menu

Transgender Day of Visibility Vigil

“It’s time for transgender people to come out of the shadows”…says Broadcaster Sophie Cook.

Over the past few years transgender visibility has improved greatly with a number of trans people becoming very public through the media including Brighton based broadcaster and news anchor Sophie Cook who was even featuring on Match of the Day’s Premier League football show recently.

So why do we still need a Transgender Day of Visibility?

Unfortunately that visibility has also brought an increase in abuse and bigotry, following Sophie’s appearances on the BBC the online trolling she received escalated to the point where she received death threats via Twitter.

Sophie Cook
Sophie Cook

Sophie says: “The fight for freedom from bigotry isn’t over yet and it won’t be until every trans person can walk down the street, use the toilet of their choosing and express their identity free of fear.”

Transgender Day of Visibility will be celebrated with music, speeches and friendship at 2pm on Friday, March 31 at New Steine Gardens in Brighton.

Speakers will include:

♦ Broadcaster and trans activist Sophie Cook

Daniel Cheesman, CEO Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard

Sgt. Peter Allan, Hate Crime Sergeant & Trans Equality Advocate at Sussex Police.

Joanna Rowland-Stuart, Volunteer Brighton & Hove, LGBT Community Safety Forum


Event: Transgender Day of Visibility Vigil

Where: New Steine Gardens, by Brighton Aids Memorial, Kemptown, Brighton

When: Friday, March 31

Time: 2pm

Kemptown MP asks Culture Secretary to consider Brighton for Channel 4 move

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven has today written to the Culture Secretary, the Rt. Hon Karen Bradley MP asking her to consider Brighton as the best place to relocate Channel 4.

 

Rt. Hon Karen Bradley MP
Rt. Hon Karen Bradley MP

Today while addressing the National and Regions Media Conference in Salford, the Culture Secretary spoke about Channel 4 and announced that “the Government will not give further consideration to privatisation at this time.”

She said: “We want Channel 4 to have a major presence outside London, stimulating creative and economic activity – including jobs – right across the country. In so doing, it can play a leading role in a public service broadcasting system that reflects our United Kingdom.”

Simon Kirby MP
Simon Kirby MP

Mr Kirby said: “The Culture Secretary has said she wants to hear about potential new homes for Channel 4. I believe that Brighton would be an ideal place for Channel 4 to relocate to. I have suggested this to the Culture Secretary and hope that she considers Brighton when deciding where to relocate this world-class organisation.”

 

REVIEW: Noel & Gertie@Devonshire Park Theatre

Noel & Gertie

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne.

Mtp’s new production of Noel & Gertie, based on the playwright’s 54 year friendship with Gertrude Lawrence is a perfectly charming night out. The love story, devised by Sheridan Morley from the couple’s letters and diaries, is told with all the Master’s flair and wit. Featuring song and scenes from Privates Lives and Blithe Spirit, this beautifully set and smartly executed production from Matthew Townshend takes us on a perfectly orchestrated trip down memory lane.

This is a charming duet (trio including pianist Jonathan Lee who was an accomplished accompanist and kept the music light, frothy and refined with just the right amount of Cowardesque fancies for the duration of the performance).
The set is a split dressing room, his and hers with the stage in-between, it’s a simple design and allows the actors to do effective personal narrative across imagined distance and separation, then coming together for the moments and performances that they shared. It worked well and with the well-crafted stage movements and choreography it never seemed too busy or cramped.

The narrative is firmly set in memory and reminiscing, with Noel being the man of fact, Gertie having more of the emotional content and we watch their friendship and careers develop from their earliest day on the stage, as pre-teens in Liverpool to their last great performances in American and England. There’s plenty of the waspish wit they were famous for but also a lot of truly warm loving details which utterly convinces of the depth of feeling that is shared between these two difficult, talented people who chose to – in their different ways – keep a lifelong friendship going and gently holding the flame after one of them dies so tragically.

It’s tightly directed and both set and lighting allow the changes from home, to dressing room to theatre stage to be effectively managed and the pleasantly humming along pace of music, funnies, songs and experts from Coward’s plays and Lawrence’s performances, most of them together, works very well to both show us the narrative arc of their mutual and join careers but also the ups and downs of their personal lives and dedicated friendship.

You can see full cast and crew info here on the company website: 

We end at the sudden death of Gertie, it’s a beautifully handled piece of theatre, one moment it’s all glitter, dance and music; race horses, winners and silly society froth and the next Noel reels and reflecting and putting  on his jacket,  tears well up, we feel his loss, he does what must be done, but seems lost. It was a very convincing performance from Ben Stock  and although I never felt he quite nailed THAT voice, he certainly convinced with his mannerisms, delicate offhand well-timed bon mots and the charming, gentle dedication and admiration that Coward felt for Lawrence. Helen Power’s Gertie is just the right combination of diaphanous full beam talent with a core of sharp diamond hardened steel, she reflects the brilliance of Cowards wit while concentrating her own talent mercilessly. Her voice is flawless, taking us back to a time of pure vocal control and supreme masterly of lyrics, she was a delight. My companion enjoyed herself immensely and giggled throughout this thoroughly delightfully and perfectly balanced performance.

