Glossop is set to experience its second drag night at the Norfolk Arms, thanks to event organiser Jamie Laing.
Featuring an exciting line up of RuPaul's Drag Race stars, along with top local and regional talent, ‘It’s Gonna Be May - 90s Drag Night’ promises to be even bigger and better than the first.
Former management consultant Jamie, spent over a decade working across Asia, and it was whilst living in Tokyo that he began to understand the performance of drag as an art, as resistance, and a way to express community.
Returning to Glossop, where his family are based, Jamie felt a sense of responsibility to use his professional skills to pay homage to drag, creating something joyful, visible, and safe for others to experience. Despite facing some backlash, he believes what he is doing is important, meaningful and overdue.
I met with Jamie and the landlady of the Norfolk Arms for over 11 years, Carol Midgley, to ask about the bigger picture and how that translates to Glossop.
Jamie, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Judges said the concept of sex is binary but wanted to specify that transgender people still have legal protection from discrimination. Many in the LGBTQ+ community have now said they feel unsafe - less protected, less seen, and more vulnerable. What are your thoughts?
Thank you so much for the question, allowing us to talk about this really important topic. I would begin with the fact that there's a limit to the extent to which these rulings do affect me as a cis white male, but what I can speak about is how, as a community, we're feeling like there's much more pushback on rights that up to now we had assumed we'd been granted.
The Supreme Court ruling might have been positioned as a legal clarification, but its emotional and social impact is real and wide-reaching. A lot of my friends, colleagues and associates in the trans community are really suffering and feeling very threatened by the current national mood. It has emboldened political, media and online voices to challenge trans rights, which we are seeing here in Glossop. Events like our drag night now feel essential, as they give people visibility, connection, and pride in their place in this community.
When I saw the ruling, I was actually not as dismayed as I thought I would be, because the judgement said it shouldn't be taken as a success for either party. Sadly, it's definitely being taken as a success for those that are looking to reduce the rights of the trans community.
What is the Glossop LGBTQ+ community saying?
The Glossop LGBTQ+ group is run by extremely dedicated people on Facebook, and that's who I spoke to. Sadly, I can only report mostly negative, upset and scared feedback.
Some of the people are parents of trans, intersex or other LGBTQ+ sons and daughters, other people are identifying as that themselves, and you can just feel the fear. People are feeling isolated not knowing where to go, as they are seeing their identity being questioned and reduced across the news.
Some of the comments I’ve had are, ‘It feels like we are being erased bit by bit’, ‘My son is trans. I’m scared for him, and I didn’t think I’d have to feel that in this country’ and ‘The drag night isn’t about politics, it’s a positive, loving response to fear.’
Why is it important to hold events like the drag night?
I'm a big believer in taking up space, and drag is punk and protest and an art form that evolves with the times to push boundaries and create space. So although people can reduce it to ‘It's a man in a wig’, the truth is they are artists who are using the current environment to inform with their art.
Sometimes it's satirical, sometimes it's performative and sometimes it's just playing a particular persona, but at its very nature it's about protest, and right now we need that protest. We need people to be waking up to the fact that rights are being taken away, and people's lived experience is being questioned by people who don't have that experience.
We are holding this night to make sure there's a physical place where people can come along and see and speak to people that are just like them.
Importantly, it's completely open to everyone, so those that identify as allies, or those that are just curious thinking ‘What is this drag night that’s happening in Glossop?’ come along and mix together. Our event isn’t just a party, it’s a visible signpost for anyone feeling uncertain, telling them ‘You’re not alone’.
Carol, as we’ve heard, there is a lot of tension around issues like this, why have you chosen to be involved and, as a business, have you feared or suffered any negative backlash?
As a business we decided that we would have this fantastic evening for everybody - our locals, new members, everybody that wants to come, and we've not had any real negative backlash.
It's just all been positive from my point of view - positive from the business side, positive from the feedback that we get from people, positive from the staff wanting to enjoy themselves and be involved in the evening. It's just been phenomenal. I can’t imagine anybody worrying about coming to an event like this, because it's such a fabulous night.
Before the first one last year, we had a lot of our stalwart regulars saying they would never attend a drag night, and saying to me ‘What on earth are you doing Carol?!’, but they were the first in, and they'll be the first in on this one because they had the best time and can’t wait! It's been really positive.
(Jamie) I’d like to mention the importance of the trust within our relationship. When I returned from Japan, Carol was the first person I approached about the event, and she didn’t just agree, she backed it financially and emotionally which was amazing as we didn't know what the outcome would be. After the show I asked her how we’d done, and she smiled and said we we’d smashed it, with it being one of the biggest nights of the year. That moment has stayed with me - the relief more than anything!
Who is the event for and what can people expect?
Everyone aged 18 and above is welcome. It is a drag show and whilst I know that drag performers sometimes read books to kids and do kids shows - it's not that type of drag event. It's definitely evening time adult entertainment.
We have an act on the hour every hour from 9:30pm, and each act will have three numbers from RuPaul's Drag Race Contestants and top regional talent and some of our local queens as well.
When we did this last time, we had RuPaul's Drag Race stars Banksy and Lil, who came all the way from Salford and turned out an amazing performance for us. I don't think we've seen anything quite like that in Glossop.
I can just remember when I was on the stage hosting, seeing a lot of happy, cheering faces, it was an electric atmosphere. We'll be sticking to the same format. If someone thinks it’s ‘not for them’ we say ‘Come along, it might surprise you!’.
The ‘It’s Gonna Be May - 90s Drag Night’ starts at 9:30pm in the Norfolk Arms, Glossop on Friday, May 23. It’s a free event and booking isn’t required.
