If this is all new to you then start up here and work your way down, but if you’re here for the update alone then scroll to the bottom.

The Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) is just around the corner, and festivities are set to take place at the Zip Zap Circus Dome on December 17.

Every year organisers come up with a creative theme – past years have seen CandyLand and Space Cowboys – but this year they are under the pump for dubbing the event ‘A Bollywood Production’.

Cultural appropriation accusations have been levelled against organisers, and there’s even a petition to have the theme changed on GoPetition (HERE).

News24 with more:

Allowing scantily-clad, drunk, white gay men to frolic at a Bollywood-themed party would show disrespect to Indian people and their culture, according to a complaint lodged with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities…

On its Facebook event page [HERE], users criticised the theme as “disrespectful, offensive and inappropriate”.

“It’s just sad that the ‘Queer Event Organisers’, claiming to cater for a community known for its cutting edge and inventive styles and fashions, would fall back on the whole scale appropriation of another culture’s own fashions. Sad,” one user commented.

The event’s organiser’s have responded on the Facebook page with a lengthy post (HERE), excerpts of which you can see below:

MCQP THEME OF ‘A BOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION’ PAYS HOMAGE TO HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL INDIAN BASED MOVIE PRODUCTION SCENE (AND NOTHING MORE)

MCQP’s Theme “A Bollywood Production”, which was announced this week for the 2016 event, pays homage to the multibillion dollar Indian based movie production scene. So says Ian McMahon, Director of MCQP. He adds: “This is the second movie based theme, having hosted ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ in 2008. MCQP is a costume party and takes ideas and inspiration from all over the world that sets the theme for the annual costumed event in December. This theme is just another celebration of cinematic success and excellence, not intended to be anything more.”

In coming up with this year’s theme, the producers were mindful to enlist the help of Indian wedding organiser and Cape Town Drag Queen Lola Fine in order to “ensure that we stay on the right side of Bollywood and steer away from any religious Hindi component. Our intent is that our theme does not touch close to the religious aspects”…

“Now in its 23rd year, MCQP was launched as a primarily gay or ‘queer’ event. It has since become an annual Cape Town institution, attended by thousands of enthusiasts of all cultures, races and sexual orientation – celebrating a fun event together in a united way as people accepting each other for who they are. It is Africa’s biggest and longest running costume party and we always aim to be all inclusive,” concludes McMahon.

That would make it seem like organisers are determined to go ahead with the theme, but let’s check back in with that petition:

This is distasteful, problematic and absolutely unapologetic appropriation in the worst way possible. As members of both the Indian and queer communities, we are truly offended. MCQP, you have gone too far. The gaytriarchy will not prosper. Do us all a favour and fix this.

I guess we will just have to wait and see who backs down first, although given the backlash it seems organisers may have missed a trick by sticking to their guns.

UPDATE: Organisers have changed the theme – HERE’S the Facebook post announcing the change. Excerpts below:

WE HEARD YOU…
MCQP ANNOUNCES EXCITING THEME CHANGE FOR 2016 EVENT TO ‘MCQP, THE MUSICAL’

The organisers of MCQP announced their exciting new theme for the 2016 event today as “MCQP, The Musical”, changing it from the originally planned “A Bollywood Production”.

Says Ian McMahon, Director of MCQP: “After hearing public commentary on social media about the Bollywood Production theme and wanting to ensure that the 23rd spectacle is as inclusive as possible, MCQP is very excited to announce that we’ve come up with the new theme that will allow for a wide variety of amazing outfits, characters and creations.”

He adds: “Paying tribute to the theatrical world of Broadway and the West End, MCQP’s theme ‘The Musical’ will honour everyone’s favourite musical productions – from The Phantom of the Opera, to Jersey Boys, Les Mis to Dreamgirls, Chicago to The Lion King, South Pacific to War Horse – the possibilities are endless.

“’MCQP, The Musical’ will conjure the make believe world of theatre productions, sets, music and performances that will leave even composer Andrew Lloyd Webber spellbound.”

[sources:news24&gopetition]