OK, right out, let me say I’m not speaking on behalf of anyone here. But one aspect of Queer Up North has stirred a bee in my bonnet.

Last year, several people in the Manchester transgendered community gave us grief because one of our artists had previously performed in a venue that does not allow transgendered people access. We had protests, we had all sorts of stuff going on.

That’s fine. I might not agree, but I respect completely the fact that there are different viewpoints here, and that public protest is a legitimate way of expressing opinion.

However, forward to this year. QuN had two transgendered artists in leading slots. It had Joanne Meyerowitz, one of the most eminent academics working in the field of transgender studies, lecturing on “A different history of gender.”

And what feedback do we hear from the transgender community this year? Nothing. Not a word.

This leads to an interesting question. Why?

My opinion is going to get me the hate mail. I think it’s because the transgender community in Manchester (at least) is politically immature. It’s being a group of cowering people in a huddle, pointing at perceived threats and saying “look, you’re victimising us!”

To my mind, a politically mature community gives credit where it’s due. It engages with friends and enemies. It doesn’t make itself out to be the victim. It’s better than that. I’m not seeing that here.

Queer Up North didn’t put on such a trans-inclusive programme this year in order to provide balance to last year. Tokenism is not what drives its programming. Not, I think, should shouts of “we’re being victimised” drive the transgender political community and its choice of fights.

First bit of script hacking – will this work?

Hopefully this one will end up in lj.