Snippet from an interview with Elle Kennedy. The full interview was part of Queer in Brighton oral history project. A collection of over 100 recordings, documenting queer life in Brighton.
Elle discusses the politics of "passing" and how it informs dating as a trans person, she also talks about life in Brighton, community organisations and social events, and pronouns and labels.
Elle Kennedy is interviewed by Ten Harber. She speaks about coming to Brighton for university in 2010 and choosing it as a place to transition. She speaks about nightclubs such as Legends, The Queens Arms and Revenge, and the issue of unisex toilets in club spaces. She speaks further about passing and dating as a transwoman, including the challenges of being translesbian in women’s spaces.
Elle also talks about straight people attending Pride and how it brings a higher security risk. The Clare Project is mentioned as a space to meet and speak to other trans women, also noting The Marlborough and The Zone as trans-friendly spaces. Though self-identifying as right of Labour, she does support Caroline Lucas and the Green party in Brighton.
Brighton is mentioned as a place that introduced Elle to gender beyond the binary, now regarding the term queer as a ‘conciousness’ rather than as a sexual preference.
Elle speaks about transitioning and how Brighton uniquely helped with that.