Luke Waltham

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on HuffPost SA. You can read the original article here . OPINION: LGBTQ+ Community Using Social Media To Empower Itself The internet, despite its negatives, has become a popular space for the LGBTQ+ community to have a voice. Being a queer individual has always been a challenge in a predominantly heteronormative society, and with the  rise  of far-right groups around the world, it is difficult for many queer individuals to be themselves. However, social media has become a powerful tool for those in the LGBTQ+ community to connect with one another and express themselves. Despite  discrimination  and intolerance, queer individuals are banding together to empower each other using campaigns, hashtags, pages and groups on social media platforms. Twitter Twitter is one of the most active platforms for the LGBTQ+ community — the platform is used as a brave space for queer individuals to be the...

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on Celeb Mix. You can read the original article here . BTS’ ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ to be released in August Yes, ARMYs! It is that time again where we have to prepare ourselves for another exceptional release from BTS. BigHit confirmed on Fan Cafe today that  Love Yourself: Answer , the final addition to the  Love Yourself  series, will be released on the 24th August worldwide. Preorders will begin on the 18th July. BTS has had an extremely successful year with their last album,  Love Yourself: Tear . It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the lead single, ‘Fake Love’, debuted at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next comeback will be perfect timing for the global sensation group because they will be launching their Love Yourself World Tour, where they are going to be performing in stadiums, centres and venues for tens of thousands of ARMYs in many countries. Not all of the tour dates an...

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on Celeb Mix. You can read the original article here . Holland representing the LGBTQ+ community in KPop The Kpop Industry, and South Korea, in general, do not often include or provide a space for the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, there have often been reports of  homophobia  in the country, and also in the  KPop industry . Although there have been some KPop idols and groups such as BTS, BoA, the late Jonghyun from SHINee, Heechul from SuperJunior and others who are  proud allies  who support the community, there has not been an openly queer idol in the industry. However, on the 21st January 2018, we were introduced to the first openly gay Kpop idol. Holland released his debut track, “Neverland”, which comforts people who are coming to terms with their identity, and the  music video  complements it perfectly by depicting himself in a loving, same-sex relationship. Since his debut, ...

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on Celeb Mix. You can read the original article here . A Harry Styles Concert Is Always A Pride Celebration Harry Styles has never shied away from making his concerts inclusive places for all! Since the beginning of Harry’s tour, every single concert has included waves of rainbow, LGBTQ+ pride flags where members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are also proud Harry fans, have attended Styles’s concerts and have felt empowered and included in the space. At his concerts, Harry always takes a moment to grab an LGBTQ+ pride flag, and sometimes trans and bisexual pride flags, and performs one of his tracks, holding the flag or draping it over his microphone stand. Moreover, he has often made statements to do with issues involving the LGBTQ+ community, such as celebrating same sex marriage legalisation. It should be noted that Harry’s concerts have become places where fans can express themselves and the social issues ...

This opinion piece was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on HuffPost SA. You can read the original piece here . Pride Month Must Be Intersectional 'It is vital that the LGBTQ+ community also reflects and keeps in mind the diversity of the queer community.' June is Pride Month, a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate their identities in a world that is predominantly discriminatory towards them. Often, LGBTQ+ people — especially those more privileged than others — forget to acknowledge their privilege and fail to include all members of the queer community. It is vital that the LGBTQ+ community reflects on diversity, and the varied struggles that many have to go through. Empowering queer people of colour In order to empower all queer individuals, one must look at the events, media, images and spaces that the LGBTQ+ community creates. In South Africa, Pride events are predominantly attended by the white middle class, excluding queer peop...

This opinion piece was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on HuffPost SA. You can read the original piece here . BTS: The Hits Just Keep On Coming Their worldwide success so far is a clear indication of the great things we can expect in the future. 017 was an exceptional year for music. We saw great albums, artists and tracks released and new records being broken by various individuals and groups. One of the groups I'm really excited and happy about is South Korea's BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단). So far, 2018 looks like it's going to be another successful year for BTS! BTS and their ARMY ("Adorable Representative MC for Youth) fan base/family have grown phenomenally. In fact, BTS ended 2017 with a variety of achievements including broken records and history made. They are ultimately taking the music industry to new heights and eliminating many barriers of language and division through the power of their music and personalities....