Drag queen launches movement claiming Cambridge ‘sucks for queer people of colour’

A Black drag queen has launched a movement to improve the lives of queer people of colour in Cambridge after they were subjected to racial abuse.

In November, drag performer Guillotina, who is queer, claimed they were racially abused by a group of young people who called them the N-word. They reported the incident to police, and shared the ordeal on Instagram in a post that went viral. 

They further claimed that the abuse wasn’t isolated and was indicative of a wider issue of racism in the UK and, in particular, Cambridge.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Constabulary told PinkNews: “The crime has been closed following investigation, pending further evidence coming to light. No suspect was identified.”

In a bid to tackle unaddressed racism in the city they have launched a movement called Cambridge is Chopped. The first stage of the movement will be launched in February, and will focus on “collecting and amplifying experiences of racism”. 

The 24-year-old took to Instagram on Monday (5 January) to announce the launch of their movement. 

They captioned the post: “Cambridge Is Chopped is a movement focusing on improving the quality of life for Queer people of colour (QPOC) that live, work and study in Cambridge.

“The aim is to amplify experiences and the effects of racism, hold spaces accountable for their complacency in addressing racism, and to create events for QPOCs in Cambridge.” 

Among a carousel of slides, Guillotina listed reasons for the creation of the movement, including that there is currently “no solidarity, no action” and “no community” when it comes to QPOC in Cambridge. 

In a different slide they shared that they hope the current issues can be “fixed” by encouraging people to “speak out, stand up” and “come together”. 

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‘Saying racism is bad isn’t enough anymore’

They told PinkNews: “Not only do I believe that Cambridge is a hostile environment for QPOCs, I believe it is also an isolating one. 

“It’s one thing to experience a hate crime, but what’s worse is feeling like I could turn to no one for understanding. Since it went viral, I have received dozens of messages from other QPOCs saying they have felt the exact same way, but they didn’t say anything because they knew people here would dismiss it. That’s disgusting – chopped, if you would say.” 

They hope their movement will make Cambridge “not just a less hostile environment, but a welcoming environment for QPOCs”. 

“Saying racism is bad isn’t enough anymore. We need to stand up for our QPOC peers. When racism isn’t challenged, it will only continue – and with greater effect,” they continued, adding that they want “spaces to have our backs in the event that racial injustices happen”. 

They also hope their movement will lead to the creation of more events for the community. 

“There is a large queer scene in Cambridge, and yet there are no events for queer people of colour – an important intersection with its own experiences and challenges. It makes sense that this is the case, as no one will want to host an event if hate crimes are unchallenged so easily in public.” 

They concluded that their movement is “about hope” for not just Cambridge, but the UK. 

“It’s about showing that we are actively against racism and letting the QPOC community know that people have our back.” 

The first stage of the movement will be launched on 16 February, and will focus on “collecting and amplifying experiences of racism” via the CambridgeIsChopped.com website. 

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