QUEEREST OF THE QUEER: What a NIGHT!

Queerest of the Queer aren’t the people you call when you want to pink wash – we don’t give you easy credits on your corporate social responsibility – we’re a collection of politically minded queers into performance and creating queer spaces.

So when BrewDog responded to our challenge to talk about their fundraising video and how they could seriously re-engage with and make amends to the LGBTQ+ community they weren’t taking the easy track.

We met and started to talk about levels of oppression and how Cis, White, Rich, Gay men are not the only voice, even if they are a loud voice. There are other lived experiences. We had long animated discussions, including how charitable money doesn’t often end up going to the grass roots organisations that help LGBTQ+ youth, especially when they are supporting the homeless and refugees.

Then we got talking about the history of brewing, the role of women in early brewing that was slowly erased, and the work Brew Dog are doing, and should continue to do, to bring more diversity into brewing.

This led us to talking about the closure of queer spaces, with the closure of the Black Cap, Madame JoJo’s and the George and Dragon to mention but a few.

So we ended up where we are today, with No Label – a beer with our name on it. A beer without anybody’s name on it. A beer, as it were, without a name.

All money from this venture is gong to charities – because one of the goals of Queerest of the Queer was that we give as much of any profit we can to charity. We didn’t make a profit from the festival in September- and this allowed us to do more than we could have done even if we had a capacity crowd.

Money is going to the Albert Kennedy Trust, Micro Rainbow who support LGBT asylum seekers, and we are working with Mosaic Youth and other youth charities to run a LGBTQ+ youth ball in the new year.

We haven’t put a label on what this relationship with BrewDog is – it would be counter-intuitive

All of this started with a conversation – because the most interesting things do.

See the BrewDog post

We have merchandise.

Fabulous T-Shirts, totes, colouring books (yes colouring books) and souvenir zines – all available from our shop.

10% of all profits go to the Albert Kennedy Trust.

Scottish brewery company BrewDog, who last week came under fire for making fun of marginalized groups in a new Crowdfunding video, have had an olive branch (of sorts) extended to them by the Queerest of the Queer.

Our video is in response to BrewDog’s plea to their fans to contribute money in order to save them from the ‘humiliation’ of living on the streets, or working in the sex industry dressed in lingerie. Almost immediately, over 8000 signatures were raised asking BrewDog to pull their advert and apologise.

Self-proclaimed punks BrewDog responded with James Watt, co-Founder of BrewDog stating to HuffingtonPost that “it’s a shame that some people have taken offence.”

This ‘sorrynotsorry’ response has not been good enough for some of the independent brewery’s previous fans, including our producers.

In our response video, producer, Dr J and sidekick Queerest worker, Sian, explore their disappointment in the company, referencing the discussions the festival were having with BrewDog about sponsoring our festival (which is donating 10% of their profits to LGBT homeless charity, The Albert Kennedy Trust) and their betrayal at the company’s blasé attitude to these issues. But rather than the usual hand-wringing, we end the video by inviting BrewDog to the 12 hour festival, wanting them to come and revel in the fun and mischief that can be had without offence.

BrewDog’s Watt said to HuffingtonPost, “We have a history of supporting and championing the LGBT community, and will continue doing so…. watch this space.”

James Watt – we at Queerest of the Queer are watching, and have reserved you a space.