Years and Years frontman, Olly Alexander, tells Glastonbury to “say bye fear, bye”

On Saturday at Glastonbury Years and Years lead singer Olly Alexander made a special appeal to fans during his concert. He asked them, on Pride weekend, to repudiate fear and to “shove a rainbow in fear’s face.”

Here’s what Olly had to say:

“As you might be able to tell by the way that I’m dressed, I’m gay. And in fact, I’m really, really super gay.

“A year ago we played the John Peel Tent and it was an amazing show, and I can’t believe that we’re here today.

“But what I keep thinking about is how in the last year a lot of pretty scary and messed up stuff has happened. Now, as a queer person, as queer people we know what it’s like to be scared. We know what it’s like to live with fear. As part of our every day.

“But, tonight at Glastonbury, I would like to ask you to join me on Pride weekend, and say ‘no thank you fear.’ To say, ‘bye fear, bye.’

Olly then goes to pick up a rainbow coloured sheet and waves it about continuing: “To literally shove a rainbow in fear’s face.”

Olly’s voice cracks as he utters his last sentence in the video, with emotion bubbling to the top as he expresses his pride in his own sexuality.

“And all I have to say to finish is, I’m here, I’m queer, and yeah sometimes I am afraid but I am never ashamed because I am proud of who I am! Thank you and have an amazing time.”

Check out Olly’s proud moment in the video below.

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

Olly Alexander was previously irked by the fact that Years and Years’ music was labelled in the gay music section at record shop, alluding that music can not really be defined by the word gay.

@yearsandyears @alexander_olly i didn't know your genre was gay pic.twitter.com/vPOnJkTPT8

— maybe: theresa (@theresaruthh) May 26, 2016

https://twitter.com/alexander_olly/status/735824365426737152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/alexander_olly/status/735824883171663873

https://twitter.com/alexander_olly/status/735825070325673985

Olly is proud to be a gay man, a public figure and a representative for the LGBT community in the mainstream media, and we can be proud that he’s progressing the LGBT movement and overcoming fear.