"They are anti-trans": Bronski Beat's vocalist removes the song "Smalltown Boy" from the LGB Alliance film.
Since its release in 1984, the song has been regarded as an anthem for the gay community. However, the vocalist of the band, Jimmy Somerville, has protested against the unauthorized use of "Smalltown Boy" by the LGB Alliance.
According to UNN, referencing Jimmy Somerville OFFICIAL.
Describing the LGB Alliance as an "anti-transgender organization," Bronski Beat's frontman Jimmy Somerville stated in a video posted on Instagram that he "would never allow any of his work to be used by such a group."
He also mentioned that he would do everything possible to have the track removed from the LGB Alliance's video.
For Reference
The LGB Alliance supports lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. However, the LGB Alliance actively opposes the exclusion of transgender individuals; the organization is also against education on gender identity in schools, reforms on gender recognition, and gender-affirming healthcare. In 2021, there was an attempt by the transgender charity Mermaids to have the LGB Alliance removed from the charity register, claiming it had an "anti-trans bias." This attempt was rejected.
Bronski Beat is a British synth-pop band formed in 1983 in London, England.
Bronski Beat achieved success in the mid-1980s, particularly with their 1984 single "Smalltown Boy" from their debut album The Age of Consent. "Smalltown Boy" was their only single to enter the US Billboard Hot 100. All band members were openly gay. Despite the initial unity in the band's mission to bring queer politics to the global stage, vocalist Jimmy Somerville left the group just a year after the massive success of "Smalltown Boy" due to a dispute over joining Madonna's "Like A Virgin" tour in the US.