Spice Girls wouldn't have happened without LGBT+ support

Spice Girls fans mark 25th anniversary of Geri Halliwell’s shock departure as today is an incredibly triggering one for Spice Girls fans: the 25th anniversary of Geri Halliwell – aka Ginger Spice – departing the group.

On May 31, 1998, Geri’s solicitor Julian Turton read out a statement written by her for journalists gathered outside his Lon

Mel B says the Spice Girls wouldn’t have existed without the LGBTQI community.

The 90s girl group – also comprising Geri Horner, Melanie C, Emma Bunton, and Victoria Beckham – owe the queer and drag community for embracing them from the start.

Mel told press: “I think it’s been everything and they’ve been there for us from the very, very start.

“Without them, it wouldn’t have really happened, I don’t think.”

She continued: “I definitely think we’ve been influenced. Yeah, I mean, our hair and makeup, our platforms, our girl power, our kind of influence on ourselves and other women. Yeah, definitely.

“And you can’t get better than the gays and the Drag scene embracing you, and we’ve been embraced by both since the start of our career.”

Mel is a judge on the second season of the drag singing show ‘Queen of the Universe’ with Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel and Vanessa Williams.

Mel B’s comments come after Melanie C aka Sporty Spice previously admitted that the group made a conscious decision to make their messaging more about “inclusivity”.

The ‘Wannabe’ hitmaker told Attitude magazine last year: “All the Spice Girls have always been aware of the support from the LGBTQI community.

“We’ve never taken it for granted.

“Back then, it was very apparent we had many young gay male fans, including some who hadn’t come out or fully understood who they were. We really quickly wanted to change tack, from screaming about Girl Power, to being about inclusivity.”