Jimmy Somerville has spoken in support of Steps after it was revealed the group turned down a gig in Dubai because the contract stipulated there should be “no mention of sexuality”.

Singer Ian ‘H’ Watkins revealed the band’s decision at the Attitude Pride Awards earlier this month, citing the country’s “human rights policies and specifically their laws on LGBTQ+ people”. 

“We got offered a very lovely sum of money, but, in the contract, it did say no mention of sexuality,” he shared, “and for me, as a gay man, I did say, ‘That doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not going to be part of that’.”

Same sex relationships are illegal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Dubai one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE.

Although the Tragedy hitmakers performed in the country some years back, H insisted the country’s laws have since become a lot more “archaic”.

He explained: “We did a gig in Dubai years ago, but the laws have changed a lot since then. Actually, the whole world has progressed, but the laws in the Emirates and Dubai are even more archaic now.

“I think, if we took a stand and did our show, as it was, I, specifically would be in danger. I would go to jail, we would absolutely be in contempt of the government.

“But we can do our bit and we will actually go up and say, ‘No, we’re not doing that’, and that creates even more noise,” he added (via Sky News).

Taking to social media, Bronski Beat and The Communards vocalist Jimmy lent his support to the group, sharing in an extended series of posts: “Let’s talk about @OfficialSteps today. No, not on yer Fitbit, not in yer recovery programme but the pop group Steps. They turned down some serious £ for a show in Dubai because they refused not to mention SEXUALITY!! Amazing, principled STEPS.

“It’s a TRAGEDY other artists don’t have the same guts and principles and will go where the fat wad of £ is dangled. They’ll perform places where women’s freedoms are denied. Where LGBQT+ can face being (and have been) executed.

“Where regimes suppress, jail and torture dissident voices. Shame on those who look the other way coz all they see is the dangling fat wad of £. RESPECT TO STEPS!!!!”

Various artists have been criticised for agreeing to perform in the country in recent months, including Beyoncé, who delivered her first live show in four years in Dubai, and Kylie Minogue, who saw in the New Year at Atlantis, The Palm.

It’s not just musicians who are under scrutiny for their ties with the region; last year, David Beckham also attracted controversy by accepting a multimillion-pound World Cup promotion deal with Qatar – which shares a border with the UAE – where homosexuality is also illegal.