Paramore’s Hayley Williams Takes a Stance Against Homophobia

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, Josh’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.

Update (10/30): In a new note titled “Letter to our [LGBTQ+] fans,” Zac Farro made it clear that he is an ally of the queer community. "I want to say I love and support you all and have your back, and and [sic] most of all, stand with you. I do not condone any actions that do not love and support your community," he wrote in the Twitter statement posted Thursday evening. 

Zac went on to distance himself from the views of his brother Josh. “When my brother and I left Paramore in 2010, there was a post about the band that I did not fully condone,” he wrote, referring to a now-deleted blog post that Josh allegedly wrote in which he criticized Williams and called Paramore a “manufactured product.”

"My name was included on the post yes, But I had not been briefed on what the entirety of that message contained," he continued in the letter. "I am saying that I have a voice of my own and my voice stands with our band and our fans, not with words including me in actions I do not agree with." 

Williams later shared Zac's statement with the caption: “zac farro, everyone.” Check out the full post below. 

This post was updated to include Zac Farro's statement.

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