Drag queens pose in bond age gear for calendar in aid of Mermaids

[JoanSummers]

I'm not sure if this has been posted?

"A local drag community in Newcastle have come together in style to create a one-of-a-kind 2019 calendar, with all proceeds going to charity to support transgender children and young people across the UK."

The February and March photos are attached.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6577301/Drag-queens-pose-glamorous-calendar.html

Believe it or not I think this is a good thing.

I think this could well be the point where people stop going " how wonderful" and start going wtf.

It's really showing the deviant thoughts behind it all.

I don't share your optimism because I have no faith in the media or the general public making any effort to distinguish between this and any other branch of the alphabet soup. The backlash will hit all gay people, gender non-conforming straight people, the lot.
This is prime "we told you those gays were dodgy" material. Imagine what Putin would make of this.

FlyingOink
Personally I think they are trying to paint GC lesbians (in particular) as "humourless dykes". It's an old trope, gay men are fabulous and fun, lesbians are grumpy and boring, and oppose lots of fun things for boring, grown-up, man-hating reasons. It's the easiest, laziest and most tenacious mud to sling at us, and it happens all the time.
Yes, I think you are absolutely right with this.

Just, NO. I'm speechless and now need eye bleach.

I sometimes imagine the people behind Mermaids looking back at all this 5 years from now. I wonder whether they'll think the 'acceptance without exception' tagline was a smart move.

Hey ho. This is out now and they can't put things like this back in the box. Good.

flying
In the nicest and most respectful possible way I hope to god you are wrong. I certainly along side the rest of you bare to see this carry on.

I have seen tweets from.gay men who do not want to be associated with this new wave of paedophilic freaks piggybacking the trans activism as it took them so long to move away from being thought of as perverts

If this doesn't peak the majority of the gay community I don't know what will

Can't bare

If the pictures weren't sexualised I could have seen this as a well intended gesture for a sadly dubious children's charity. What on earth were these men thinking?

A much more interesting calendar would have been of the men in their everyday clothes alongside (non sexualised) photos of them in dresses wigs and makeup. That would have at least demonstrated that it's okay for boys to dress in a stereotypically feminine way.

I have seen tweets from.gay men who do not want to be associated with this new wave of paedophilic freaks piggybacking the trans activism as it took them so long to move away from being thought of as perverts

I have seen this too. They must be horrified.

I have seen critical gay men too. But there also those that slip into this reactionary and blind support of drag without considering the exact context, or feminist criticism, or women's feelings of discomfort about drag parodies of women more generally.

The backlash they invite will hit lesbians too.

If this doesn't peak the majority of the gay community I don't know what will
I really hope so. All the fluffy rainbow nicey-nicey acceptance without thinking exception will be useless if the general public starts to reassociate homosexuals with perversion, excess and paedophilia. The queer warriors who moan about kink shaming are actually a small percentage, the everyday regular homosexual wants to be able to work, live and love in peace.
I think in a way it's egotistical. They can't conceive of the possibility that the status quo is fragile, and based on continuing acceptance from the majority.
Call me paranoid but it wasn't that long ago that things were very bad for obvious homosexuals and not much better for those who were closeted. This kind of stupidity really doesn't help.
I wonder if the drag queens themselves know about the kind of controversy Mermaids finds itself in. Or are they just glossing over it, assuming it's a legit LGBT cause? There appear to be a number of parties who haven't bothered to do their homework, similar to the Green Party threads. Ironic when all the info is so easy to access online.

I defy anyone to imagine the Guides using this as a fundraiser. Or a kids football team. Or a childhood cancer charity. To think it might be ok, because it's to be sold to adults is just 'duh'.

A much more interesting calendar would have been of the men in their everyday clothes alongside (non sexualised) photos of them in dresses wigs and makeup. That would have at least demonstrated that it's okay for boys to dress in a stereotypically feminine way

That would have been lovely wouldn't it. For boys to be able to see they can have long hair, wear make up wear what they like etc

Except this just continues to co firm that there is no middle ground what so ever with the people. Either they wear "boys" stuff or they dress up in bondage gear and pose provocatively.

All ironically whilst saying that no one will knlw someone is trans they all want to quietly live their lives and they have been using changing rooms for years unnoticed

Would a naked and vanilla calendar be ok?

What I don't get is....

A lot of the Queen stuff, is all about excepting that masculinity is flawed and men can dress, dance, make up, to their hearts desire. It's okay to reject gender. Certainly that's the message given in popular culture, like the musical Kinky Boots?

But Mermaids would have transed the lead character, Simon/Lola the drag queen. He was associating with femininity as a child! To Mermaids he is a girl!!! I know that's just a story, but don't queens see themselves as men? Why are they supporting a charity that would see gender non conforming children as the opposite sex?

I'm guessing they are so woke they are bloody stupid?

So many TRAs see drag as transphobic. I wonder if this is a (frankly terrible) way of saying "we aren't, honest".

*accepting

Why can't we flipping edit!!!

So many TRAs see drag as transphobic. I wonder if this is a (frankly terrible) way of saying "we aren't, honest"

Yes the idea of men dressing up as women and yet still knowing they are men seems to make them very very angry. And very arrogant too when they have the nerve to tell people who have been trans since before they were even born that they are transing wrong

So many TRAs see drag as transphobic.

Except when they want to inflate their numbers.

Would a naked and vanilla calendar be ok?

Why would you use anything that was sexualised to promote a children's charity?

That's an excellent question, Datun.

There’s nothing wrong with the Calendar in itself but It is odd to associate it with a child’s charity of any kind imo

I guess it’s nice to do stuff for charity? But yes, BDSM, fetish and kid isn’t a very healthy combination. Gay or straight is neither here nor there, really. We happily teach kids about being gay by discussing it in the age appropriate social sphere (‘some children have two mummmies, or two daddies, and that’s just fine’) we don’t teach them about boot boys or bears!

A story about a drag performer being accused of transphobia, for new readers/lurkers: www.phillyvoice.com/aunt-mary-pat-disabatino-win-win-coffee-bar-lgbtq-transgender/

This calendar really calls into question the safety of a charity that is aimed at children. If they are so out of touch with child development, safeguarding, child safety and the emotional development of children, they're really not fit to be working with children. Maybe they ought to be reported to the NSPCC for providing age inappropriate sexualised imagery to children.

I don’t think it’s actually aimed at children is it? Surely it’s aimed at adults, the proceeds are just going to mermaids?

Yes Earlywalker, but could you imagine any other children's charity raising money in this way? Guides? ClicSeargent? Your local swimming club?

Perhaps I should suggest it to the PTA.