Nick Jonas has stepped in to fill the
void left when Iggy Azalea abruptly canceled her headline performance
at Pittsburgh Pride in the Street.
Saturday's event takes place on Liberty
Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Tickets
sold here.
“When I heard about the difficult
position Pittsburgh Pride was in just days before their event, I knew
I had to find a way to help,” Jonas said. “I'm excited to do
what I can to support the LGBT community in Pittsburgh, and I look
forward to seeing you this Saturday as we celebrate together.”
(Related: Nick
Jonas promises “big reveal” for his gay Kingdom
character.)
Azalea has been criticized for tweets
sent before her rapid rise to fame with the 2011 release of her music
video for Pu$$y, some of
which appear to be homophobic.
“When guys
whisper in each others ears I always think its kinda homo,” she
messaged in 2010.
Vanessa Davis of the Pittsburgh chapter
of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Azalea's inclusion was behind her
group's decision not to march in the city's annual parade.
Azalea said in a statement that bowing
out from the event was a difficult decision.
“This has been a difficult decision
as I truly support the event and LGBTQIA communities, however I feel
my participation at this point would only serve to further distract
from the true purpose of the event,” she said.