Glasgow, Scotland saw a celebration of queer joy as a group of LGBTQ+ and allies drowned out an anti-trans rally with their singing and dancing. The "Let Women Speak" rally, hosted by Posie Parker, a notorious British Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF), was met by a counterprotest organized by Cabaret Against Hate Speech. The counterprotest was attended by hundreds of people who blasted music and held performances to ensure Parker's rhetoric went unheard.
A tweet featuring a video of the counterprotesters doing a conga line while singing "trans rights" to the tune of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" has since gone viral. The counterprotest was not only a display of solidarity and resistance against hate speech, but it also took care of the well-being of those present. Onsite medics and mental health professionals were available to support anyone physically or mentally affected by the TERF rally.
According to PinkNews, Beth Douglas, a co-convener of the Scottish Greens party's LGBTQ+ wing, stated that Parker's rally was filled with out-of-towners, while the counterprotest was a local affair. The joyful demonstration showed that the fight for trans rights is not only about resistance against hate and bigotry, but it is also about celebrating the beauty and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
In conclusion, the counterprotest in Glasgow serves as a testament to the power of queer joy and solidarity in the face of hate and discrimination. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies will continue to fight for the rights and dignity of all marginalized individuals, and events like these remind us of the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
