LGBTQ+, pride

Trans pride was a Riot – My review

Content warning: discusses issues relating to mental health, self harm and suicide/suicidal thoughts as well as transgender issues and transgender hate crimes – Thanks to Jay Rubicon and Jackdaw for the first photo (left)

The three most striking things that hit me when I attend pride events are: the corporate capitalisation of queer people, the lack of thought regarding accessibility, and the complete failure to ensure equal representation across the LGBTQ+ community. This year marks 50 years since the stonewall riots and I can’t help thinking about the motivations and meanings behind the original protests and how that relates to the struggles and issues we face today. The original protesters ignited oppression into the fire that sparked protests, riots and activism and this gave us the rights we have now. Most importantly though, the phrase coined by stonewall ‘acceptance without exception’ found purchase in the original movement and trans women of colour were instrumental in instigating the protest that proliferated into change. I think it’s so important to recognise these achievements and the impact that trans people have had on the lgbt community. Trans pride was partly a celebration of this but foremost channelled the inner activism of the stonewall riots to address the issues and oppression trans people face today as well as the appalling circumstances some trans people go through in society.

I should say that I’m a cis guy so I can’t really talk about trans issues as such or what its like to be trans however I know quite a few trans people either colleagues at uni or friends and I’ve learnt a lot from their experiences. I would really like to get some trans people to share their stories of what itā€™s been like for them from a trans perspective and trans pride has really highlighted some peoples amazing individual stories to me.

After the crowds and business of London pride it was refreshing to arrive at something more down to earth, less corporate and more queer focused. From the start everything seemed more genuine and I arrived to a jubilant but determined atmosphere outside of the Marlborough pub and theatre – a queer friendly pub in Brighton. There were next to no corporate floats and neither were there any ‘promoters’ painted up for pride. It was very much queer focused and queer led. Contrasting to the carnival atmosphere of both London and Brighton pride, trans pride had a very jubilant but determined atmosphere with everyone seemingly arriving with a sense of purpose other than just that of ‘watching the parade’. As a cis ally, I felt welcomed and people seemed genuinely interested in discussing and teaching me about their issues which provided a great demonstration of how cis people can do so much more to support their trans and non binary friends. I learnt that listening to trans opinions is so often overlooked by ignorant people who aren’t trans themselves but by far this is one of the best ways to engage on trans issues. A series of speakers gave talks to the gathered crowd that packed the streets lining the pub including Local MP Caroline Lucas highlighting the problems trans people face including legal issues, gender recognition, access to health care and discrimination. For example, a third of transgender people have been discriminated against in public according to their gender – according to a survey by stonewall. Furthermore, almost half of the trans people surveyed don’t feel comfortable using public toilets for fear of harassment (BBC). London pride this year also focused on transgender issues and focused on a campaign called ‘L with the T’. Taken from an article I wrote about London pride: “Iā€™ve seen first-hand the effect of gender dysphoria on mental health, and Iā€™m often saddened by the inordinate waiting times that transgender people have to wait to access even basic healthcare. Shockingly, transgender hate crimes have soared by 81% over the last year (according to a freedom of information request made by BBC news) and there seems to be a rise in the number of TERFS (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) spouting their ā€˜gender criticalā€™ thought. – The graph below is the best I could find that directly shows rising hate crimes for trans people and shows a 170% increase in transgender hate crimes between 2011 and 2015 courtesy of the independant, 2016. – I find it abhorrent that you could hate someone for a feeling that they canā€™t control. A feeling that has made some of my friends self harm and even attempt suicide and itā€™s ridiculous that some people and even sections of the LGBTQ+ community can think that trans people are any different from anyone else. That said, itā€™s important not to lose sight of and ignore the struggles that many trans people go through in a blanket attempt to make people feel ā€˜normalā€™ (if normal is even a thing).” This is why trans pride is so important because it highlights the injustices and discrimination people face in their everyday lives and offers a voice for anyone fighting for trans and non binary rights in the UK and around the world.

Image result for trans hate crimes figure

That voice was found by so many who attended trans pride and you could clearly see that it meant a so much to so many people. The excitement felt by those attending for the first time, perhaps finding their voice and identity a sense of belonging amongst a group of like minded people. For me, meeting other members of the LGBTQ+ community including friends at university and engaging with queer culture helped to allow me to discover my identity and find my sense of place. I imagine this is the same for people discovering their gender identity in particular, young people who might have been through a very questioning period including those who come from less accepting families/backgrounds. Trans pride is a safe space for this but also pushes the boundaries of rights and the lives of trans people everywhere which lead to an additional sense of determination for the championing of trans rights and further LGBTQ+ rights in general.

