Skin (Skunk Anansie)

[Shedbuilder]

Skin is appearing at the Hay Festival. Apparently she's an LGBTQ+ activist. First I've heard of it. I'm a lesbian and I keep an eye out for lesbians in the media and entertainment world and I failed to spot her. The blurb from the festival says she's been championing LGBTQ+ issues during her 25-year career. Who knew?

www.hayfestival.com/p-17148-it-takes-blood-and-guts.aspx

I've obviously missed every single opportunity she's taken to speak out in support of lesbians: my mistake. One of my unknown unknowns. I'm just about to turn 60, I've been an out lesbian since my early 20s, I've socialised in lesbian and gay circles for the last 40 years and I've genuinely never heard her mentioned as a lesbian, let alone a spokeslesbian fighting fearlessly for our rights.

I was, as spotted by one pp, alluding to the fact that when she started her career there was just LGB, trans wasn't a thing and the people calling themselves queer were us (in an attempt to rehabilitate the word.)

I thought she was almost the stereotype of a lesbian! I was aware of her being one decades ago.

The enemy to feminists are right-wing conservatives who want all of us fucking dead

That is such a hyperbolically silly thing to say. I find quite a lot of the gender critical stuff hyperbolic but that's hardly a sensible counter.

I've heard of Skin and Skunk Anansie but have never knowingly her any of her or their music. I listened to a few things on YouTube and was underwhelmed- nothing held my interest to the end of the song.

This is the rest of what she has to say about "T*s"

T*s

“It’s a really dated approach. I can understand that women are angry but I think it’s counterproductive, the point of it is – we shouldn’t have territories. We should all feel free to be in each other’s worlds and be accepted by each other. I was part of a black women-only group in my early 20’s, the reason why we did that is we felt we weren’t included in any gay stuff at all. It was all just white men. So we created something for ourselves. We wouldn’t need to do that now. Back then we did it for strength but nowadays inclusion is so much more powerful

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

She's beautiful, Hedonism is possibly the most gorgeous song ever and her voice on it is incredible. The nostalgia is I feel for that time when I hear it is almost painful.

This. Also didn’t know she was appearing, thanks for the heads up.

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

She's beautiful, Hedonism is possibly the most gorgeous song ever and her voice on it is incredible. The nostalgia is I feel for that time when I hear it is almost painful.

I remember watching an interview in the '90s with an opera singing teacher, who said Skin was the one popular artist (at that time) who could have been an opera singer.

I've socialised in lesbian and gay circles for the last 40 years and I've genuinely never heard her mentioned as a lesbian

I'm as heterosexual and heteronormative as you could find and I've never knowingly heard her music but even I knew she was a lesbian.

I'm clearly too old! I was aware of Skunk Anansie and Skin but I was clearly too old to be reading the relevant music press/ watching the right TV programmes in the late 90s. The reason I used to keep an eye out for high-profile lesbians was because for several years I wrote a little column on famous lesbians for a local lesbian newsletter and would have loved to have included her. Though not quite so keen now I see she's swallowed the koolaid.

I absolutely love her and I love their music.

I don't agree with her stance regarding feminism and trans activists, but I still love her and her music.

I'm a year older than you OP.

@DidoLamenting love love love you username!

I knew. She snogged my neighbour.

Bit much Skin, it Was Ok When We Did It, eh?

Not very consistent.

Loved them.back in the day.

@DidoLamenting

That is such a hyperbolically silly thing to say. I find quite a lot of the gender critical stuff hyperbolic but that's hardly a sensible counter.

Obviously there are different shades of right wing conservatives, but there's are certainly elements in the American right who would seek to see LGBT people criminalised or somehow eliminated from society in other ways, as they would feminists. So whilst few right wing conservatives would support death camps many of them do very much want a society without feminists and LGBT people in it. How they hope to achieve that varies. So whilst a touch hyperbolic, she's not entirely wrong in her sentiment. Hard right and religious conservatives are a very real and present threat towards both feminists and trans people, and we are better off working together against them. As we will should that threat ever truly materialise in the UK. Well most of us will.

Examples please jj

If were speaking of hyperbole

@Janaih

I'm imagining OP has a spreadsheet of lesbians in the media

😂

@7Days

Examples please jj

The network of religiously based conversion therapy camps across the US and support for conversion therapy within UK evengelical circles for a start. The bathroom bill legislation designed to enforce gender conformity. The MRA movement and demand for trad wives, and enforced monogamy. At it's most extreme fundamentalists like the Westboro Baptist Church. There is a very ugly element to aspects of the more extreme conservative right and they are increasingly showing they are prepared to work with the far right to meet their aims.

[quote jj1968]@DidoLamenting

That is such a hyperbolically silly thing to say. I find quite a lot of the gender critical stuff hyperbolic but that's hardly a sensible counter.

Obviously there are different shades of right wing conservatives, but there's are certainly elements in the American right who would seek to see LGBT people criminalised or somehow eliminated from society in other ways, as they would feminists. So whilst few right wing conservatives would support death camps many of them do very much want a society without feminists and LGBT people in it. How they hope to achieve that varies. So whilst a touch hyperbolic, she's not entirely wrong in her sentiment. Hard right and religious conservatives are a very real and present threat towards both feminists and trans people, and we are better off working together against them. As we will should that threat ever truly materialise in the UK. Well most of us will.[/quote]
Examples please of any mainstream right wing or Conservative political party promulgating this. And hint extremist factions with no hope of electoral success don't count.

and support for conversion therapy within UK evengelical circles for a start

Are you British and if not have you ever set foot in the UK?

What do you mean the bathroom Bill's are designed to enforce gender conformity?
It's about recognition of biology, nobody cares how you present once biology is acknowledged.

And whatever about the fringe loons you've mentioned, nobody with any power is giving them the time of say.
So while a gender non conforming person would be unlucky to meet a rude or even violent one, so would women, or a member of any other minority they might not like.

We should join up against them.

@DidoLamenting

and support for conversion therapy within UK evengelical circles for a start

Are you British and if not have you ever set foot in the UK?

Yes, Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) along with the Evangelical Alliance, both of whom have a significant presence in the UK and the support of some MPs, have been involved in organising events promoting conversion therapy.

I loved Skin and Skunk Anansie from the off and always knew she was a lesbian.

I am over 60. The T was always a ‘thing’ and very much included with ‘queer’, T was Adele from Fascinating Aida and some model advertising Smirnoff, and at that time no threat to women’s sex based rights, but part of a counter cultural challenge to the gender rigidity that had kept women at the sink.