delivered an insightful statement regarding the rise of bigotry in the societal and political sphere.
“Homophobia and transphobia are neighbours of misogyny. Many people, deep down, are just scared of themselves,” she explained.
“The freedom of others forces them to come to terms with something they are too scared to express. The beauty of a free, true and proud being paralyzes them.”
In response to Lipa’s wise words, fans flocked to social media to praise the singer for her LGBTQ+ allyship.
One fan wrote: “Very impressed to see a prominent pop girl articulate this so fabulously. And eloquently. That’s what being a ‘star’ is all about.”
Another fan tweeted: She sat down with the president of Vogue France and said, “I wanna make history,” and that’s what this is.
Lipa’s recent interview isn’t the first time she’s shown support for the LGBTQ+ community.
When speaking to Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast in 2018, the 28-year-old superstar expressed the importance of fighting for equality and acceptance, describing it as her “duty.”
“I believe in equality and everyone having the same opportunities and there being a lot more acceptance in the world,” she explained.
“You know, being from London, sometimes you live in your little bubble where there’s so much diversity and so much acceptance, and you don’t really realize that it’s not like that in every other part of the world.
“So you feel like because you’re given this platform, you have a duty to really speak up and speak out about the things that are important.”
In November 2022, Lipa shut down rumours that she would be performing at the Qatar World Cup due to the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
“I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform,” she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time.
“I will be cheering England on from afar, and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup. One love.”
In an additional interview with Variety, Lipa gave insight into her Instagram statement, stating: “I didn’t like being amongst speculation that I was going to perform for something that really goes against my beliefs.”
This is why the “Dance The Night” away singer is an LGBTQ+ icon.