Andrew Kay: LGBTEDIOUS

An exciting and inclusive programme for the Brighton Festival 2015

As a massive fan of the Brighton Festival it was a delight to attend the press launch of this year’s programme, which was hosted by Chief Executive Andrew Combden, an eloquent speaker, and guest director Ali Smith. Ali Smith is passionate, charming and self effacing – and clearly fun. The assembled warmed to her presentation, her enthusiasm, her delicate wit and her winning smile – I know I did.
It was clear that having been invited to be guest director, and realising the scale of the job, she has thrown herself fully into the role and in doing so has thoroughly enjoyed it – and plans to be here throughout to continue enjoying the experience.
One thing she was determined to get across was the excellence of the entire festival team, their enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism. She is certainly not one for claiming the glory and that I admire.

“Ali Smith is passionate, charming and self effacing – and clearly fun”

Once the presentation had been made there was an opportunity to ask questions. I am not one for joining, preferring to ask my questions in private and then be the only person to have that specific response – but I do like to listen, well normally I do.
On this occassion I was infuriated by one question that came from a London-based gay magazine. He asked why an arts festival based in a city with so large an LGBT community was not reflecting this in the programming.
Now as an openly gay adult I find this more than a little depressing, in the same way that I feel when asked to recommend a gay restaurant or a gay lawyer – a request that I usually reject, saying that surely they would rather I recommend a good restaurant or the best lawyer.
My reason for this is that for so many years, so many gay people have campaigned for equality and for acceptance. In many ways much of what we had hoped for has been achieved, but there is still work to be done.
For me, equality and acceptance meant not having to build my society in a ghetto. Oh I know that there is a place for a ghetto, a safe place for people who are not ready to come completely out, that should go without saying.
What I am really saying is that I don’t think I need to be coralled into a gay section of an arts festival, as my sexual preferences really do not influence my cultural tastes to that kind of extreme. If you choose what you like to see based on sexual preference then that is your choice, but in my sense of equality that is a redundant motivation.

Ali Smith dealt with it with disarming charm and pointed out that perhaps when the questioner had had a chance to give the programme a thorough read, he would see that there was more than a smattering of participants and events that were coming from or representing LGBT interests.
I am aware that I may sound unsupportive of the LGBT community, but I can assure you that I am not. I am simply astonished that in 2015 there are people out there in the media who wish for this kind of separatism, apartheid even. I embrace society as a whole human being, not as an outcast who needs to cushion my world by padding it with culture from a sector defined by sexual preference. To the man from the smoke I say this, and please forgive the vulgarity and stereotyping – Brighton Festival is an arts festival not an arse festival!