Street art I photographed in Brighton and Hove

Trans people are consistently subject to relentless harassment by both the media and transphobic sections of society with articles supporting all manor of ‘gender critical theory’, ‘women’s rights’ groups’ and so called ‘academics’ often making an appearance in The Times, The Telegraph, the Daily Mail and other similar publications. These people often tout their ‘gender critical’ thought and transphobic views claiming to be the victims of the very people they attack, declaring war on the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights and other minorities as they do so. I had the pleasure of interacting with one such person, Dr Kathleen Stock who happens to be a philosophy lecturer at The University of Sussex (my university). I won’t go in to great detail because I’ve already covered this in my article about London pride which I quoted from above, but I will say I find it very odd, indeed hypocritical for someone to cry for the silenced, oppressed defender of women’s rights by writing articles and opinion pieces in a national newspaper that simultaneously demonise and call out the very women (both cis and trans) that she supposedly protects. Ask yourself this, how often do you see trans guys and girls or indeed any LGBTQ+ representatives writing such opinion pieces in national news advocating for trans rights? Sorry, ‘promoting the trans agenda’ as I believe itā€™s called from within the exclusive oligarchy of the British printed media. You don’t. Now imagine itā€™s the 1960s and (quite possibly) the very same exclusive oligarchy are writing very similarly themed articles about homosexual and bisexual people. Did you see these people promoting their gay agenda in the national news? Of course you didn’t. The similarities between the two are very real although most people would agree that we’ve ‘moved on’ since the 60s and that the criminalisation of homosexuality was archaic, perhaps a thorn in the side of the supposedly liberal accepting version of British society people think we see today. Why then should trans people and their rights be any different? Sure, sexuality and gender identity are two very distinct issues, but both concern the very real aspects of peopleā€™s rights and day to day lives. We can’t therefore allow a minority of hateful individuals and media moguls dictate the lives of so many.

Nazi Germany? or 21st Century Britain? The British media often have no distinction – Images from medium.com and The Telegraph

It is the lives of this many, including my friends and people that I’ve met that are so often overlooked by a failure to recognise the issues that they face and the very real impact that this has. At trans pride, it was amazing to see that so many of the supporters and participants were charities and organisations that directly engage with trans people, giving them real support and services, as oppose to the corporate pride logos you see at other events. For example, Stonewall (a widely known LGBTQ+ charity), allsorts LGBTQ+ youth project, Mindout LGBTQ+ mental health charity and support and organisations like Mermaids and Gendered intelligence who offer support and advice for trans people and youth groups for those who are younger. There were also representatives from the NHS showing their support and demonstrating the various options that trans people have to aid their transition, even if these processes can take a long time. Most of all though, this opportunity allowed people from all aspects of the LGBTQ+ community including allies to come together and meet like minded people which is often a key element to any event where such communities exist. I feel like the atmosphere allowed people to just be themselves and express their identity and offered a safe space for people to meet. Furthermore, there was no pressure to be involved in any media or photos and people were given prior warning of this. Accessibility was good and applied for the majority of the events too which included, board games and video games at loading bar, vinyl and music, film screenings and a focus on sports with a key element encouraging people to go swimming. Perhaps people should and could do more in wider society to accept LGBTQ+ people and make them feel welcome in spaces and events such as the ones above? Sadly, thatā€™s not up to us but if our voice is heard, then the slow machine of societal change might finally grind into life. After all, if you’re bored of signs, we can always go back to bricks.

I’ve said before that people always say ‘pride is a protest not a party’ but why can’t it be both? The original protesters had nothing to celebrate – and not much to lose. Today we have a history of advancement and progress to celebrate despite the fact that there’s so much more to do. That said, it’s important not to severe the connection between celebration and real progress and we often face stark reminders of how much more we need to achieve. Trans pride was the most wonderful event celebrating the achievements and identities of people throughout the LGBTQ+ community and offering them a voice against the seemingly growing tide of discontent that as arisen in recent years. It also offered a reminder of the very people, many of whom were trans themselves, that helped kickstart the LGBTQ+ rights movements through the stonewall riots and which helps us remove the corporate commercialisation of pride from its real meanings and aims, many of which find real relevance with the shocking problems and discrimination facing trans and non-binary people in our society today. I’ll say it loud, trans pride was a riot. Not a violent one, but a queer one.

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