Most celebrities use their platform for many purposes other than self-promotion. Allies are people who don’t identify as queer, but believe in the fight for LGBT+ rights and use their voices to speak up and stand up for the community.

These celebrities decided to be allies to the LGBT+ community in 2018, tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

Jade Thirlwall

The Little Mix star has always been a massive supporter of the LGBT+ community, and the singer stepped up her game in 2018.

In June, Jade marched alongside LGBT+ youth and allies during Manchester Pride.

She also attended the Stonewall Youth Awards and spoke about why she wanted to join the Stonewall family and how she wants to “encourage more artists to raise the flag as allies to the LGBT community and help people accept themselves”.

Jade also stood up for her LGBT+ peeps when she clapped back at an ignorant Instagram comment that questioned how she could support the community, writing, “How can I support other beautiful people? Quite easily actually. If you don’t ‘support’ these kinds of ‘things’ (assuming you mean drag queens or the gay community) then I suggest you go and comment on somebody else’s Instagram. Someone just as homophobic, ignorant and as warped as yourself. SASHAY. AWAY.”

Justin Trudeau

The Canadian Prime Minister has always been outspoken about his support for the LGBT+ community in Canada.

This year, he marched alongside Queer Eye‘s Antoni Parowski at Montreal Pride and gave a speech prior to the parade about how Canada needs to stop talking about tolerance, but more about acceptance, openness, friendship and love.

In June, Trudeau raised the rainbow flag on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to celebrate Pride Month and to mark Canada’s commitment to greater LGBT+ inclusivity and equality.

Last year, the leader apologised for Canada’s previous persecution of the LGBT+ community, saying, “For the oppression of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit communities, we apologize. On behalf of the government, Parliament, and the people of Canada: We were wrong. We are sorry. And we will never let this happen again.”

Dua Lipa

Earlier this year, a group of Dua Lipa fans were dragged out of her concert by security in Shanghai when they waved rainbow flags.

The songstress appeared upset as the incident took place and told the crowd, “I want to create a really safe environment for us all to have fun … I want us all to dance. I want us all to sing. I want us all to just have a really good time.”

She then wrote on Instagram how she was “horrified” at the incident and said, “I would love to come back for my fans when the time is right and hopefully see a room full of rainbows.”

She also spoke out against anti-gay Brazillian president Jair Bolsonaro during the presidential race, retweeting a New York Times piece with the caption #EleNão, which means ‘not him’.

Cher

Legendary singer Cher showed her support for the transgender community when she hit back at Donald Trump over a proposed policy that would eliminate transgender people out of legal existence in the US.

“I can’t begin to express the rage I feel toward an administration that is trying to redefine me out of existence,” the singer wrote on Twitter.

Cher’s son Chaz Bono is transgender, and although the singer said she initially struggled to come to terms with her son’s identity when he first came out as trans, she now realises that “it doesn’t make any difference” and “the loss I thought I was going to feel, I don’t feel one iota.”

Ariana Grande

“There is nothing more infectious than the joy and love that the LGBTQ community exudes.”

In June, Grande penned a touching open letter to the LGBT+ community.

Speaking about her openly gay brother Frankie, Ariana wrote, “I grew up with a gay brother whose every move I would emulate. I idolised him. Everything Frankie did, I would do. I can’t remember a difference between Frankie before he came out and Frankie after he came out. He’s always just been Frankie.”

“I was taught to do my makeup by queens in gay bars in New York City. I made my Broadway debut at 14 years-old and did 8 shows a week but there was never a night I was too tired to run to a gay bar and do a quick Whitney cover before bed.

“I hope to create anthems for you that wrap you up with comfort and make you get your best life for as long as I live. Thank you for celebrating me the way I celebrate you,” she added.

CupcakKe

Raunchy rapper CupcakKe first proved her allyship to the LGBT+ community when she released her dance bob LGBT, rapping bold lines like, “Fuck out my way when you see me/I’m rollin’ with the LGBT.”

CupcakKe is dedicated to the inclusion of queer people in a genre that is not always known for accepting LGBT+ people and told Gay Times Magazine, “Before I even had a career I had LGBTQ friends who I’d hang out with. They’re human. I look at them like a regular person, not, ‘Oh that’s somebody that’s part of the LGBTQ community’, it’s like, ‘Oh that’s another human being’. That’s just how I see it. Everyone likes who they like.”

She also told Out Magazine in 2017, “When I put out LGBT, it was so everyone can be treated equally. Everyone deserves love no matter who you like or who you want to marry.”

Dan Reynolds

The Imagine Dragons frontman became one of the most well-known celebrity allies in 2018. Reynolds revealed in an interview that many fans assumed he would never support the queer community due to his strict religious upbringing.

“Mormons believe the doctrine is if you are gay and acting upon it, that is sinful. That is a very dangerous and hurtful and hateful thing to preach and to teach our children,” the singer said.

Reynolds and his group also headlined the Love Loud Festival in July, where they raised over $1 million for LGBT+ charities in the US.

Reynolds stopped to address the crowd, saying, “To our LGBTQ youth, stay with us every day. We need you, we love you [and] we accept you. Your love is valid, it’s pure, it’s true [and] it’s beautiful.”

Carly Rae Jepsen

If this moment isn’t enough to make her a queer goddess…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmUlrdWA6ow/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Then there are plenty of other reasons Carly Rae Jepsen is one of our favourite allies.

The singer refused to headline a show for the Boy Scouts of America in 2013 because, at the time, they banned gay and transgender members.

She has also been a regular performer at the UK’s largest Pride festival in Brighton since 2016, and has described her relationship with her LGBT+ fans as a “mutual love fest.”

Jepsen is also set to appear at the 2018 Ally Coalition, which raises funds for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth, featuring a star-studded line up of queer celebrities and allies.

Absolut Vodka

We could not complete this list without giving a nod to queer allies Absolut Vodka who showed their love and support for the LGBT+ community in the best way this year.

When the Westboro Baptist Church tried to take on the vodka brand over their support for the LGBT+ community, they proved themselves as true allies by revealing a very special project in which they “turn hate into love.”

They revealed that they had been attending rallies from hate groups just like the Westboro Baptist Church and gathered as many posters as they could, and then extracted ink from posters with messages that spread hate and fear, and used that exact ink to “spread a better message.”

They used the ink for their limited edition bottle which has “love” written on it in 16 languages.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift had previously been known to shy away from anything that might be deemed political and for the singer, that included LGBT+ issues.

That changed in 2018 as Swift had her say US midterm elections, denouncing the policies and beliefs of candidate Marsha Blackburn.

“She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry.

“I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG,” she wrote on Instagram.

In June, Swift made a touching speech at her Chicago concert, saying, “I want to send my love and respect to everybody who, in their journey in their life, hasn’t felt comfortable enough to come out. And may you do that on your own time and may we end up in a world where everyone can live and love equally and no one has to be afraid to be vulnerable to say how they feel.”

Chloe Grace Moretz

Moretz, who recently starred in The Miseducation of Cameron Post, a feature film about gay conversion therapy, recently argued that LGBT+ films should be made and directed by LGBT+ people.

Commenting on Boy Erased, another film about conversion therapy, she said, “They’re still backing, first and foremost, the straight white man who is going to be putting out the movie that’s the safe bet.”

“They want something that’s a pretty package, but that’s still tolerable and acceptable. And I think that’s unfair,” she added.

Speaking about her own film about the subject, she explained, “This movie was directed by a bisexual woman of diversity, it has a very diverse cast and we didn’t cast all celebrities.”