Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Behind the Aegis

(54,913 posts)
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 03:59 AM Dec 2019

Former Olympic athlete slams drag shows and compares them to blackface

A former Olympic athlete has sparked debate on social media with a tweet she posted Saturday in which she spoke out against drag.

Sharron Davies, who competed for Great Britain in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics (where she took a silver medal), has in recent years become an outspoken critic of allowing trans women to compete in female sports. Over the weekend, she broadened her criticism to also include drag queens.

“Am I the only person fed up of drag shows? A parody of what a real woman is, like black face. Woman are juggling kids, rushing out a wholesome dinner, doing the laundry & cleaning, holding down a job all with period pains & leaky boobs if breast feeding. Enough of the stereotypes.”

The tweet has had over 12.5k likes and prompted 7k comments. Some of her followers have agreed with her. However, many others have criticized her comparison to blackface, and her own – some would argue stereotypical – definition of womanhood.

more...


20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Former Olympic athlete slams drag shows and compares them to blackface (Original Post) Behind the Aegis Dec 2019 OP
she has a point about the blackface. rampartc Dec 2019 #1
What point about blackface does she have? Behind the Aegis Dec 2019 #2
i suppose many find the blackface shows to be entertaining rampartc Dec 2019 #5
And how does that relate to drag shows? Behind the Aegis Dec 2019 #6
Why does there need to be specific events for women.? lostnfound Dec 2019 #11
I agree that there needs to be more conversation janterry Dec 2019 #8
trying to think about it but....... Skittles Dec 2019 #3
Most drag is not meant as an insult to women. Behind the Aegis Dec 2019 #4
I've slept on it and I agree Skittles Dec 2019 #14
Usually the drag queens are celebrating gay icons, so I do't get this. cwydro Dec 2019 #15
If you can't separate trans rainy Dec 2019 #7
Terf. Voltaire2 Dec 2019 #9
This message was self-deleted by its author bluedye33139 Dec 2019 #10
British "trick?" cwydro Dec 2019 #16
This message was self-deleted by its author bluedye33139 Dec 2019 #17
That's what I thought. cwydro Dec 2019 #18
This message was self-deleted by its author bluedye33139 Dec 2019 #19
Wow, as an older gay woman - somehow I've missed this lovely term. cwydro Dec 2019 #20
Recalling from childhood, the facepalm-worthy gender stereotypes from "Dick and Jane" lambchopp59 Dec 2019 #12
We just went to a Drag Bingo at the JCC here in Pittsburgh, that benefitted Planned Parenthood Mc Mike Dec 2019 #13

rampartc

(5,835 posts)
1. she has a point about the blackface.
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:15 AM
Dec 2019

and I think the issue of trans girls competing at sports with genetic females requires a little more analysis and perhaps an * in the record books.

let me try (and fail) : is requiring trans women to compete in women's events imposing a binary framework on non binary sexual identity?.

maybe we need events specifically for trans gender persons?

Behind the Aegis

(54,913 posts)
2. What point about blackface does she have?
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:23 AM
Dec 2019

Why would there need to be events specifically for transpeople?

rampartc

(5,835 posts)
5. i suppose many find the blackface shows to be entertaining
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:50 AM
Dec 2019

without considering that the lives of actual people of color are not all song and dance.

Behind the Aegis

(54,913 posts)
6. And how does that relate to drag shows?
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:52 AM
Dec 2019

Blackface is meant to mock and demean black people, are you saying drag does the same of women?

lostnfound

(16,699 posts)
11. Why does there need to be specific events for women.?
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 07:43 AM
Dec 2019

What would happen if there was no separate events for the quarter mile, or weightlifting, etc.?

 

janterry

(4,429 posts)
8. I agree that there needs to be more conversation
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 05:56 AM
Dec 2019

about trans athletes - esp. those have gone through puberty in their biological sex. It's important.

I don't get the drag queen stuff compared to blackface.

