London Gay Arts fesival…sounds great. London is such a sleezy venue for anything with ‘Art’ in the title. Liverpool and Glasgow are the real venues for festivals!
Bloody northerners !! I guess it hasn’t dawned upon them as yet (lack of education i suppose)that London is known as the cultural capital of the world.
An LGBT visitors centre, an LGBT arts festival, etc, etc……..
Should we actually want all this? Is there not a contradiction here, on the one hand we’re saying, “look, we’re the same, treat us the same as everyone else” but on the other there’s a kind of badge to be worn?
The premise that we need to all be equal is fine and that we should not have to look at attaching labels such as LGBT. However, we live in a world filled with inequality and hence when you are identified (& perhaps vilified because you are LGBT) then why not wear that badge with Pride and let people know who you are and what you are through the presentation of your art?
Andrew, well yes I can see that but does it not hold us back from moving unconditionally into the mainstream, surely these days there are few, if any, impediments to gay artists in the mainstream art world? I fear a kind of “ghettoisation”, that’s my concern, really. After all, does a gay artist paint differently from a straight artist?
Andrew, I know I referred to “artist” as a painter and that this is an Arts Festival but the principle remains for “visual arts, short films and performances”, as referred to in the article.
Brian, no I wasn’t meaning that at all, I do understand his point of view, it’s just that I think that this constant insistence on an LGBT specificity could, can, does give ammunition to those only too happy to deny us equality, effectively we can be giving a message “we ARE different”, a message that will be used against us.
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London Gay Arts fesival…sounds great. London is such a sleezy venue for anything with ‘Art’ in the title. Liverpool and Glasgow are the real venues for festivals!
Bloody northerners !! I guess it hasn’t dawned upon them as yet (lack of education i suppose)that London is known as the cultural capital of the world.
An LGBT visitors centre, an LGBT arts festival, etc, etc……..
Should we actually want all this? Is there not a contradiction here, on the one hand we’re saying, “look, we’re the same, treat us the same as everyone else” but on the other there’s a kind of badge to be worn?
Quite right Jane…hic…back to my G&T!
The premise that we need to all be equal is fine and that we should not have to look at attaching labels such as LGBT. However, we live in a world filled with inequality and hence when you are identified (& perhaps vilified because you are LGBT) then why not wear that badge with Pride and let people know who you are and what you are through the presentation of your art?
Andrew, well yes I can see that but does it not hold us back from moving unconditionally into the mainstream, surely these days there are few, if any, impediments to gay artists in the mainstream art world? I fear a kind of “ghettoisation”, that’s my concern, really. After all, does a gay artist paint differently from a straight artist?
Andrew, I know I referred to “artist” as a painter and that this is an Arts Festival but the principle remains for “visual arts, short films and performances”, as referred to in the article.
Jane,
Quite right again! (No hic this time.) I’m afraid types like Andrew want to walk about with a placard pinned to him saying ‘Victim Here.’
Brian, no I wasn’t meaning that at all, I do understand his point of view, it’s just that I think that this constant insistence on an LGBT specificity could, can, does give ammunition to those only too happy to deny us equality, effectively we can be giving a message “we ARE different”, a message that will be used against us.
Jane dear, you are being too pesimistic!
. . . is it only LGBT specificity
Do we not have Chinese Arts festivals, Asian Arts festivals and a whole pelathory of other festivals.
London is a major cultural and financial centre of the world. There is nothing sleezy about cultural excellence.