Queer joy took centerstage in Glasgow, Scotland when a group of LGBTQ+ and allied counter-protestors danced and sang at the top of their lungs to drown out an anti-trans rally taking place in the city’s major square. The “Let Women Speak” rally was hosted by Posie Parker, a well-known British Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF).
Cabaret Against Hate Speech planned the counterprotest which was attended by hundreds of people. To ensure no one could hear Parker’s rhetoric, the group blasted “YMCA,” Lada Gaga, Liza Minelli, “Time Warp,” and more, and also featured performances and speeches.
There is a tweet going viral showing a video of the protesters doing a conga line and shouting “trans rights” to the tune of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” The counterprotest even reportedly included onsite medics and mental health professionals to take care of anyone physically or mentally harmed by hate speech coming from the TERF rally.
Beth Douglas, a co-convener of the Scottish Greens party’s LGBTQ+ wing, told PinkNews that Parker’s protest was filled with out-of-towners, whereas the joy-filled counterprotest was a local affair.
