This blog originally appeared at Pink News.
When comedian James Barr heard about the stabbing at The Two Brewers in Clapham, London, he was reminded of a fact he’s known for some time: queer people are still not safe in public.
James Barr (L), a comedian and podcast host, and Micah Neilson (R), a trans queer person, explain how they change the way they present themselves out of fear of violence.
Like most queer people, James has spent much of his life trying to stay safe in a society where open hostility and violence against the LGBTQ+ community is still an everyday reality. As news broke earlier this week of The Two Brewers stabbing – which left two men hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries – James was reminded of all the times he’s changed the way he dresses or amended his behaviour to stay safe.
He’s not alone.
For as long as LGBTQ+ people have existed openly, they’ve had to navigate times when they might need to temporarily retreat back into the closet. On dark street corners, on public transport, and even at work, queer people still alter how they present themselves to the world because they know that the threat of hate crime and violence is ever-present.
Speaking to PinkNews, James – who also hosts the A Gay and A NonGay podcast – says he “regularly” comes up with ways of disguising himself in public to avoid unwanted attention. Shortly after The Two Brewers stabbing, he shared a picture of himself on Twitter which showed him wearing a lime green coat over a pink jacket on a train.
He tweeted: “Someone asked me why I’m wearing two coats tonight, I lied and said it might rain – really it’s because I’m terrified that the pink jacket might draw unnecessary attention and I don’t feel safe.”
Click here to see full blog: https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/08/19/two-brewers-stabbing-queer-lgbtq-safety/
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