WE’RE TARGETS OF HATE SPEECH
LGBT campaigners are taking abuse
Members of Perthshire’s LGBT community have revealed they have faced derogatory comments, heckles and complaints while advertising their upcoming Pride event.
Those manning a Perthshire Pride stall at the farmers’ market over the weekend say they received hateful and rude comments. The group had been promoting their Pride event and making banners for their first ever parade, which takes place on Saturday, August 10. Claire Mackenzie, from Perthshire Pride, said in recent weeks they have even seen an attempt to cut down the Pride banners outside AK Bell Library.
She said: “About seven or eight people came by and said some quite rude comments.
“They said they didn’t support us and we were a disgrace to the farmers’ market, saying comments such as ‘this is not right’ and ‘you must be joking’.
“People were walking past and making not very nice comments and heckling.
“We had people coming over to our stall, knowing fine well what it was because it was very colourful, and asking what it was about.
“When we then spoke to them they said they were not going to come to Pride and were not going to support it.
“Some people just want to get a reaction, but we were not giving it to them.
“I have been facing comments like this for a long time now, so it is water off a duck’s back, because we know what we are doing is right, and hopefully these people can leave us to it and we can leave them to it and we can both carry on with our days.
“We have had a few other things as well.
“When we have been out with charity buckets we have had people come up to us and say stuff – it is not unusual.
“We know people have tried to cut down the banners at the library.”
Claire said despite this, they had a successful day with many people showing interest in the weekend’s event.
She added incidents like these show why holding a Pride event and parade in Perth is important.
Claire continued: “It is a lack of understanding.
“People don’t understand why Pride is necessary and think it is a waste of time because our laws dictate we have the same rights as someone who is straight, but it is not the laws we are fighting, it is people’s perceptions and attitudes.
“People still make comments and look at us funny when we are holding our partner’s hands or say rude things to us in club.
“But even talking about human rights, there are still a lot of laws needed for the transgender community, so we are still fighting for that.
“Scotland is quite liberal, but it is still illegal to be gay in some countries and there are homophobic shootings in America.
“Even religion dictates we are an abomination, and we need to fight that stigma.
“It has only been legal to be gay since the 1980s, and many people grew up with that idea.
“Especially somewhere rural like Perth, it is not quite there in all aspects of diversity, inclusion and open mindedness, which is why it is really important for our LGBT community to hold Perthshire Pride.”
Perthshire Pride will be held on Horsecross Plaza outside Perth Concert Hall from noon until 6pm on Saturday, August 10.
The event will be started with the city’s first ever Pride parade, leaving the South Inch car park at noon and travelling along Tay Street to Horsecross Plaza. Entry is free and open to all. Perthshire Pride have also been campaigning to get famous LGBT rights campaigner Sir Ian McKellen to make an appearance on Saturday, using the hashtag #BringGandalfBacktotheShire.
Although they have not heard from the Lord of the Rings star yet, they say they will put provisions in place in case he does come along.