1queer1 A 'Queer in London's tiny bits of life, thoughts, and things too long for Twitter.

Hi team,
You know me, and you know how much I love the RVT and the work you have done to make the Wotever people so welcome in the space. It was great last week not only to perform, but to see films giving a dignified voice to sex workers across the European Union, at Bar Wotever.

I am sad to say that I am boycotting the Queer Question Time at the RVT. The presence of a panelist who has made,and published, multiple transphobic remarks, without any representative from the ‘queer’ community, and who has a record of horrible vile remarks about sex workers, again without a balancing voice on the panel, makes this Queer Question Time not something I can attend. Having fliers for this event handed out at Bar Wotever to people from the trans, queer and sex worker community without any recognition of the reactions these groups would have, was hopefully done in ignorance by the QQT organisers, and not as a publicity stunt.

I would normally have made my usual offer to yourselves and the organisers, for professional photographs of the event for entry only.  Sadly, because of such an unbalanced panel, biased against people I hold dear, this offer will not be forthcoming.

I will continue to support the RVT and your efforts to give spaces for visibility and performance for many groups. It has become a safe space for queer and trans people, and it is wonderful to see the queer and gay/bearish communities starting to mix at the RVT, and I earnestly hope that evenings with biased transphoic panels such as this Queer Question Time will become known as a momentary lapse of reason, and eventually lie forgotten in the dust of history.

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Thanks

J

AbsolutQueer Photography

Additional Remark: I have nothing against the organisers of Queer Question Time and creating a forum where voices outside the mainstream can be heard is admirable. In this current situation I am commenting on the balance of views on the panel.