One Direction bandmember-turned-solo-artist Liam Payne expressed his support for the LGBTQ community in a social media post on Thursday, with a quote from the Declaration of Independence which he followed up with “Thomas Jefferson #lgbtqrights“.
The post was in response to Trump’s attack on transgender servicemembers.
The post elicited immediate thanks from his fans, although one suggested that as a Brit the “Strip That Down” singer stay out of U.S.politics, to which Payne replied, “I have a house there and pay taxes but it’s not about that it’s about support for a community that deserves the right to live the dream of serving they’re (sic) country if that’s what they desire”
Payne’s support is notable as he has been accused of being homophobic in the past.
His attitude toward gay people has been under scrutiny since January 2014 when he tweeted support for Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson and quickly faced the wrath of social media. Since then he has been clearing the air regarding his alleged homophobia.
Two years ago Payne declared “I am in no way shape or form homophobic” in response to another set of offhand remarks.
