Hozier speaks out about dancer’s homophobic comments
Hozier performs onstage at the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kevin Winter/Getty)
“Take Me to Church” singer Hozier disavowed homophobic comments made by a ballet dancer who appeared in one of his music videos.
The Irish singer distanced himself from ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, who he name-checked in the lyrics to 2018 track “Movement” and featured in the accompanying music video.
The Ukrainian-born Polunin was dropped by the Paris Opera Ballet in January after making a slew of homophobic comments on Instagram.
Dancer Sergei Polunin in the video for Hozier track “Movement”
In one post, Polunin had claimed that effeminate male dancers “need a good slap, adding: “Females now trying to take on the man role because you don’t f**k them and because you are an embarrassment.”
Polunin also expressed his hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin would become “leader of the world,” showing off a tattoo of the anti-LGBT Russian leader.
Hozier condemns ‘f**king depressing’ homophobic comments from dancer
Speaking to the Independent, Hozier said the comments were “troubling” and appear to have “come out of left-field.”
The singer, whose best known track “Take Me To Church” was written as a protest against homophobia, said: “I don’t have a personal relationship with the man, but a lot of what he’s been saying is pretty out there.”
He added: “When you bring somebody into your art, there’s a sense of trust and belief that they understand where you’re coming from.”
“So to see all of that was really deflating.
“For somebody with such artistic potential – I was struck by the vision he has and his dedication to his work – for him to be hijacked by this strange cultural war, it’s really saddening.”
Hozier, real name Andrew Hozier-Byrne, added: “I offered a nod to his work with my work, as something that I felt was coming full circle.
“When you do that, you’re bringing somebody in, in a very personal way. So it’s very f**king depressing.”
Homophobia inspired “Take Me To Church”
Hozier has previously spoken about the meaning behind “Take Me To Church,” which featured an anti-gay attack in its music video.
The singer said: “The song is about loving somebody, and the video is about people who would undermine what it is to love somebody.
“I’d been following what was going on in Russia, where far-Right groups were doing these organised attacks, filming them and putting them on social media.
“The damage done by the Church to the people of Ireland is completely irreparable, and the reparations are all too few. There’s still a lack of will to turn around and say, ‘This is not OK’.
“Why is it an organisation that is considered to have any moral standing at all? The track record is just appalling.
“It’s important to remember that it can happen anywhere. It’s very easy for a society to fall into hatefulness, to scapegoat people, especially when times get tough.”