It’s a lovely jaunt out to the Devonshire Park in Eastbourne; with free parking right outside, a very comfortable fully refurbished Victorian flourish of a theatre and very reasonable bar and ticket prices, it’s a lovely night out.

Runs until April 1

For more info or to book tickets see the Devonshire Park Theatre Website here

 

BRIGHTON FRINGE PREVIEW: Tricyclic Transform – A genderqueer musical cabaret

Solo musical cabaret exploring genderqueer identity with songs and drag. Miss Liliane, ‘biologically-challenged drag-queen’, has penis envy and that makes her slightly unhinged!

Join them round the gender wheel as they try on alternate personas by performing iconic torch songs.

From heart-wrenching jazz diva standards to the pissed-off ladies of gritty blues and Brecht, from the broken men protest songs of Johnny Cash, Scott Walker and Jacques Brel, to the empowering queer anthems of Marc Almond and Boy George, with sprinkles of Victor Victoria and La Cage aux Folles.


Event: Tricyclic Transform A Gender Queer Musical Cabaret

Where: New Steine Hotel, Bar and Bistro, 10-11 New Steine, Brighton BN2 1PB

When: May 26, 27, 28; June 2, 3, 4

Time: 8pm except May 28 & June 4 (5pm)

Cost: £10

To book tickets online, click here:

Let me know if you can use it at all.

Thanks hervé

OPINION PIECE: Time for Trans people to come out of the shadows

Ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility, broadcaster Sophie Cook explains why the day remains important for trans people all over the world.

Over the past few years transgender visibility has improved greatly with a number of trans people becoming very public through the media – I was even featured on Match of the Day’s Premier League football show recently.

So why do we still need a Transgender Day of Visibility?

Unfortunately that visibility has also brought an increase in abuse and bigotry, following my appearances on the BBC the online trolling I received escalated to the point where I received death threats via Twitter.

The fight for freedom from bigotry isn’t over yet and it won’t be until every trans person can walk down the street, use the toilet of their choosing and express their identity free of fear.

For so many Trans people our overriding aim is to ‘pass’ or to achieve invisibility, to go about our lives as if our transness never existed, we want other people to accept us in our chosen gender without question or judgement.

But is this actually doing us all a disservice?

My self-confidence and self acceptance greatly improved when I let go of the concept of passing. The fear of being ‘read’ and the fear of people discovering that I wasn’t a ‘real’ woman.

It’s now more important to me to be perceived as a woman, even if logically people see a slight anomaly. It’s important to me to be authentic to myself.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be the most beautiful, feminine version of me possible and I do love it when people call me Miss, but I’m not scared of people realising that I’m trans, in fact I’m very open and forthright about it.

In the same way that gay rights and acceptance improved greatly after they stopped hiding in the shadows and stood up to express their Pride is it now time for us to proclaim that we are Trans and proud of it.

Gender dysphoria can be a terrible thing that takes a huge emotional, mental and social toll on people, do those of us that have reached the stage of feeling comfortable with ourselves and our condition owe it to those that are still struggling to show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel?

Do we owe it to ourselves (and our younger, more scared selves) to stand up and fight for our rights to be recognised as valid members of society?

Transphobia seems to be the form of social hatred and bullying that is still, if not accepted, ignored by society. Whilst racism and homophobia are abhorred by all but the very narrow-minded few trans people still get the sniggers, tranny jokes and, as happened to me last week, outright abuse.

We go through hell to finally be our authentic selves and we should be proud of the fact that, even if we haven’t quite won the battle yet, we’re on the road to liberation.

Why, just at your moment of self realisation would you come out of one closet only to lock yourself in another, yet again in fear of being outed.

So perhaps it’s today that we put on our best face, most amazing outfit and strut, proud as hell down our local High Street.

I’m here, I’m Trans and I love who I am, and no ones petty minded bigotry is going to take that away from me!


Sophie is a former RAF engineer, motorbike racer, newspaper editor, football and rock photographer. She is a self harm and suicide survivor and the first transgender newscaster on European terrestrial TV for Brighton’s Latest TV, and is the head of Latest LGBT+ TV, the UK’s first terrestrial LGBT+ TV channel where she hosts Beyond The Rainbow, a weekly LGBT+ news and chat show.

She is the first trans woman to work in the Premier League as club photographer for AFC Bournemouth, she is an ambassador for Kick It Out, patron of Just A Ball Game? and has spoken at Wembley Stadium and the TUC.

Sophie is also a Hate Crime ambassador for Sussex Police and speaks regularly at conferences about LGBT+ issues and consults with a number of major companies about inclusion and diversity.


Transgender Day of Visibility?, celebrated on Friday, March 31, is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide.

The holiday was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBT holidays celebrating transgender people, citing the frustration that the only well-known transgender-centered holiday was the Transgender Day of Remembrance which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community.

X