A group of radical anti-trans feminists has disrupted the London Pride parade to protest what they termed lesbian erasure and the “anti-feminism of transgenderism”.
The organisation, Mayday4Women, apparently jumped in the front of the parade in the British capital on Saturday, leading to scenes of confusion and anger.
The women held up banners that stated “Lesbian=Female Homosexual” and “Trans activism erases lesbianism.” According to its website, the group espouses the Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TEF) stance that transgender women should be not be confused with biologically born “real women”.
According to reports, following negotiations, Pride organisers allowed the group to lead the parade. It also appears that at one point the women blocked the procession by lying on the ground.
The group’s action were deemed by many as transphobic and led to a furious debate on social media. The event’s organisers came in for criticism for allowing the organisation to express its hate speech views at what should be a “safe space” for the LGBTQ community.
Lesbians block the front of the #LondonPride march to protest lesbian erasure. Everyone went nuts. Lots of support and opposition. Now stewards trying to remove them. #GetTheLOut #Pride pic.twitter.com/aHh18v56kW
— Jen Isaacson ?? (@isacsohn) July 7, 2018
Gutted to hear this is happening at #PrideInLondon right now. My trans friends please know you’re loved and this is your day too, despite any who might discourage you from feeling so. https://t.co/UwZwXvnlX9
— Alexander Lyons (@AlexanderLyons) July 7, 2018
So, questions for you @PrideInLondon, @MayorofLondon and @metpoliceuk. Why did you not remove the anti-trans protesters who were there without permission and why was the only action taken to warn off trans women who protested their hate speech.
— Kate Newsome (@MsKateNewsome) July 7, 2018
We demand an explanation from @PrideInLondon as to why they have allowed anti-trans hate campaigners to not just march, but actually encouraged their hate! This is a disgusting, hurtful and damaging stain on the LGBTQ+ community & cannot go unacknowledged #prideinlondon #Pride
— Natalie (@Transsomething) July 7, 2018
Another pic from the amazing lesbians who led the #pride march today. #GetTheLOut #PrideInLondon
“Lesbian = female homosexual”
Apparantly this is contraversial enough that they were asked to remove the banners. Sounds like they managed the whole march though. Xx pic.twitter.com/v1q8xGJTJK— NurtureMyBaby (@NurtureMyBaby) July 7, 2018
5 Responses
Wat karring die Lesbene nou al weer. 🙂
We are coming to a stage in which Pride Events around the world are being fragmented by new agendas. The only solution I see is for us to get rid of the LGBTQ etc label and for each group to have its own events, without trying to ride on the back of other groups’ hard work. Gay men can organise a Gay Pride, Lesbians a Lesbian Pride, Transexuals a Trans Pride, etc. Let each group stand independent, on its own merit. That way, no one will have to disrupt the other’s events.
Interesting comment. I would caution though. The LGBTQ may be a label, but I think it is also an identity which, if properly understood in each case, brings to the fore and highlights specific issues and needs that are own to that identity. The LGBTQ community got to where it is in the world today through unity and support. Fragmenting into smaller non-cohesive groups may be dis-empowering to that group. The continued and unified opposition of homophobia and heterosexism is important. Beware of “divide and conquer”.
My question: Who are the transexuals harming by identifying as lesbian if they so wish? Isn’t it just terrible how a previously marginalized group of people will cruelly marginalize another minority group more or less within their own ranks? That is at least how I see it. We have all suffered similar challenges so why on earth are we turning on each other? Extremist left wing thought, I think, is to blame, with this ultra liberalism creating a thousand more problems than the few it sought to resolve in the first place.
Completely agree.