LGBTQ+ Group Criticizes Band at Hereford Christmas Light Switch-On

An LGBTQ+ organization has voiced criticism following the participation of the 1990s girl group Eternal in the Christmas light switch-on ceremony in Hereford. Hereford Queers and Beers published an open letter on social media prior to Sunday’s event, citing claims that two members of the band had made remarks critical of the trans community in the previous year. Consequently, Louise Redknapp and Kéllé Bryan withdrew from a planned tour with their former bandmates, Easther and Vernie Bennett. Richard Hancock, an organiser for Hereford Queers and Beers, informed the BBC that he was surprised by the comments and believed they warranted clarification. The girl group, known for 1990s hits such as Stay and Just A Step From Heaven, had been scheduled to reunite this year. However, the Bennett sisters reportedly declined to perform at specific engagements, a detail confirmed to the BBC by Redknapp’s publicist Simon Jones in September of last year. Jones stated: “A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.” He added: “This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this.” Jones further explained: “Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kéllé told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead.” The open letter, which was shared on the Queers and Beers Instagram account, indicated that the group aimed to inform Herefordshire residents about the “disrespectful” and “bigoted” opinions held by the two band members. The letter asserted: “These issues need to be addressed and prevented, as aligning with hateful groups only sends a strong message.” Mr Hancock informed BBC Hereford & Worcester that the group believed the letter needed to be issued to confront adverse remarks directed at the trans community. He commented: “It’s been 14 months since the articles have been around. If I had quotes like this attributed to me I think I’d have clarified them pretty quickly if I didn’t feel that way.” The light switch-on ceremony, which took place in the city centre, drew an audience of hundreds. The BBC has reached out to Hereford City Council and Eternal seeking their comments. For further updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.