LGBT News Drag queens banned from Pride event 'because they may offend transgender people'

Odd, I posted a thread on this just yesterday. I'm scared of them/not a fan, but I feel they have every right to be in a parade, and I see nothing wrong with it.

But my thoughts and others are on this thread:

http://emptyclosets.com/forum/chit-chat/185605-phobia-drag-queens.html

Hope that offers some perspectives

 

Yeah it's called Free Pride and it's run by a bunch of lunatics, they're the ones who said earlier that white cis men are banned from the planning meetings giving 'equality' as their reasoning - equality means everyone, not just yourself. They also complained that pride is no longer a [literal] riot and that it needs to be more militant, furthermore complaining that pride's '#behappy' was insulting as it trivialises our 'struggle'.

I think it's sad that is seems that there are people who want to be oppressed, they certainly aren't enjoying their liberties.

 

Uh, are they sure that they consulted trans people when they made that statement?

I'm not offended by drag queens at all, I just don't want people to get mixed up between them and trans people. You do that by telling people about the difference, not banning them altogether.

 

Congrats, you made even more people oppressed. That's my feelings on it.

 

The problem with the left in the UK is that they have become so belligerent and self righteous that they are clueless to the reality of the people they campaign about. Most are not LGBT, poor, students or disabled, but they talk about it with such arrogance when they know less about said groups than the politicians they so dearly complain about.

 

You've reiterated this point a million times but it's no truer now than it was before. You're thinking of social justice warriors or similar ilk - usually left-wing but by no means an accurate representation of how most left-wingers think or operate - not least myself.

Drag queens are still free to perform at Leeds Pride and other prides across the UK if they want to. I mean, this particular pride prohibited straight people did it not? Says a lot about it.

 

As a trans person,I am not offended by drag queens at all. They are expressing themselves in a way outside of gender conformity. You can be a straight cis person and attend pride if you want, its called being an ally.

 

I don't see a problem with drag queens. I don't get why people would find them offensive.

 

Seems like people want to cry over just about anything.

I know people who aren't fans of drag queens - but who'd get s bent out of shape about allies coming to pride? It's a time for unity and togetherness with people who want to, are apart of, or can relate to the cause.

Exclusion is just what happens to everyone outside of unity to some degree - so I feel like the people who banned drag queens in the event are shooting themselves in the leg.

 

Well in my opinion, and LGBT pride parade should consist of people parading that are LGBT, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that prople do drag as a hobby and they think it's fun, so to be honest I'm not suprised that some trans peoples may take drag badly.

This is definitely an extreme analogy, but I bet some people think that drag is like a modern minstrel show, where people would basically take stereotypes of a minority, make them more extreme, and sell it.

 

Well, aren't these ungrateful little assholes? Drag Queen's have been part of our culture for centuries. Modern drag culture at least dates back to the Elizabethan Era, which started around 1560, and has its roots in the theater. Women were not allowed to be actors, and so that meant that men had to play all the female parts in plays. This obviously required men to dress and perform in drag. Also rather obviously, men who have stereotypical feminine mannerisms (and who are frequently gay) are going to be typecast into female roles. This means the first person to ever play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet was a drag queen. This is also where the stereotype of gay men and theater took root, because it was a safe place for gay men, and it is from this theater culture that also sowed the seeds for the modern drag queen.

These people neither have the power nor the authority to discard people from our movement. It is not only a direct assault against our culture, it is also a slap in the face of Drag Queens who have most often been at the front of our movement for liberation. It is also insulting to all the trans* people who have found refuge in drag culture over the centuries, as it was one of the few places where they could express themselves as their true gender or engage in authentic gender expression--a time before there was even a concept and a label for what being trans* even was or meant.

This is literally an act that takes us back to the pre-Stonewall days, before the community was united, where the Mattachine Society, an organization dedicated to promoting acceptance, understanding, and equality for gay men, literally threw out drag queens, trans* people, and feminine gay men as they viewed them as undesirables who harmed the community because of how they were perceived by heterosexuals. Similarly, it replicates the bigotry of the Daughters of Bilitis, which fought for the equality, acceptance, and understanding of lesbians. They had less issue with gender transgressive individuals, but explicitly banned trans females, who they actively waged ugly and damaging campaigns against. This also replicates the bigotry of Tri-Ess ("The Society for the Second Self"), which limited itself to "heterosexual male cross dressers" and excluded membership to gay men who did not fit easily into the gender binary as well as trans females who were interested in fully transitioning.

All of this is a throwback to those ugly pre-Stonewall days. So, congratulations to these disgusting little bigots for not only taking a giant shit on our culture, but for actively dragging us backward rather than forward. They may think of themselves as radicals, but the truth of the matter is they are identical to the privileged white gay men who could easily blend into heterosexual society, who sought to exclude drag queens and feminine gay men because of what heterosexuals believed and thought. Similarly, these people ban drag queens, primarily because of what heterosexuals believe and think.

 

Agreed c:

 

I definitely don't see this as a step forward.

In fact, I worried just the opposite would happen: that trans and gender variant people would be asked to stay away from pride in order to protect the image of cisgender LGB people as "normal."

 

The f- that's not okay at all! I love drag! Drag culture has been something I've admired since I was a kid! Drag is awesome, it is the very essence of bucking the norm in gender expression! It's the punk rock of the crossdressing world! Obviously yeah, trans people don't want to be misidentified as crossdressers or drag kings/queens (believe me I had to explain that I'm not a drag queen several times so far, so I get that) but that doesn't mean we can just push drag aside as "offensive" to us, or toss them under the buss for our own benefit! How does that make us any better than the people who actually oppress us?

If we go around being this touchy about every damn thing that might make us feel "uncomfortable" at the cost of others freedoms to express themselves, then how is anyone supposed to sympathize with us? How are they supposed to relate to our struggle in any way? Or get along with us like normal people for that matter! I know, shit is rough when you are trans and you're not comfortable in your own skin... But you have to learn to lighten up... I'm not saying "just don't get offended" but maybe just take a step back, analyze how you feel, why you feel that way, and how much it actually effects you. Is what this other person doing really that important to you? Are they attacking you personally? Are they actually attacking anyone?

And to close I will reiterate my personal opinion that, drag is AWESOME!

 

Drag Queens are artists, same as Drag Kings.

How can somebody offend me for performing, or being who he or she is?

To me it's just ridiculous.... They want to be there, just let them be there. They don't bother me, quite the opposite. And I think they do have a right to be there anyways.

 

They are allowing trans drag artists now by the way.

 

This sounds like a huge step backward and is just an excuse for people to cry about anything.

I have equally met many trans people who were offended by cis men in dresses, and I just don't see the point or how It's "appropriation". Clothes have no gender, or shouldn't.

 

Bugs Bunny offends me when he dresses up to trick his pursuer. Take him off the air, damn it!







Seriously, this is goofy.