Welcome to another rant filled (and this will be a doozy for a rant) podcast from AbsolutQueer Photography – were we take photos but also give a damn about what happens.

So this week going up online are photos from MariahVision – where the Mariah and Firendz team bought their version of a popular singing contest complete with circus acts, drag, and real craziness to BGWMC.

Also we’ve got the Final of It’s a Drag knock out – and I could rant more about Meth – and I probably will at some point- along with the rest of the Family Fierce – but the Final is all about the last three contestants – Lick von Dyke, Herr and Georgia Tasda.

So what is on this week?

Well last night – the Family Fierce opened their new Friday nights at Bloc Bar – and it looked amazing – so that will be the top of my recommendations for Friday nights.

Saturday – I’m off to more wrestling – Eve Wrestling is out in Hackney Wick at Crea* space – and so worth the drive – some amazing performers – Ria O’reilly and Kay Lee Ray are superb to watch. It’s gonna be great!

If wrestling is not your bag, there’s an interesting Smashproof evening of female performers – although I am pleased to see definition of female is being stretched.

Sunday – There are Three (yes THREE) options for me, Mass with Virgin Xtravaganzah at Bloc Bar, The Royal Tease Freak Show, and Sunday Sunday at VFD. Again I plead for a tardis, a duplicator, or just the ability to be in more than one place at a time.

Monday – The Its a Drag Knockout team are back for a Highlights show at Bloc Bar – everyone is amazing and this will be so much fun!

Wednesday – It’s Queer Question Time at the RVT, organised by Wandsworth LGBT forum – come and discuss being In or Out of the EU (for the record, I’m In…)

Thursday – the House of ! are back at Cecils- this time it’s a revamped event aimed at Mingling for those in the performance community – because we only ever get chanced to catch up back stage or running between events and so much happens when we talk!

Friday – Well I am a lucky sod and I have tickets to Amanda Palmer – and if I can I’ll drag the whole crowd to Bloc Bar for BFF

If you want something else- the LipSinkers are at the RVT…
So rant on…

To start with this conversation, I’m a pacifist and want to work towards a day when the hegemony of the military industrial complex is over. However I am also a liberal and believe that everyone should have the right to march as they want to in the Pride parade.

The recent protests around Pride upset me – because instead of turning on real valid targets -the numbing austerity/poor punishment of this government, the underfunding of the NHS, which leads to the change in funding on PreP – there are groups turning inwards. This is leading to an “us and them” with the LGBT community – I see my friends who are serving in the military come under attack from other queers, I see people like me, in the middle, frowned on for not applauding the military.

So I will rant about engaging – because at points this year I have seen it work – I have sat for three years around a table with someone who I disagree with on pretty much every basic point – when we met I believe he thought the battles were won – and over the years around the table myself and others have kept up the message that diversity needs to stretch to include more of us, and for a lot of us there is not a won battle, let alone the whole war – and then we sat and talked after the meeting – and their view has changed, they recognise there are people in pain in this community and want to find ways of making it better – and understand now the vast privilege they have in this world.

So engage – talk to people about their stories, get to know them. Yes you’re not going to agree, but keep it respectful, keep it open and keep the dialogue going. Because eventually you will start to move people towards a more understanding mindset – they will start to see that the world isn’t just made of people like them. This goes for all sides…

But that is just my rant .. and I’m just a photographer documenting queer performance (and wrestling) in London..