Voices of Pride: European celebrities defend LGBTQIA+ rights

The new “Brighter Days Ahead” foundation, recently launched by famous singer Ariana Grande, aims in particular to support the rainbow community, just in time for Pride month.

While the foundation only helps LGBTQIA+ representatives in the United States, Europe also has many high-profile supporters who continue to highlight the discrimination and inequalities the community faces.

Here are ten European personalities who defend the rights of members of this community:

Zara Larsson (Suède)

Singer Zara Larsson is not new to defending rights. She spoke out for both women’s rights and those of immigrants to the United States. In his documentary Up Closethe Swedish star explains that she “has been removed from certain shows” and “had contracts canceled” simply for standing up for what she believes is right.

The singer of “Midnight Sun” and “Lush Life” has several times declared his love for the LGBTQIA+ community. In a recent interview, she confided that “she has always been very well surrounded and taken care of by the community”.

In 2018, Larsson partnered with popular contraceptive manufacturer Durex to support its mission to end AIDS. The singer has also appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race and has taken to the stage numerous times with the rainbow flag, reaffirming her unwavering support for the community.

Angèle (Belgium)

Singer and songwriter Angèle came out as pansexual in 2023, after being “outed” by the media without her consent, an experience she would later describe as “extremely violent”. Since then, many members of the community have shown their support.

At the Coachella 2023 festival, Angela took the stage with a rainbow flag, explaining that she wrote the song “Ta Reine” because “she had doubts about the people she was falling in love with.” She added that she has written many love songs, but never about a lesbian story. One of the most striking lines of the song says: ” But you wish she was your queen tonight, even though two queens are not widely accepted » (« But you would like her to be your queen tonight, even if two queens is not really accepted »).

In 2025, the Belgian artist encouraged his fans to sign an ACT petition for ban conversion therapy across the European Union. In the process, the European Parliament responded to this call and voted in favor of a ban on these so-called “conversion therapies”.

Olly Alexander (Royaume-Uni)

Alongside Adele, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles, Olly Alexander is at the forefront of supporting the rights of LGBTQIA+ people in the UK and around the world.

The former singer of the group Years & Years uses his fame to hammer home the message that “love is love” and has done much to support this minority. Among its initiatives, we can cite the documentary Growing Up Gaymade with BBC Three, in which he explores the mental health issues faced by members of the community.

The “King” singer never ceases to remind us how much the community means to him and how much activism is close to his heart, whether during Eurovision press conferences or during his concerts at the Glastonbury festival.

Olly Alexander has been widely praised by the LGBTQIA+ community and is considered one of its leading voices by Queerty and the British LGBT Awards.

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Theodora (France)

The bisexual Franco-Congolese singer Theodora quickly established herself in the rankings and won over the public with her music inspired by Amapiano.

In an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Francethe singer explains that she owes a lot to the drag scene, which has profoundly influenced her art. In an interview with Billboard France, Theodora confirmed that she employs “many LGBT people on her team.”

While she establishes herself as one of the most promising voices in French pop, the interpreter of “Kongolese under BBL” remains grateful to the LGBTQIA+ community and maintains a close bond with it.

Olya Polyakova (Ukraine)

According to a survey carried out in 2024 by the International Institute of Sociology in Kyiv, more than 70% of Ukrainians believe that the LGBTQIA+ community should benefit from the same rights as the rest of the population. To this day, Ukrainian legislation does not allow same-sex marriage. The country has, however, taken several steps towards greater recognition of the community, including banning hate speech and discrimination in the media based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Among the main allies of the Ukrainian LGBTQIA+ community is singer Olya Polyakova.

She openly claims her support, saying that people “should be free to make their own choices.” In 2023, Polyakova led the Ukrainian contingent in a Pride march in London. The singer also uses her visibility to remind people that proposed laws aimed at protecting the rights of the community and authorizing marriage for all are blocked rather than adopted.

Olya Polyakova also points out that many LGBTQIA+ soldiers have been fighting on the front lines since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Birch (Iceland)

Björk is particularly appreciated by the LGBTQIA+ community. The Icelandic icon confirmed her bisexuality in a 2004 interview with DIVA magazine. “Everything depends on whether or not we choose to recognize [sa sexualité] and to take responsibility for it,” she declared then.

Björk collaborated with the iconic openly gay fashion designer Alexander McQueen to dazzle the public with her avant-garde clothing choices.

The “Army of Me” singer said she enjoys watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and draws inspiration from it. Björk also explained that she “absolutely loved” Katya Zamolodchikova’s impersonation of her during the Snatch Game challenge on season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Nikkie de Jager (Pays-Bas)

Nikkie de Jager, better known as NikkieTutorials, is a Dutch YouTuber and makeup artist.

His YouTube channel has more than 15 million subscribers. But this popularity came at a price: she was forced to come out as a trans woman. Following a blackmail attempt, the Internet star published a series of videos where she talks about her transition and her gender identity. Internet users overwhelmingly came to his defense and expressed their support.

The content creator has provided financial support to initiatives like For The Gworls and The Trevor Project. As one of the presenters of Eurovision 2021, she wore a dress in the colors of the trans flag to show her support and increase the visibility of the community on the international stage.

Nikkie de Jager continues to advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community through her social media platforms.

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RosalÃa (Spain)

RosalÃa explained that she did not want anyone to put a label on her sexuality, even though she has a large LGBTQIA+ audience.

In an interview with Spotify in 2026, the singer joked that the best quality a man can have is being gay.

During her LUX tour, still in progress, RosalÃa invites spectators to come and share secrets on stage. While these participants come from varied backgrounds and identities, LGBTQIA+ fans are often very present among those who take part in the exercise. In this context, RosalÃa takes on a role of listening and advice, which many members of the community say they appreciate.

Monetochka (Russie)

Russia is not particularly known for its welcome or support for LGBTQIA+ people. Over the years, the government has increased measures to restrict LGBTQIA+ expression and activism. According to Russian legislation, the so-called “International LGBT movement” is banned and classified as an extremist organization.

However, the country has several public figures who dare to challenge this climate. From Alla Pugacheva, who sang with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and expressed support for LGBTQIA+ rights, to singer Monetochka.

Yelizaveta Gyrdymova, known by her stage name Monetochka, now lives in Lithuania after being declared a “foreign agent” and targeted by criminal proceedings for “non-compliance with obligations linked to the status of foreign agent”.

In her work, the singer has repeatedly expressed her support for LGBTQIA+ people. In a tribute album to tATu released in 2021, Monetochka rewrote the lyrics of the song “Malchik Gay” (“Gay Boy”) to reflect current Russian reality. “Russia has two problems: you and me,” she sings.

Kim Petras (Germany)

Kim Petras speaks out on LGBTQIA+ issues and her own experience from a young age.

The German singer and songwriter made the headlines at just 13 years old, after her participation in a television show where she spoke about her wish to transition, at a time when the subject remained taboo.

The “XXX” singer produces often explicit music, which particularly resonates with the LGBTQIA+ community. During the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards in Hungary, when the country was ruled by the Orbán government, she protested against the lois anti-LGBTQIA+.

Petras continues to use his notoriety to raise awareness about the issue of gender identity and transition, while supporting the community more broadly.

Pride Month runs until June 30, 2026.

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