UK band Years & Years performed at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend, and during the set, frontman Olly Alexander took a moment to address the crowd, talking fear and pride on London's Pride weekend.
The BEST advice from Olly @yearsandyears: “Shove a rainbow in fear’s face” #Pride2016 #Glastonbury2016 https://t.co/X0i6NFBsnP
— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) June 26, 2016
Wearing a rainbow singlet, he began his speech saying: "As you might be able to tell from the way that I'm dressed, I'm gay. In fact, really, really, super gay."
He continued: "What I keep thinking about is that in the last year, a lot of pretty scary and messed up stuff has happened.
"As a queer person, as queer people, we know what it's like to be scared, and we know what it's like to live with fear as part of our everyday [lives], but tonight, Glastonbury, I would like you to join me, on Pride weekend, to say 'no thank you, fear'. To say 'bye, fear, bye'. To literally shove a rainbow in fear's face. Okay?"
The polite request was met with screams of approval as the crowd waved rainbow flags and cheered Olly on.
"All I have to say to finish," he concluded, "is I'm here, I'm queer, and yeah, sometimes I'm afraid, but I am never ashamed because I am proud of who I am!"
Years and Years will be touring Australia in October opening for Ellie Goulding.