Drag socials banned by Aberystwyth Uni student union

[Signalbox]

This strikes me as particularly bizarre...

Aberystwyth University student union bans drag socials, not because they ridicule women, but because they ridicule trans women.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8698723/Drag-socials-banned-university-student-union-fear-used-ridicule-trans-people.html

I've said it before but I think drag is, generally speaking, 'feminine-face' not 'woman-face'.
There's this constant conflating of female with feminine that I find incredibly frustrating.
Men and women can be feminine.
Women can be un-feminine.
One's biology needn't be anything to do with how one 'presents'.

Speaking to students news site The Tab, Aberystwyth SU said: 'Including "Drag socials" as an example of a banned theme is because they are usually about members of random groups dressing up as the opposite gender in a general way that has the intention of being as funny as possible and not as a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride or sexual liberation in the same way that drag is.

This is complete and utter rubbish. In both cases the goal is identical - to entertain and laugh at men dressed up as women. Whether you think that is right or wrong, its ridiculous to pretend there is any difference.

It's not even as though every drag artist is gay. Are they not aware of pantomime?

No one else baffled by the need to ban tarts&vicars parties for the sake of the enbies who feel excluded?

I'm all for giving that particular theme the side-eye on the grounds of sexist stereotyping, but surely those students who don't believe humans are sexually dimorphic could just dress up as tarty vicars?

Activists see trans women.

They see drag queens.

But they never see women.

We are utterly invisible to them.

Particularly interesting to me is that the rugby club also regularly had socials where they'd dress up as "homeless people"
Noooo.....really? That is fucking outrageously offensive.

According to wiki, Rachel Dolezal is an American woman known for identifying as a black woman while being white.

They're assuming she's a woman? I'm so confused.

@xxyzz

Drag Race is phenomenally popular with that age group.

I imagine Ru Paul would be unimpressed to find drag being banned because TW objected!

Absolutely this. I've just finished watching Canada's Drag Race. IMO all were respectful to all woman (female as in sex or TW as in gender) One of the contestants identified as non-binary & is now identifying their gender as TW & exploring the possibility of full transitioning. They are still working as a Drag Queen & will continue to work as one. I can see some ardent TWAs not liking this one bit. Which is very two-faced.

No one else baffled by the need to ban tarts&vicars parties for the sake of the enbies who feel excluded?

I'd not heard about that!
Surely you could have NB tarts or NB vicars. it would be obvious due to the green hair!

www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/02/03/oxford-university-student-union-ban-vicars-tarts-parties-non-binary/

Ah yes - OP's given us the Daily Mail link. I read about it earlier in the Aberystwyth local paper, which mentions the banning of tarts&vicars and pimps&hoes themed events, specifically for the enbies.

Enbies are officially defined as neither one thing nor t'other, right? There is an absolute fuckton of scope to play around with that in terms of costuming.

From the article -

'We are unlikely to want to have a drag social at this time, due to the fact that it would make a large proportion of our members uncomfortable

Oh come on. Let's be real here. They were terrified that a very small minority of people would put in an official complaint or even turn up to the event itself to argue with people. THAT, is what made the student union uncomfortable.

'Including "Drag socials" as an example of a banned theme is because they are usually about members of random groups dressing up as the opposite gender in a general way that has the intention of being as funny as possible

So it's a-fucking-ok for men to dress up as grotesque, porny, scary, fetishy, doll-like versions of women......but that kind of gross representation of women is only allowed by 'drag queens'.........which are men. They do get that right? So what's the difference in the average guy doing it.

@DeaconBoo

I've said it before but I think drag is, generally speaking, 'feminine-face' not 'woman-face'. There's this constant conflating of female with feminine that I find incredibly frustrating. Men and women can be feminine. Women can be un-feminine. One's biology needn't be anything to do with how one 'presents'.

That's an interesting point, however, since it's mostly women who wear high-heels, dresses and make-up, they kind of are doing woman-face and a very grotesque version if it.

[quote Signalbox]No one else baffled by the need to ban tarts&vicars parties for the sake of the enbies who feel excluded?

I'd not heard about that!
Surely you could have NB tarts or NB vicars. it would be obvious due to the green hair!

www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/02/03/oxford-university-student-union-ban-vicars-tarts-parties-non-binary/[/quote]
It also mentions 'pimps and hoes' parties not being a good idea for the same reason. How could anybody think that the central problem of a theme that celebrates men who imprison, rape, abuse and frequently kill women is that a non-binary person wouldn't know whether to go as the abuser or the victim?!

Well said, Hardbackwriter.

If I were of an authoritarian bent and inclined to ban things, I still couldn't celebrate this, because it's banning for reasons that entirely miss the point of the objection.

And it's yet another depressing demonstration of why enbies claim that identity: as women their objections will be belittled and ignored. We shouldn't have to distance ourselves from biological reality to be deemed worthy of a voice.

Such a stupid reason to ban a party theme. If we throw a sci-fi&fantasy party I won't know whether to go as a dwarf or a robot, so let's ban cosplay too.

How could anybody think that the central problem of a theme that celebrates men who imprison, rape, abuse and frequently kill women is that a non-binary person wouldn't know whether to go as the abuser or the victim?!

Because you wouldn't want to be accused of being a SWERF?

My grandfather went to this university. I can imagine him laughing at the stupidity of this.

We would also consult with our relevant Liberation Officers and societies to make sure that it considered a range of angles and factors to ensure maximum inclusivity

I am looking forward to hearing the response of the various feminist / women’s’ rights societies that have been consulted. Does the Uni have a women’s liberation officer?

Quite aside from the idiotic pomposity if that statement. Who do they think they are?

That is funny.