Sophie Straat repeats controversial call in Genk: 'Are you white? Are you cis? Are you hetero? Are you a man? To the back'

Dutch singer Sophie Straat reiterated a provocative statement during her performance at the Absolutely Free Festival (AFF) in Genk, Belgium, on August 7, 2026. At the end of her set, she addressed the audience by asking, "Are you white? Are you cis? Are you hetero? Are you a man? To the back." This marked her first performance in Belgium following a similar incident at the Gentse Feesten that generated significant controversy.

Straat began her performance by acknowledging the current socio-political climate, stating, "We are living our dream summer, but at the same time a true nightmare. We will not let our summer be ruined by a bunch of neo-Nazis." She later commented on the state of the country, saying, "We live in a neofascist shithole country, you actually do too." The singer emphasized that she had carefully considered her remarks, suggesting that labeling them as polarizing shifts the focus from the real issues.

"We need to talk about what it's really about: the place we live, where it is super divided, where there is segregation, racism, sexism, homophobia. That's what it should be about," Straat explained. She argued that it is impossible to ignore the systemic inequalities that have historically existed. Her stated aim with the "to the back" directive is to intentionally create physical space for women, queer individuals, and people of color within the audience.

The performance itself proceeded without incident. Festival correspondent Elian Pergola observed that many men appeared to have moved further back before the call was made, noting enthusiastic reactions from the front of the stage. However, post-performance responses were described as mixed. Previously, Straat's comments at the Gentse Feesten led to hundreds of complaints filed with the Belgian equal opportunities center Unia, which ultimately ruled that her statements were not discriminatory. Similar controversy also arose in the Netherlands after her performance at Best Kept Secret festival.