Annie Lennox on feminism, gay, and transgender

Annie Lennox has been interviewed several times lately and expressed some ideas worth noting.

We’re coming to a place where [feminism] needs to be inclusive.

I think the LGBTQ community are a part of that movement and we’re all sort of connected on this particular level and it’s very exciting – watch that space.

I am so happy to see now that transgender women and men are able to come out of the shadows finally and say ‘Look we’re here. Why do we need to pretend we don’t exist?’

It’s a very interesting time.

–Lennox

Lennox is a prominent campaigner on HIV issues and advises London Mayor Boris Johnson on those issues.

In a recent interview Lennox argued that the word “gay” is irrelevant because it should be “nobody’s effing business.”  She believes it is time or the LGBT community to “broaden out” beyond labels.

Of course it’s terribly relevant when you are trying to create a campaign. During a human rights movement, it’s terribly important to have labels and to have platforms that are very identifiable, but ultimately we should just be fine with everybody no matter what our sexual orientation is.

It’s nobody’s effing business.

–Lennox

Asked about use of the word “queer”:

Even that – no. It’s diminishing. Broaden out. And it will come.