Critics say 'Thank U, Next' to Ariana Grande for UK pride headliner

Grande, who became the most followed woman on Instagram this week, said she had no control over ticket prices, and was not"claiming to be the hero of the community or the face of the LGBTQ rights movement."

"I want to celebrate and support this community, regardless of my identity or how people label me. And also I wanna visit a city that means so much to me," the"Thank U, Next" singer wrote on Twitter late Wednesday in response to the growing backlash. Grande was performing in Manchester in May 2017 during the European leg of a tour when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb as Grande's fans left a packed Manchester Arena. Some of the 22 people killed in the attack were teens or young girls.

The 25-year-old said other pride events have had performers of all sexual orientations including Cher and Kylie Minogue. "I do think there's room for us to talk about these issues without equating a performance for an LGBTQ audience with exploitation of the LGBTQ community," Grande added.There have been debates in recent years over LGBT+ representation in entertainment and the performing arts, with critics claiming that straight performers needed to make space for LGBT+ people.

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