A side of cosplay

Lorraine and I into Brighton together this morning. Lorraine off to have her hair cut. I popped into Churchill Square and saw an exhibition Beth had organised, on up cycling clothes. From there I went to my old ideologically unsound Starbucks and sat there sipping their largest oat milk latte and working on some poems for a couple of hours. Lorraine on her way, I mooched across the road into the Library where they were holding a poetry and spoken word performance, by trans writers. I stayed for a bit. There is a hard polarisation happening these days. Trans exclusionary feminists who don't think calling yourself a woman suddenly makes you a woman and that trans women who are really men in women's spaces is threatening. Meanwhile trans folks, especially trans women who most of the ire seems directed at,  feel victimised and don't feel that their reality is acknowledged, and that they really are women. I have no dog in this fight and just look on aghast at the viciousness that this debate provokes in its protagonists.  The event was hosted by a tall drag queen and I heard two people reading. In my opinion the poetry as poetry was feeble, but that wasn't really the point. It gave people an opportunity to be on stage and tell their stories. It could easily be described as narcissistic but that may be harsh. Someone with a clipboard was looking at anyone who seemed interested. She looked at me and ticked a box. 

So then I met Lorraine and we went off to the Fountain Head where we met Innis and Rosie. Lorraine had curly hair today, fresh from Paul the hairdresser, full of bounce and cheer.  

Had one drink there before going off to the Earth and Stars to get food. Chatting cheerily with Rosie and Innis we noticed there were lots of slightly timid young people kept sliding in and going upstairs. One or two had fluffy tails on the backs of their jeans. Someone on another table asked them politely what they were doing. Turns out it is a venue for cosplay. One young guy, who was delighted to be asked, explained that he dressed up as a cat, and took a big cat head out of his bag. Innis had gone to see Young Fathers, which he really enjoyed. I could have gone too, but was ill. 

Fond farewells with those two. Home to Seaford on the train. Lots of sadder and wiser Brighton fans got on at Falmer. A woman sat next to Lorraine, and they got chatting. A very friendly woman who lives in Seaford -- and was soon chatting happily. On a footballing note, Brighton were robbed. Chelsea are the worst they have been in decades at the moment, losing to the lowest team in the league Southampton, today. 

We were happy to be home on the gold sofa. 

Below an up cycled jumper I quite liked.