Drag queens banned from Pride event ‘because they may offend transgender

Though Free Glasgow Pride organizers have clarified that drag queens are welcome as attendees and that “there will be no policing of peoples gender identity”, the decision has enraged many including longtime RuPaul’s Drag Race judge and die-hard ally Michelle Visage.

Ladies of Pride join in the fun at Pride Glasgow.

‘We did not in any way mean to equate cis (who are often seen as transmisogynistic by some portions of the Trans community) drag performers with trans drag performers.’.

The inaugural Free Pride Glasgow is set to place in August 22 and is being marketed as an alternative to the main Pride Glasgow event. Should they be banned from Pride events?

A statement from the group, which organised the event as an “anti-commercialist” alternative to the city’s traditional Pride event, said: “After much discussion, the trans and non binary caucus decided not to have drag acts perform at the event”.

“Pride Glasgow believes that any community group should be given their place to flourish but that success should not be built on the negativity and ignorance towards other events, groups and like minded people and we are saddened to see that this is the direction that Free Pride has chosen to take”.

Pride Glasgow said they understood the rationale behind the decision, but said that the banning of drag acts was ‘against what an inclusive event should be about.’.

‘This can particularly hard for those who are not out and still present as the gender they were assigned at birth.

The group added: “It was therefore decided that having no drag acts perform would be the best option as it would mean no-one would feel pressured to out themselves”.

An LGBT pride march in Scotland has banned “cis” drag queens from marching out of the fear that it could offend transgender people.

“Given that Martha P Johnson, a self-identified drag queen, threw the first brick at the Stonewall Riots, I think it’s poor form to think that drag queens shouldn’t play a vital role in any Pride”.

“People appeared to understand that we attempted to communicate that trans drag performers” rights are secondary to other trans people’s rights.

Global acts, including US-based drag queen Lady Bunny, also condemned the plans.

The decision has received a largely negative response, prompting the establishment of a Boycott Glasgow Free Pride Facebook page.

A report published this week by the Equality Network found that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Scots still suffer widespread inequality.

“We would like to explicitly state that while we attempt to include everyone, we have always, and will always aim to put the needs and voices of the most marginalised first”.