- Howard Donald’s Removal from Pride Festival Lineup
- Social Media Controversy Surrounding Howard Donald
- Apologies and Consequences
Howard Donald was scheduled to perform at Groovebox’s Nottingham Pride event in July, but he has since been withdrawn from the lineup, telling fans he is “disappointed” in his “uneducated actions.”
After liking transphobic tweets, Take That’s Howard Donald was excluded from Groovebox’s Pride Festival.
Donald was scheduled to perform at the Nottingham event on Saturday, July 29 alongside Horse Meat Disco, Essel, Sam Sax, and a drag cabaret featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants; however, he will be substituted by another act.
Social media users had previously questioned Donald’s inclusion in the Pride lineup, citing some of his previous Twitter likes, which included a call for Disney to be “defunded” after holding a Pride event and a critique of an inclusive menstruation campaign with the message: “Only women have periods!” Men cannot menstruate. Transgender ‘ladies’ cannot menstruate.”
Other likes on Donald’s account included a tweet from controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate stating “the only superhero a boy should have is his father” and a list of “realities” that included “there are only two genders,” “Covid was a scam,” and “obesity is not beautiful or healthy.
He also liked 9/11 conspiracy theories, Bill Gates criticism, and Covid vaccine myths.
Groovebox’s Pride Festival confirmed his removal from the event on their official Instagram page, writing, “Given recent events, Howard Donald will no longer be performing at our Nottingham Pride Festival on Saturday, 29 July at Binks Yard”.
We appreciate the public’s alarm this morning and your patience while we communicated with the relevant parties.
“We are working to confirm a replacement headliner for Nottingham Pride alongside Horse Meat Disco, Tayce, Danny Beard, and ESSEL and will announce in due time.”
Since then, Donald has removed his Twitter account and apologized for his Instagram story.
He wrote, “I have made a grave error in judgment by liking derogatory social media posts about the LGBTQIA+ community. And I am profoundly sorry and aware that I have let everyone down.
“I am extremely disappointed in myself, and I apologize for any harm I may have caused through my uninformed actions. It is evident that I have much to learn, and acquiring this knowledge is a top priority for me.”
The official Nottinghamshire Pride organisers tweeted on Saturday that they were not associated with Groovebox, a separate event.
They tweeted: “It has been brought to our attention that a performer at the Groovebox Pride Festival. Which was not organized by Notts Pride, made anti-LGBTQ+ remarks.
We reject homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia in our community.
Take That’s Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Jason Orange, and Mark Owen made Donald, 55, famous in the early 1990s.
While Williams and Orange have since departed the group, Donald is one of the three remaining members. And the band will headline the coronation concert for the King in May.
