In protest at the treatment of three drag queens who were forcibly removed from Wellington's Temperance bar earlier this month, a group of 'Radical Queers' in the capital are planning a 'dress-up party' protest at the bar this Saturday. Radical Queers: "Please come fabulous... and sober... to protest" "We're disgusted by the way staff handled the situation, and the persecution suffered by anyone who dares challenge gender roles, so we're gonna put on our best frocks and wigs and tell Temperance they can't stop us being fabulous," says Radical Queer's Rachael Wright. The ejection of Ricky Beirao (as Rhubarb Rouge) and Shay Evans (as Felicity Frockaccino) along with one other drag sister is seen as 'blatant homophobia' by the Radical Queer group, but when GayNZ.com contacted the Temperance bar's General Manager Steve Drummond, he claimed the 'girls' were intoxicated and one had attacked security staff with a metal pole when she'd been asked to leave. "There are gaping inconsistencies between the stories of the drag queens and the story of the duty manager," responds Radical Queer's Rachael Wright. "Being personally acquainted with at least one of the queens involved, and sharing mutual friends, I am of course naturally inclined to believe that side of the story. I also feel that if management are telling the truth, they should have no problem with a bunch of sober queens – of all genders – showing up and having a drink at their bar, but I am naturally inclined to distrust anyone who's speaking to try and save face for their business, especially considering the fact that it's not exactly rare for drag queens to face discrimination." Saturday's 'Drag-In' will show Courtenay Place that "we're here, we're queer, and we're drinking your beer," says Wright. "The basic plan for the protest is showing up in drag, having a drink at the bar, and showing a strong presence. It's like a fabulous version of a sit-in, and if management demonstrate any discrimination, we'll be sure to make a big fuss outside their bar. The main aim really is creating visibility and a bit of a spectacle, to let management – and the rest of Courtenay Place – know that they'd better create tolerant safe spaces, because the queer community ain't going away. Of course, any visibility-raising activity like this will hopefully also help challenge gender norms within wider society, and if we can subvert people's expectations at the same time, we will be one happy bunch of radicals." Attendees are advised to "please come sober. We're gonna play by the rules for now. If we're well-dressed, in heels, and stonecold sober, then they have no reason to kick us out except for homophobia." The 'Drag-In' protest is happening this Saturday 23 August from 9pm, meeting in a location to be confirmed before heading to The Temperance Bar. The coordinators invite anyone interested in getting involved to email them at radical.queers@gmail.com.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 19th August 2008 - 10:59am