Holly Johnson stands in solidarity with the trans community: ‘I don’t understand why people can’t have empathy’ (EXCLUSIVE)
"Gay men and gay women have always been sympathetic with the trans community," says Johnson
By Aaron Sugg
Frankie Goes to Hollywood legend Holly Johnson spoke out in support of the trans community alongside pop icon Mika in his latest cover interview with Attitude magazine.
Johnson has consistently been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, having been outspoken about his sexuality in the 1980s, and now, at the age of 65, is widely regarded as a trusted trans ally.
In conversation with his fellow cover star, the pair discussed the current political landscape surrounding trans rights, with Johnson highlighting the importance of empathy.
“They’re definitely out there attacking the trans community” – Holly Johnson on the current political landscape firing at the trans community
“They’re definitely out there attacking the trans community at the moment, and that’s a real shame,” said the Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman, comparing the current political climate to the 1980s, when Section 28 was introduced.
Particularly significant for Johnson, the singer was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1991 and later spoke publicly about the isolation he initially felt due to the stigma at the time, publicly addressing his status two years later.
On the topic of trans identities, he said: “I don’t understand why people can’t have empathy with people who feel like they were born in the wrong body. I mean, gay men and gay women have always been sympathetic with the trans community, and I don’t know why that’s become such a big issue.”
“It’s very sad, and I don’t understand it” – Johnson supporting the trans community
Reflecting on the political hardships faced by trans communities worldwide this year, he added: “That’s what they’re rolling back on and making it more difficult for trans lives. And it’s very sad, and I don’t understand it.”
Trans rights in both the UK and the US have been a particular point of discussion in national parliaments. In April, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on “biological sex”, a decision that has implications for trans people’s access to single-sex spaces.
In the US, Donald Trump, on the first day of his second term as president in January 2025, reinstated a policy recognising only two sexes and later cut funding to HIV/AIDS organisations.
Speaking about the climate in the States, Mika said: “There’s just no point working this at radio or promoting it in America.” He added: “I never got work in America. Ever.”
Off the back of appearing on the front cover of the Attitude January/February issue, MIKA’s European tour kicks off 6 February 2026 in Amiens, France, staying clear of the US.
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