I was shocked by this conversation I overheard at the hairdressers this week.
One of the hairdressers - who has given me strong ‘I love gays’ energy before - had a regular in.
They were chatting away when the client decided to start talking about ‘tr***ys’. She quickly want on to bring up everyone's favourite myth - the kids who (don't) identify as 'cats' - and then 'the effeminate gay guy' who 'apparently' gave a talk in a local school.
Why couldn't they invite a normal LGBT person to speak, she asked?
‘I don't know what they’re teaching kids in schools these days’, she went on - the hairdresser didn't either.
But here's the bit that got me. She said:
‘There have always been gay guys, but now these kids think they can be anything.’
It's clear this grim conversation comes from a place of ignorance rather than some deep-rooted hate. This person has learned something about queer liberation: gays have been around forever.
Thing is, so have transgender people. From Pharaohs and Emperors to the Hidjra communities in India.
More people need to know these stories - so they can better understand the rich history of gender-diverse communities.
If you're as angry about this conversation as I am, support our crowdfunder to invest in twenty trans creatives to create, cultivate, and capture trans history stories for the first-ever Trans+ History Week this year.
Understand the LGBTQIA+ headlines and keep track of the latest queer content and perspectives.
QueerAF is written by Jamie Wareham and a different queer creative each week.
💬 This week:
- Groomers. As Lawrence Fox is found guilty of libel for calling Drag Queen Crystal a "paedophile" – a baseless lie – we explain the consequences of peddling the 'groomer' narrative.
- Wes Streeting. The Shadow Health secretary made a confusing statement about whether transgender people should be segregated in the NHS - we explore.
- LGBT History Month. This week's Queer Gaze is the first in collaboration with the official organisers of the month, as we delve into some of the queer heroes of this year's theme, medicine. This week, the first female doctor in Scotland is a new lesbian icon for Aphra Luchesa.
Skip the doomscrolling and support queer creatives instead. We are QueerAF – and so are you.
The consequences for peddling 'groomer' lies about LGBTQIA+ people
TL;DR: This week Lawrence Fox was found to have libelled two queer people for his baseless accusations of them being peadophiles. It sends a clear message to anyone who publishes content, which in the eyes of the law extends to social media posts, that peddling the false 'groomer' narrative has legal consequences.
Upgrade to read
Time to become QueerAF
Enter your email to read the full story and understand the LGBTQIA+ news every Saturday.
There’s a better way for the LGBTQIA+ community's stories to be seen, heard, and celebrated in the media. Join us to help rewrite the narrative and change the media for good.
