Spice Girl Mel C, also known as Melanie C and Sporty Spice, is drawing cheers from the LGBTQ+ community and allies after pulling out of a New Year's Eve concert in Poland.
The decision is believed to be tied to Mel C's opposition to the country's virulently anti-LGBTQ+ political climate.
Mel C abruptly announced her pull-out on Monday from the show New Year’s Eve Dreams with Dwójka in a cryptic message to fans that many believe to be a reference to Poland's repressive "LGBT-free zones" legislation.
See her statement below.
Mel C wrote:
“In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I’m afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year’s Eve."
Mel C went on to say that she hopes to be back in Poland very soon and wished her fans "a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2023."
Poland has passed a series of sweepingly anti-LGBTQ+ laws in recent years, including one in January that removed LGBTQ+-inclusive curricula in education.
It was followed by a law in February that would "punish" students for being inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.
And in the past year, municipalities comprising roughly one-third of the country have declared themselves "LGBT-free zones," where LGBTQ+ people cannot safely live openly.
Politicians have run on openly anti-LGBTQ+ platforms in recent years as well, including President Andrzej Duda.
During his 2020 reelection campaign Duda claimed that so-called LGBTQ+ "ideology" was even more destructive than the autocratic Soviet communism that subjected countries like Poland into grinding poverty and brutal repression from the end of World War II until 1989.
Mel C has long been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, which has been a loyal fanbase to both the Spice Girls and Mel C in her solo career.
And on Twitter, many applauded the artist for taking a stand.
In a recent interview, Mel C spoke of what the LGBTQ+ community means to her. She told British music magazine NME:
“Being an ally to the LGBT+ community is important and rewarding... Being accepted into their world, I learned so much about their struggle."
She went on to say that the kind of courage LGBTQ+ people show in living openly "was always the message of the Spice Girls."
