Sydney Pub Promises Next Year Its 2-Up Comp Won’t Use A Transphobic Slur

The Bank Hotel in Newtown came under fire yesterday for hosting their annual ANZAC Day game of 2-up, which is hosted by drag queens. 

Unfortunately, for years they’ve used an incredibly awful, transphobic term in the name, calling it ‘Tr*nny 2-up’
A quick note to perhaps point out here: ‘transgender person’ does not equal ‘drag queen’, or vice versa. They are totally different and separate groups of people. While the term has previously been used within the drag queen community, it’s incredibly outdated, and very inappropriate for cisgender people to use. 
Stephanie McCarthy, the musician who was assaulted because she is transgender, while she was playing at The Town Hall Hotel in Newtown last year, commented on the post, expressing her feelings about a venue using such a derogatory term. She mentions that the word was one of the insults the two men hurled at her as they were assaulting her:
“This REALLY isn’t cool. 50 metres from where I got bashed, on a day when every young guy will be blind drunk. Letting these drunk young men know that it’s OK to use highly offensive slurs (slurs that were yelled at me when I was repeatedly getting punched in the head) is just so unbelievably irresponsible, some would say dangerous. But hey, as long as you have a great day financially, who cares right?”

While many believe that this is okay because “it’s been called that for years!” and “toughen up, it’s always been a term of endearment!” or (the cherry on the top of every transphobia sundae) “I have trans friends and they say it’s fine for me to use it!”, they are unfortunately, ignorantly incorrect. 
In an ever-changing world that learns, grows, and adapts language to suit accordingly, these excuses don’t cut the fucking mustard anymore. 
And The Bank Hotel agreed, responding the Steph’s request with a thoughtful and respectful response – they directly apologised for causing Steph distress, and promised to change the name of the event.
Social media managers – this is how you do it. Take notes. 
Source/Photos: Facebook.

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