Luke Waltham

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on Celeb Mix. You can read the original article here . BTS invited to speak at the United Nations Headquarters Global superstars and humanitarian ambassadors, BTS, have been invited to speak to world leaders at the United Nations Head Office for the launch of an empowering youth campaign organised by UNICEF, the United Nations’ wing that focuses on children’s rights and human dignity. The global sensation has been involved in multiple initiatives that have successfully empowered, inspired and uplifted young people around the world. The messages in their songs alone, inform and encourage young people to stay true to who they are, think critically about society, and most importantly, to love themselves no matter what. BTS has had an ongoing campaign with UNICEF for the past year, known as the #LoveMyself #EndViolence campaign which seeks to raise awareness about human rights violations that have been affecting ch...

This article was originally written by Luke Waltham and published on Celeb Mix. You can read the original article here . BTS: Overcoming Xenophobic and Problematic Media Global sensation, BTS, has been taking over over the worldwide music industry this year with masterful, fantastic music. They perform and produce all their music in Korean, their home language, and as a result, they have been playing a formidable role in diversifying the music industry, which has been dominated by artists who only sing or rap in English. However, despite BTS’s great strides in breaking barriers of differences, and uniting people to create the most diverse fandom in the world, ARMY, there are still forces and groups who attempt to prevent BTS from reaching new audiences and heights, especially individuals in English predominant countries who have influence at radio stations and in the media. A concerning revelation noticed by many ARMYs and critics of Western awards shows, media outlets and bu...

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...