Beyoncé.Photo:Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
The BeyHive got in “formation” and made sure oneBeyoncéfan didn’t miss out on seeing theRenaissanceTour.
After Jon Hetherington, 34,shared a TikToksaying he was unable to board his flight to see the superstar, 42, in Seattle because he was told the airline couldn’t accommodate his wheelchair, fellow Queen Bey fans tried to get him to another show. On Thursday, the BeyHive’s hard work paid off and, in addition to seeing the show in Arlington, Texas, he met the “Break My Soul” artist and her motherTina Knowles.
He also reflected on the late activists Marsha P. Johnson, James Baldwin and Bayard Rustin, as well asO’Shae Sibley, who was killed at age 28 in a hate crime whilevogueing to Beyoncé’s musicearlier this year. He wrote, “For the past, for Marsha, James, and Bayard. For the present, for O’Shae. For those who are becoming in a time that has yet to exist. We partied, we sang, we danced… HARD.”
Later, Hertherington revealed he met Queen Bey herself and her mother, 69, at the showon Instagram. He shared a selfie with himself and Knowles, expressing his gratitude to the mother-daughter duo in the caption.
“Truly an honor to meet you, @mstinaknowles! Thank you for all that you’ve done and given the world. We’re so grateful,” he said.
While Hetherington explained that he would like to keep his conversation with the Grammy winner between the two of them, he alluded to the special moment they shared. He added, “To the Queen herself, @beyonce, I will treasure those words you said and the hugs you gave. I meant every word I said.”
Inhis original TikTok, Hetherington spoke about the challenges he experienced at the airport. “Got to the airport to take my flight and they tell me that my chair is apparently four inches too tall to be loaded onto the plane, so they checked every possible flight, every airline and nothing was available,” he said. “So after 25 years of waiting, I’m not seeing Beyoncé tonight. Ableism strikes again.”
According toThe Times, after fans tagged the singer and her management across social media, one of her representatives reached out to Hetherington and arranged for his travels to the concert.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The music fan, who has also seenLady GagaandJanelle Monáelive, opened up to the publication about how he considers ableism a “systemic issue.”
“We have not built our society or this country in a way that is fully inclusive,” Hetherington told the Times. “Day to day, [people with disabilities are] kind of ignored and invisible.”
When sharing the article onsocial media, he spoke out about how he wants to use his platform.
He wrote, “This may be the only time the nation hears my voice and knows my name. I have something to say. I hope you’ll listen and join me in the work.”
Beyoncé’sRenaissanceWorld Tourkicked off with a string of European dates in May and began its North American leg in July. The epic, two-and-a-half-hour show has been called a love letter to Black queer people.
source: people.com
