Bronski Beat’s Jimmy Somerville slams unapproved use of ‘Smalltown Boy’ in film by “anti-trans” LGB Alliance

Bronski Beat vocalist and songwriter Jimmy Somerville has spoken out against the unapproved use of the group’s track ‘Smalltown Boy’ in a new video shared by the organisation LGB Alliance.

Describing the group as “anti-trans”, Sommerville said in a video shared via Instagram that he “would never allow anything of [his] to be used by such a group”. He added that he would do everything possible to have the track removed from LGB Alliance’s video, which is called Generation Gay. 

Sommerville continued: “How dare you! How fucking dare you! I just want to let you know that it’s nothing to do with me. We didn’t know about it but we will do something about it.”

You can watch the full video below.

Released in May 1984, ‘Smalltown Boy’, Bronski Beat’s best-known hit, has become an enduring queer anthem in the decades since it first came out. Read DJ Mag’s feature about the track, from earlier this year, here.

The track was given a 40th anniversary reissue earlier this year with an added remix by ABSOLUTE.

In October, the group shared a short film celebrating 40 years since the release of another of their hit singles, ‘Why?’

The LGB Alliance, which was formed in 2019, describes its objective as “asserting the right of lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to define themselves as same-sex attracted” but has been frequently criticised over its exclusion of transgender people and and opposition to gender identity education in schools, gender recognition reform and gender-affirming healthcare.