Spice Girls star Mel C cancels NYE show in Poland citing 'issues that do not align with communities I support'

Melanie C is pulling out of a planned New Year's Eve performance in Poland due to what she says are issues "that do not align with the communities" she supports.

The Spice Girls member tweeted on Dec. 26 that she was canceling the show without giving a specific reason, but the singer has been a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights.

The LGBTQ community has been condemned by the Polish president and other conservative politicians in recent years. Same-sex marriages are not legal in the country, and same-sex couples are not allowed to legally adopt children.

"In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I'm afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year's Eve," Mel C wrote. "I hope to be back there very soon. Hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2023."

Her message was praised by members of the LGBTQ community in the replies, while criticized by some others.

"The best ally," one person wrote.

"Thank you for not only being here for us, but also by us," another tweeted. "We love you Mel."

The New Year's Eve show is organized by Telewizja Polska (TVP), a state-run television station that will broadcast the concert. The Polish government has turned public media into "instruments of propaganda" and journalists have been discouraged from covering LGBTQ stories, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Mel C, 48, whose real name is Melanie Chisholm, was scheduled to appear onstage with a trio of Polish performers and "unexpectedly resigned" from performing "under the pressure of online comments", according to a statement by TVP cited by Polish News.

The singer received a Celebrity Ally award at the 2021 British LGBT Awards, which cited her work with Sink the Pink, a British drag collective.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com