Paramore’s Hayley Williams stands defiantly against homophobia after ex-bandmate allegedly calls being gay ‘a perversion’
Hayley Williams of Paramore at the 2018 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee. (Josh Brasted/WireImage/Getty)
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams passionately reaffirmed her support for the LGBT+ community, suggesting that the band’s stance against homophobia was a reason why other members left the group.
Williams took to Twitter on Wednesday to throw shade at the band’s former members and condemn their “religiously/politically dogmatic beliefs”.
“There’s a reason there are only 3 people left in Paramore,” she tweeted.”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.
“And ya know, if that doesn’t jive with you, well, feel free to go to where all past members of Paramore have gone which is literally anywhere else but Paramore,” she continued.
“To Paramore’s LGBTQ+ family (and @ColormeBrian I am talkin straight to you) you are full of love and you are loved,” she added, referring to her close friend and business partner, hairstylist Brian O’Connor.
and ya know, if that doesn’t jive with you, well, feel free to go to where all past members of paramore have gone which is literally anywhere else but paramore.
to paramore’s LGBTQ+ family (and @ColormeBrian i am talkin straight to you) you are full of love and you are loved.
— hayley from Paramore ? (@yelyahwilliams) October 28, 2020
Although Williams didn’t specify which band member the tweets were aimed at, her remarks came after recent homophobic comments allegedly made by former guitarist Josh Farro circulated on social media.
In a post on his Facebook page, Farro is said to have referred to homosexuality as “a perversion” and equated it with paedophilia.
“We’re talking about sexual orientation [as] something we simply cannot change… AKA accepting paedophilia as normal,” he said. “This is a subtle tactic to brainwash people into a state of tolerance. Then from tolerance to acceptance. Acceptance to advocacy. No.”
Farro left the band in 2010 along with his brother Zac, who rejoined in 2017. The current Paramore lineup is Hayley Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York.
