Comedy has always been on the edge of most things. Comedy should make you think and get you rustled a bit. But, there is never anything funny about being a bigot, ever. Plenty of notable comedians have poked holes and poked fun at society, politics, stereotypes, and more without actually punching down.
Recently Supernova International Ska Festival announced that a person called Ian Fidance would be the emcee for the fest this year. I had no idea who they were, or why they would be chosen, it seemed most people I talked to shared a similar reaction. Shortly after, a few videos were passed around, and not only were they not very funny, they were undoubtedly a bit problematic. Nothing came of this except no understanding of why someone like this would be involved, and people moved on. But that all changed recently.
This is not okay. This is not only highly transphobic but also puts down women entirely, and I think it is safe to say it isn’t even a little bit funny. Twitter users quickly found several more, treating trans women as sex objects and much worse.
Ska has, since its creation, been about lifting up marginalized people; it initially celebrated freedom from colonization. It quickly took a stance as anti-racist, and there is a reason why various songs speaking to Unity have been around since the 60s through the different Ska-Punk genres in later years. Ska is anti-racist and pro-LGBTQ and continues to be a voice for many people from all walks of life who need that community.
There will not only be trans/queer people in the audience at Supernova, but without even checking the lineup right now, probably be a few musicians on stage as well. They do not need to hear this hateful person between sets while just trying to dance to fantastic music and spend time with their friends and family. Supernova, you need to correct this decision, and I think you must do so soon.