When we announced our lineup, concerns were raised about the inclusion of some speakers on the bill who it was claimed had shared gender critical views as part of their public and platformed life.
HERE’S HOW WE RESPONDED
We talked to trans people in our community and agreed a response of reassurance. We blogged about that here.
In summary, we promised to:
- publish what the speakers in question were being invited to speak on closer to the festival
- moderate the Q&A for those sessions differently from a usual Greenbelt Q&A (so that the Q&A is not ‘open’ to the floor for people to just stand up and ask in the usual way, but managed and filtered
- underline to all our speakers what we expected of them in terms of what is and isn’t OKin terms of what they say from our stages.
WORKING WITH OUR ARTISTS AND SPEAKERS
In connection with this last point, we have including this statement in all our artist packs:
We don’t expect or want all our artists and guests to agree with everything that we (as a festival with a progressive Christian foundation) believe. But, because we are committed to making a safer space for everyone who comes, there are things we consider acceptable and things we consider unacceptable in terms of content shared from our stages.
In particular, we will not tolerate any form of ‘hate speech’ – which, for us, means any form of speech or performance that attacks, or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to, a person or a group on the basis of who they are. In other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or other identity factor.
We’re also proud to have more trans and non-binary artists and speakers on our bill than ever before.
BEING CLEAR ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING
Recently, we published the titles and blurbs for any ‘contentious’ sessions on our website and pointed to it on socials and from our email Dispatches so that people could be reassured by the framing of these sessions.
WORKING WITH OUR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
Working with OUT@Greenbelt and trans Greenbelters we have also committed to hosting the following sessions over the weekend itself:
We have an informal trans and non-binary meet-up in The Hope & Anchor at 7.30pm on Friday
7.30 PM, FRIDAY, HOPE & ANCHOR
TRANS & NON BINARY MEET UP
With OUT@Greenbelt
At the end of the OUT@Greenbelt site walk (following their welcome session in The Village Hall at 6pm), take the weight off and enjoy an alcohol-free drink in the Hope & Anchor and get together with other trans and non-binary festival-goers at the start of our weekend together. Members of the OUT@Greenbelt team will host and a Greenbelt staff team member will be around to answer questions too.
On the Monday of the festival, we have this panel:
4.00 PM, MONDAY, TREEHOUSE
LOST IN TRANS-LATION
A panel of trans and non-binary Greenbelters share their perspectives and invite your questions on what, in media discourse, has become one of the most weaponised and politicised of culture wars, but what is for them simply their everyday reality, their existence. From pronouns to toilets, puberty blockers to biology, and sports to the word ‘woman’, it’s time to get behind the toxic headlines and soundbites and to listen and learn.
Chaired by Grey Collier, with Alex Clare-Young, Sarah Hobbs, and Jay Hulme.
In addition, OUT@Greenbelt – our volunteer LGBTQ support team onsite – will also play their part in redoubling our efforts to support LGBTQ+ people at the festival across the weekend (look out for key moments like The OUT@Greenbelt Eucharist on Saturday evening in Shelter and The Glitter Ball in Hot House after hours on Sunday night).
BEING GREENBELT
But when you have more than 300 different musicians, artists, speakers and groups coming to help you put on a festival, it’s very hard to please everyone. And, to be honest, it’s not something we could do even if we wanted to.
Whether or not we have agreed with all the criticism we have received, or whether the objections being raised represented the actual views of the speakers, we have listened to, valued, and responded to these criticisms and concerns.
We are passionate about creating safer spaces at Greenbelt, and equally committed to making those spaces as inclusive and varied and open as possible. We said we’d be clear and upfront on the subjects those few speakers would be coming to talk about, and we’ve done that.
We look forward to welcoming all our speakers to our festival – to talk passionately and articulately on issues that we think everyone at Greenbelt cares about.