potentially really special record. did not realize she was getting picked up by the venerable HD so really looking forward to this.
Loraine James // For You and I (Hyperdub)
criminiminal
#4
ok, gotta get something off my chest. been a pretty vocal advocate of this record/artist for some time now but I came across this interview recently which super rubbed me the wrong wayā¦
āAs a queer Black person living in London, James explains that she often feels the need to filter herself. āI only feel fully comfortable in a few places and thatās not fair. I shit myself just holding my partnerās hand for five seconds in public, afraid someoneās going to beat us up or something,ā she says. While sheās grateful for the few places in London that make her feel at ease, itās this dearth of safe spaces that have made her a āshy and closed person since forever.āā
beat her up? for holding hands? WHAT?
first of all, youāre telling me one of the largest, most populous, most diverse, most cosmopolitan cities on Earth all of a sudden has a problem with queer black people in 2019? iām sorry, I donāt buy it for one second. this is not rural Mississippi in the 1950s. which, speaking of, letās ask LIttle Richard if being queer and black ever hurt his career. fuck outta here.
and safe? look, Iām a white, heteronormative cis male and the world is no less terrifying for me than it is for anyone else. hundreds of people can get gunned down at a country/western festival in Vegas and meanwhile kids are agonizing about whether or not a club promoter is putting enough females on the bill. itās preposterous. you cannot let this shit ruin your life, folks.
keep making great tunes and iāll keep buying your records. but please spare me the politics.
umn
#5
Errā¦
https://qnews.com.au/lesbian-couple-bashed-and-robbed-for-refusing-to-kiss-for-group-of-young-men/
criminiminal
#6
I meanā¦you can also get stabbed or killed for liking the wrong sports team, soā¦whatās your point?
the world is an inherently unsafe place for just about everybody and thereās a strong probability that someone, somewhere doesnāt like you very much (and for no real good reason). despite this, you know iāve lived in a lot of places, big cities, small towns, doesnāt matter, iāve never really gotten the sense that anyone is particularly concerned about whoās holding whoās hand at any given time, much less boiling with hateful, criminal rage about it. so yeah okay, maybe the world is extra scary when you live most your life on Tumblr inventing nonexistent problems to worry about.
bottom line, yes, there will always be loathsome people doing loathsome criminal shit and, yes, those isolated crimes are tragic, no doubt. but it doesnāt mean weāre all part of the problem and thatās the sentiment i got from the interview. maybe thatās my trip, who knows.
Loraine, i love your record and my heart goes out to you and your struggle. i hope you can find the courage one day to go outside and be a part of this crazy, chaotic world with the rest of us.
deprecate
#7
Yeah I mean I grew up in a part of Glasgow where having the wrong coloured clothes could get you stabbed but I wouldnāt feel it particularly relevant to bring up while talking about my new record. Great record though.
umn
#8
Yes, itās your trip.
My pointās fairly simple - in response to your shocked response that āone of the largest, most populous, most diverse, most cosmopolitan cities on Earth all of a sudden (whaaaaat? lol) has a problem with queer black people in 2019ā Iām purely relating evidence of a separate recent attack with bigotry at its heart.
(And suggesting that Little Richard didnāt experience prejudice based on his race and/or orientation? Iām certainly no expert butā¦ Iāll politely take up your offer to get the fuck outta here).
Whether or not you ābuyā another persons emotions surrounding their lived experiences is largely irrelevant, Same goes for the post below yours - anyone, including artists, may divulge their concerns or fears. They donāt have to relate comparatively to yours.
Serious question Criminiminal - did you take time to consider why comments in the interview offended you?
Furthermore please explain to me how hate crimes should in your opinion be viewed in the same light as random violent attacks.
criminiminal
#9
@umn equally serious question before i answer. are you looking to truly understand my point of view or are you trying to locate some latent intolerance in me and āput me in my placeā?
umn
#10
Not sure where āput me in my placeā came from. Are you quoting someone?
If thatās how I came across then I apologise.
That said my question to you should be considered rhetorical.
Clearly you can choose to expand your pov as you wish, but to me this matter is relatively straightforward and Iām comfortable leaving the above posts to stand as they are.
Weāll have to accept disagreement here.
vanityrhizome
#12
man youāre like the biggest contributor to this forum but why do you have to flip your lid when a lesbian starts talking about her own experiences? like statistically speaking, the world is in fact less terrifying for you than it is for people who arenāt white heteronormative cis men because none of those things are going to get you kicked out of your house or disowned. bringing up fucking sports hooliganism is so disingenuous because yeah there are a bunch of things that can lead to violence in someoneās life but being straight is never going to be one of them. i live in melbourne, statistically the most liveable city in the world, and i have to watch myself in public because dressing the āwrongā way, acting the āwrongā way has gotten me assaulted, specifically for a part of myself that is a bit more fucking integral to my self than supporting a sports team lol
criminiminal
#13
yeah i guess iām a bit of a loser and sadly a lot out of touch re: the dominant sentiment surrounding identity politics. the appropriate response to my outburst should probably just be pity. sorry if i offended anyone. happy to remove any of the comments that seemed way out of line if you think it makes for a better community here.
vanityrhizome
#14
i mean im sorry for getting worked up! i also think the kind of identity politics that asks a bunch of queer ppl in poverty to vote for some fuck like buttigieg or whatever is bad, but likeā¦ getting mad at people for talking about homophobia is just straight identity politics. thank u for being generous & extending the olive branch here, honestly iād probably think yr politics r good if u expounded on them just be consistent & proportional in what u devote yr time to yknow