Beverley Knight
FROM FIRING HER ENTIRE BAND BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO PLAY PRIDE TO NURSING HER BEST FRIEND AT HOME BEFORE HE DIED FROM AN AIDS-RELATED ILLNESS, BEVERLEY KNIGHT HAS BEEN FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE LGBT+ COMMUNITY FOR AS LONG AS SHE’S BEEN SINGING
WORDS: CLIFF JOANNOU PHOTOGRAPHS: LEON CSERNOHLAVEK FASHION: NICK BYAM
ALLY AWARD
‘SOUL SURVIVOR’
I t’s great that society has opened its mind so much that when it comes to Attitude picking the recipient of its Ally Award, there’s a long list of names to consider. Cynically, one could say that this is because it’s now unfashionable in the celebrity world to be anti-gay.
It’s certainly easy for high-profile people to be vocal on LGBT+ rights and to issue a few token Tweets. (You’d be surprised by how some of the most celebrated gay icons have actually spoken out very little in support of even the most popular issues, such as gay marriage). At a time when it’s easy for famous people to hide behind social media, few straight celebs have put themselves on the frontline in the fight for LGBT+ awareness, standing in solidarity against the suffering our community has endured.
Beverley Knight, however, has been a keen supporter of queer rights ever since she was a fan girl of the gender and sexual fluidity of her pop icon, Prince, as well as of David Bowie and Boy George.
Her support wasn’t simply a crafty tactic from the marketing machine behind yet another pop princess eager to court the pink pound. Back then, celebrities didn’t come out in their droves to support LGBT+ acceptance.