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Trans gender demo at Stonewall awards.

Guido | 09.11.2008 14:54 | Culture | Gender | Social Struggles

This year Stonewall (the once militant gay rights organisation) found itself to be the target of a very angry demo at its annual awards ceremony. Many in gay politics have viewed Stonewall as a traitor to its radical roots for some time. But the trans gender comunitiy in particular were infuriated when Guardian columnist Julie Bindle was nominated for journo of the year award.

It seems that Ms Bindle has been punting out the idea that trans gendered people can be 'cured' by therapy. So a number of concerned individuals and their supporters showed up at the awards to have their voice heard on the issue.


A loud and angry demo...
A loud and angry demo...

...by trans gendered people and their supporters...
...by trans gendered people and their supporters...

...outside the Stonewall awards.
...outside the Stonewall awards.

Meanwhile across the way supporters of Julie Bindle gather...
Meanwhile across the way supporters of Julie Bindle gather...

...in not very impressive numbers...
...in not very impressive numbers...

...for a almost silent counter demo.
...for a almost silent counter demo.

The anti-Bindle contingent are far more creative...
The anti-Bindle contingent are far more creative...

...and colourful...
...and colourful...

...and theatrical.
...and theatrical.

As well as having the numbers.
As well as having the numbers.


A counter demo was also called by the "Julie Bindle Fan Club". They insisted that they were not a counter protest and that they would have been there anyway to support their literary heroine. So just one question: Can anyone remember ever having seen the Julie Bindle Fan Club banner anywhere else? Has anyone ever heard of them before now? Were they not just invented for the occasion? They were outnumbered by the anti-Bindle contingent by about ten to 1.

The main protest was a lot louder and more colourful too. The cops present get a respectful distance from both sides with one senior plod seemingly quite desperate to show off his knowledge of trans gender issues to the assembled media.

It also seemed that the demo was as much about the corporate takeover of campaigns like Stonewall as it was about their poor choice of nominee. They were singing this song (to the tune of "My Old Mans A Dustman") about Ben Summerskill the Stonewall chief exec:

Stonewall was a riot
Drag queens and butch dykes
Not the sort of demo
That Ben Summerskill likes

Stonewall they threw dustbins
Hurled bricks at the law
Summerskill throws parties
And don't hurl bricks no more

Stonewall rioters went to jail
Fighting for their rights
Summerskill serves cocktails
And goes to gala nights

That was real Stonewall
Now its just a name
Summerskill leaves trans folk out
And never feels the shame

We are the trans nation
We wont take crap no more
Summerskill can hear us
Shout outside his door!

Guido
- e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

so did she win the award?

10.11.2008 11:10

-

curious

She didn't win...

10.11.2008 20:56

Miriam Stoppard won the Journalist of the Year Award.

Zoe O'Connell
mail e-mail: zoe@transfeminism.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.transfeminism.org.uk/

Video of the Event

10.11.2008 22:15

 http://current.com/items/89513316_stonewall_was_a_riot
 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NhoxjSUApjs

Thanks to the Queer Youth Network for producing this video of the Stonewall Awards Protest!
 http://www.queeryouth.org.uk

Vidzhnu
mail e-mail: tv@queeryouth.net

This is a bit embarrassing....

10.11.2008 23:45

...well I've had two bits of quite positive feedback from interested individuals about my report. Both thanked me for my efforts and complimented my reporting. However they they both did point out that I had wrongly spelled the name of a certain Guardian journo despite the correct spelling appearing in two of the pictures above in various banners and placards.

Oops....

Guido

trans hijackers

11.11.2008 11:17

Er,
Its not people who need to change their gender-it is society that needs to change its expectation of what gender is and how it shpaes our personalities. Trans politics are incredibly conservative, favouring obsessed individuals with more money than sense -i.e it costs a hell of a lot to have the surgery, go to therapy and manufatcture hormones etc etc.
Please, stop navel gazing (Hell peoples bodies are being blown to bits in wars right now)and start changing society by being who you are in the body you are lucky enough to be born with. And stop attention seeking.

transboredom