I wonder if it is coming up because it has recently become controversial - because young kids are doing it (those internet 'stars' have huge followings - and a few ? - well at least one of those kids performed a drag queen act in a 'proper' night club)? (Though still not getting the analogy, tbh).

Skittles

(160,136 posts)
3. trying to think about it but.......
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:36 AM
Dec 2019

I can understand how blackface is demeaning but I have never been offended by drag queens. Actually, I find them very entertaining. Do I need to be enlightened?

Behind the Aegis

(54,913 posts)
4. Most drag is not meant as an insult to women.
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 04:48 AM
Dec 2019

While there are some drag performances which might not be "positive", most performances are not done to demean or otherwise humiliate women; the same cannot be said of blackface. Frankly, this seems like heterosexist nonsense compounded with healthy slices of homophobia and transphobia.

Skittles

(160,136 posts)
14. I've slept on it and I agree
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 05:16 PM
Dec 2019

I kept thinking about it and I have never thought drag is trying to DEMEAN women - honestly, it feels more like a CELEBRATION

on edit: you know who DOES hate drag? Homophobes. And we all know misogyny is at the root of homophobia. This is just another attempt to justify homophobia / transphobia - fuck that noise

 

cwydro

(51,308 posts)
15. Usually the drag queens are celebrating gay icons, so I do't get this.
Mon Dec 30, 2019, 07:43 AM
Dec 2019

Liza, Judy, Barbra, and so on...

rainy

(6,228 posts)
7. If you can't separate trans
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 05:46 AM
Dec 2019

sports from men and women’s sports then you can’t separate men and women’s sports either for obvious reasons of anatomical disadvantages.

Response to Behind the Aegis (Original post)

Response to cwydro (Reply #16)

Response to cwydro (Reply #18)

 

cwydro

(51,308 posts)
20. Wow, as an older gay woman - somehow I've missed this lovely term.
Mon Dec 30, 2019, 04:28 PM
Dec 2019

I’ve heard of its use in terms of prostitution, but not in the gay world I know.

lambchopp59

(2,809 posts)
12. Recalling from childhood, the facepalm-worthy gender stereotypes from "Dick and Jane"
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 08:45 AM
Dec 2019

Profiled the gender stereotypes, expectations "boys wear blue, girls wear pink" in absolute terms. Even when these were getting criticized for such antiquated notions, there they were, even used as primary reading materials in a rather backward rural area where 1950's era textbooks were still issued, despite duct-taped, rotting binders and annoyingly outdated reinforcements of "daddy goes to work, mommie washes the dishes". I always found those series sickeningly dated.
Forward half a century, and I see some curious throw-back neighbors cringeworthy reactions to any male wearing anything colorful, themselves having NEVER donned anything more joie de vivre than a mattress cover, daily. Such who cannot even follow a conversation containing any 3 syllable terms, sipping their beer, burp... The moral to my story becomes sickeningly apparent when they land on my imaging table with all consuming pancreatitis (and all too often these days, positive for methamphetamine abuse) poster-boys for toxic masculinity.
It seemed like the greatest-generation, due-for-retirement teachers were still endevouring to cement these absolutes into us, to the extent of myself on the receiving end of physical punishments for perceived violations of behavioral standards. I can't recall what I was punished for, only the sting of the paddle.
To this day, those nightmares make me say "Plug the fuck in, Fox News". Pedaling the above talking point seems doubly hypocritical... but attempting to convince such boomers of such runs smack into obstinate dunning/kruger effect.
And they vote.

Mc Mike

(9,173 posts)
13. We just went to a Drag Bingo at the JCC here in Pittsburgh, that benefitted Planned Parenthood
Tue Dec 24, 2019, 09:10 AM
Dec 2019

of W. PA.

First time we attended one. It was great, raised a lot of money for Womens' health, and repro rights.

Latest Discussions»Alliance Forums»LGBT»Former Olympic athlete sl...