Leeds Pride was a wonderful day, so many people, so so so busy, so much confetti. I only have ONE issue with one small thing which happened, and unfortunately seems to be a theme running through Prides which I have attended; Homophobia and misogyny from speakers at the event.
Yesterday during the pre-parade Sainbury’s stage (after the Britney Spears Drag Tribute but before Marc Almond of Soft Cell) were several speakers from different companies and groups. The speaker for Leeds City Council, Alison Lowe (named Stonewall Senior Champion of the year), was getting the crowd excited and passionate about fighting homophobia, and that Leeds is a city where people should not feel scared to walk in, to be living in, and where LGBT* differences are celebrated. A blissful speech which was empowering all for one sentence. She ended her speech with a bang, by announcing that any homophobes in our city better watch out, because “We’ll chop your bollocks off”.
I just want to pick apart this phrase and its context to explain why it was insensitive, offensive, and really someone who is actively fighting homophobia clearly has more work to do on her knowledge of LGBT* identities (which given her status as a champion for her positive impact on the LGBT* community makes this comment even more surprising).
Using this as a threat upholds the understanding that “bollocks” are valuable, the cis-male and his genitals being privileged above all other gendered folk and their genitals.
Using this as a threat enforces the value of bollocks, and that their removal would be so awful that the person being threatened with their removal should be in fear.
Using the removal of the valued bollocks as a threat upholds a notion that being bollockless is a status to be scared of, particularly being a bollockless male.
Using the removal of bollocks as a threat to prevent homophobia upholds the dangerous stereotype that homophobia and violence towards queer identities is an intrinsically cis-male trait. I say dangerous because it divides the homophobia along gendered lines, if it comes from a cis-man it is more of a threat than if it is coming from a cis-woman. Also, it upholds the notion that cis-men are somehow violent, and cis-women are not. Cis-women who are homophobic do not need to be seen as a threat because they are not serious? Not strong enough to do damage? Cis-men are stronger? More serious?
The assumption that cis-men are more violent that cis-women is dangerous as it propagates the stereotype of gendered behaviour norms, leading to hyper-masculinity as valuable and only realised through violence. Not taking cis-women violence seriously continues the problematic assumption that they are not a threat, they are weak or even invisible, once again cis-male privilege being restored.
Using the value of bollocks and their feared removal in a speech at Pride is announcing to the trans folk in the crowd that even in this environment genitals are being brought into the light.
Male-to-female trans’ genitals are being brought up as a threat to cis-men, the idea of removing part of the genitals as a mark of shame if reminding MTF transsexuals they are still and even in this environment seen as something to be feared, whose genitals (or removal of) are a marker of shame in this society.
The female-to-male trans folk, who may or may not have “bollocks” are reminded that they are not cis, and their “bollocks” are something which the removal of is so threatening to cis-men that not having bollocks and being male are just two things which socially cannot co-exist. The ‘bollockless’ trans-men hearing this threat… the trans-men with bollocks hearing this threat…
As a cis-woman I have no right to speak on trans folks behalf, so I will not presume to understand how this threat would have been taken, but it does stand as a reminder to those whose genitals and gender identity aren’t cis-assigned at birth that they are somehow not normal. Even at Pride.
This speech was followed by an announcement from a trans-woman stating an apology for any language in the councillor’s speech, wearing a tshirt with the slogan “my genitals are none of your business”, the sentiment of which were lost in the previous speech, where cis-male genitals and their removal are being used as a threat to ward off homophobia... (the genitals of the wearer of this tshirt are not what I am discussing here, the sentiment of the slogan is for all trans and cis folk, it is no one’s business to bring genitals into the conversation).
I have noted in the opening statement there is a theme, the two York Pride’s and one Leeds Pride I have attended have all had statements of phobias, whether that is transphobia at Leeds Pride 2016, or phobia of lesbians from gay cis-male speakers, or misogyny from gay cis-male speakers (York Pride both 2015 and 2016), these moments which in any other context but Pride would be so normal that they would not be note-worthy,
Within the environment of a Pride event, where the general focus is not on supporting and upholding patriarchal standards of male privilege but is an attempt to celebrate and explore difference of gender and sexuality, being reminded of male-privilege with a specific focus on genitals puts the audience back on edge. I was describing to a cis-hetero-male the values of being surrounded by allies and queers at Prides, if you live in fear of harassment in your general day-to-day, if you cannot hold your same-gendered partner’s hand in the street, can’t dress the way you feel most comfortable because you may be shouted at or attacked, being at Pride helps to have one day (or one location) where you can relax, and not worry. Being brought back to a shared reality of fear and socialised normalising of cis-male and hetero privilege is the last thing you need.
Given Lowe has worked tirelessly for LGBT* rights and equality, maybe her threat was ironic, and I was not privy to the irony since I didn’t know that she is not transphobic at all. Unfortunately, if irony is the case, it was at trans* folk’s (and cis-women’s) expense. Gendered phrases such as this are so common in our colloquial language that we sometimes do not even notice them. If you are however a speaker at an event such as Pride, you just need to become aware of said phrases, and unless you know 100% you won’t be taken the wrong way, just don’t use them.
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