“Sadly, this attracted not just fair criticism, but also an vast amount of harassing, abusive behaviour”.
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“If you are a trans drag performer and would like to perform on the day, please get in touch by sending a message to the Free Pride page”.
“Drag Queens never go out to intimidate or upset our trans friends; we don’t mock them – we love and respect them – and Free Pride’s decision has simply drawn barriers in our community”. “We look forward to creating spaces where these dialogues take place with mutual compassion and respect”.
A decision to prohibit drag queens from performing at a gay pride event in Glasgow, Scotland, in case they cause offense to transgender people has sparked a global online backlash.
Many members of the LGBT community were still outraged that non-transgender drag performers were still being banned from performing at the event.
Glenn Hansen, organiser of the Sydney Pride Festival, lambasted the decision.
“It was felt that it would make some of those who were transgender or questioning their gender uncomfortable”.
It continued: “It was felt by the group within the Trans/Non Binary Caucus that some drag performance, particularly cis drag, hinges on the social view of gender and making it into a joke, however transgender individuals do not feel as though their gender identity is a joke”.
“This can particularly hard for those who are not out and still present as the gender they were assigned at birth”.
“This does not mean that people of any gender can’t wear what they want to the event”.
The National Union of Students (NUS) led the way in March by voting to enforce a “zero tolerance” approach to drag and cross-dressing in all student union events across the country.
However, following a strong negative reaction online – with RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage slamming the “bulls**t” decision – the policy has been slightly changed. “Individuals and groups who support this, and who support equality for all, should be welcomed to be a part of these events”.
“Given that Martha P Johnson, a self-identified drag queen, threw the first brick at the Stonewall Riots, I think it’s poor form to think that drag queens shouldn’t play a vital role in any Pride.
That belongs to all of us in the LGBT+ community and that includes “cis drag queens”.
“The trans caucus and Free Pride as a whole thought protecting the privacy of trans drag performers was the most important thing, but trans drag performers have let us know that letting them perform is more important to them”.
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STV Glasgow were still waiting comment from Free Pride Glasgow at the time of publication.
