Hayley Williams has drawn a firm line regarding who she welcomes at Paramore concerts, explicitly stating that racist, sexist, and transphobic fans are not welcome at her shows.
Speaking in a recent interview with Clash, the Paramore frontwoman made her position abundantly clear about the type of audience she wants at the band’s performances. “It’s so important that people feel welcome to the party,” Williams explained to the publication. “I’ve always said, all are welcome at our shows. But I don’t want racists around, and I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people there who think that trans people are a burden.”
The singer elaborated on her stance, expressing hope that discriminatory individuals would naturally feel unwelcome at Paramore events. “I think that’s a hard line for me now. I hope it naturally happens that people who do harbour those harmful ideologies aren’t going to feel welcome, because they’re going to walk in the door and realise that the gang’s all here, all banded together around something positive,” she continued.
Williams established a clear criterion for attendance, stating: “All are welcome if you believe all should be welcome… If you don’t believe that, you’re not welcome!”
These comments arrive several months after Williams publicly identified the target of her criticism in the song “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party”. In a previous interview with The New York Times, she confirmed that the “racist country singer” referenced in the track was Morgan Wallen. “It could be a couple, but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen, I don’t give a shit,” she stated at the time.
The vocalist’s recent statements align with her established pattern of using her platform to advocate for social causes. Williams has consistently spoken openly about racism, climate change, and LGBTQ+ rights, viewing her position as an opportunity to promote positive change. “When you’re passionate about something and you really believe in something, and have the will to spread that, yeah, talk about it,” she previously told The New York Times.
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