Lesbian Anti-Trans Activist Sabotage Pride March
July 10, 2018
Many of us in the UK, and beyond for that matter, will have been aware that there was a massive Pride March in London on Saturday. This is where the LGBTQ+ (I think that is the acronym now) got together to celebrate their lifestyle and marched for equality. However, it was sad to see that the march was interrupted by anti-trans protesters.
The small group carried banners and flyers stating “transactivism erases lesbians” and describing the trans movement as “anti-lesbianism”.
#GetTheLOut
Organised under the Twitter hashtag #GetTheLOut, the group of around 10 protesters was allegedly not officially sanctioned to take place in the march, but were allowed to lead it until it reached Trafalgar Square.
Chair of LGBT+ Lib Dems Jennie Rigg said: “I am appalled that transphobic protesters were allowed to lead the march and the crowd asked to cheer them on.
“This is a betrayal of the thousands marching. The Pride organisers should resign and offer a full apology.”
Trans writer Juno Roche stated action should have been taken against the protesters by the organisers.
“I think it was an opportunity missed when people could have very visually said no, we are not going to let you commandeer this space with your lies and misinformation,” she told The Independent.
“For most trans people watching it’s just another incident in a set of incidents.”
A Pride in London spokesperson said: “Every year, Pride is attended by hundreds of thousands of people who demonstrate that Pride still matters.
“Given the hot weather and in the interest of the safety for everyone attending today’s event, the parade group was allowed to move ahead.
“We do not condone their approach and message and hope the actions of a very small number people does not overshadow the messages of the 30,000 people marching today.”
But what were the protesters seeking to achieve? One of the protesters told LGBT outlet PinkNews: “We want to get the L out of Pride, a man cannot be a lesbian, a person with a penis cannot be a lesbian.”
Another said trans people were “pressuring lesbians to have sex with them”.
Do They Have a Point?
Others have pointed out their belief that the trans issue is a myth, and that it is just about incorrect societal norms for the genders. To put simply, once upon a time a girl who liked doing ‘boy things’ such playing football, and with trucks, but also fancied women, would have been a lesbian who liked ‘guy things’. Now many feel like they are really male, instead of questioning why society has set such stereotypes for boys and girls.
Now I am not saying that logic is correct, but as a somewhat intelligent man I can understand that argument. It is a debate I feel should be had, even if that is not politically correct. It should be led by people in the LGBTQ+ community, and those who don’t identify with it. On the other hand, all of us should work to break down gender stereotypes anyway.
Still, the way not to do this is to try and ruin a Pride march by acting in a manner which many will find offensive. There is no way you will get your point across in that manner, and many people who have been the victim of prejudice will feel even more victimised.
This is one issue I have with such groups, and left-leaning politics in general. There seems to be a ‘hierarchy of victimhood’ where some people believe that their issues trump those of other disadvantaged groups. This is what we have here, where lesbians who may or may not have a valid reasons to be upset feel that causing upset to other groups is fine.
I hope that all future marches go off without incident as this is a time for celebration, and a call for action. It is not about pissing on someone’s bonfire, to put it bluntly.
Since then, he has specialised in articles on the battle for equal rights for sex workers, sexual health, as well as bringing the readers fun news from around the world. He also has a major interest in LGBT rights, and is an active campaigner in this field.
When he isn't fighting the good fight, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, and young daughter. He also enjoys reading and taking long walks.
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