an open letter to David Walliams

David Walliams' fansite have linked to my previous post, describing it as 'horrible'. This is a quick reply.


Dear David,

I see that your fansite have linked to my parody of your Nationwide poster, where you and Matt are dressed as Emily and Florence, your transvestite characters. The wording of the poster has been changed to "We're doing the Black and White Minstrels next. How divine". Your fansite describes this as 'horrible'. I'm sorry that they should think so. I was trying to make a point.
I'd hoped that the connection was reasonably easy to make, but I realise that sometimes what I think is blindingly obvious, isn't so.

To me, the Black and White Minstrel Show was about members of the dominant culture appropriating and caricaturing the identity of members of another culture. And as I see it, that is what you are doing with your transvestite characters. The difference between the two instances is that the first one is no longer acceptable. And I believe it's only a matter of time before what you do is also more widely seen as past its sell-by date.

You might argue that no-one could relate your characters, Emily and Florence, to real people, as they are such extreme caricatures. Unfortunately, some folk apparently do just that.

I lead a quiet and pretty normal sort of life. But a few years ago, I was in the papers as a result of some nastiness that happened to me. The press coverage was pretty much as you would expect, when a transsexual woman is in the papers. And one of those papers (the Daily Star) used 'Little Britain' references to describe me. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was an annoyance. Your characters provided a model and a vocabulary for people (people who had never even met me) to treat me as a caricature. And where people treat other people as caricatures, they don't treat them as real people. And they may (and sometimes actually do) end up abusing them.

It is claimed that you've "spoken out for the trans community for years". I'm afraid I don't know what it is that you've said; and I admit that I haven't read your book. But I do know that the trans community has within it some articulate voices, more and more of which are beginning to find platforms. When I speak, it is only for myself; I do not pretend to speak for a community. But I am sincere when I say that I do wish you would give up on Emily and Florence. I think the world (my world anyway) would be a little better for it.

13 Jan 2011 - postscript: my comment on the new Walliams and Lucas vehicle, Come Fly With Me, here.


(this post has been edited, as I initially thought that the David Walliams fansite was the voice of David Walliams himself.)

how divine

Nationwide Building Society's new billboard campaign is under way, with David Walliams and Matt Lucas of Little Britain, portraying 'Emily' and 'Florence', their transvestite characters. Maxine Taylor, Nationwide's Divisional Director of Corporate Affairs, responded to my letter to Nationwide by saying

The characters in 'Little Britain' are some of the best loved on British television and we do not believe they are intended to be discriminatory.



postscript: David Walliams' fansite describes this post as 'horrible'. I have responded here. This is the text of the comment I made on Mr Walliams' fansite, which was deleted.

Oh, and this is the original poster...

same old same old

Apparently the Nationwide Building Society claims that it is "proud to be different".

You'd never guess it from this tired old nonsense.




Just in case you're interested, here's the Advertising Standards Authority's 'how to make a complaint' page

and here is someone high up the heap at Nationwide:

Graham Beale, Chief Executive, Nationwide Building Society, Head Office, Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon SN38 1NW.

(thanks, Jo)

edited to add...

My letter to Graham Beale

Dear Mr Beale,

I wish to register my dismay over the broadcasting of the new Nationwide television ads, featuring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, and particularly their portrayal of ‘Emily’ and ‘Florence’, presumably transvestites, attempting to open an account for ‘ladies’ at a branch of Nationwide.

I am a woman with a transsexual history. It might rightly be said that I have nothing in common with the absurd characters portrayed by Walliams and Lucas; that has not, however, stopped people from linking me with those characters in the past. Here, for instance, is a report concerning me in the Daily Star

(edited to remove the Daily Star article, as the other person cited in it still finds it upsetting)

This is not the only example I could cite, but it is hopefully enough to give you an idea of what people write and think.

The reason that I was at an employment tribunal was that I had experienced harassment, intimidation and violence in the workplace. And I believe that in large part, my colleagues behaved the way that they did towards me because they were too ready to see a caricature rather than a real human being. And when people treat other people as caricatures, they open the way to abuse. And people rarely knowingly encounter transsexual people in their everyday lives. So that the way we are portrayed in the media colours their opinions and prejudices.

Apparently Nationwide Building Society claims that it is ‘proud to be different’. On the evidence of this commercial, you are not different. You are part of the problem.

Yours sincerely,

Dru Marland

Warty Bliggens

Not a toad but a frog. Kiss it if you like, but it'll still be a frog. Unless it's a metaphor.

Richard was on the phone on Friday; we're doing an interview with a regional newspaper next week. Funny; I remember the headline the same paper ran during the Tribunal, which was a little sensationalist and ever so slightly unpleasant. Hopefully this will prove a happier experience.

It got me thinking of the stuff that was said about me back then, at the time when P&O were merrily spouting out unsubstantiated allegations (are they the same as stinking lies, do you suppose?); and the toads and weasels of the world were busily lapping it up and nodding their heads sagaciously and saying, presumably, "O yes, we know what they're like..."

Anyway, I Googled my name just then, to see if there was anything toxic lying around.

I found this, from the Daily Star

HE'S NOT A FLIRT. .HE'S A LAY-DEE!


Byline: OLIVIA MATTHEWS

A SEX-SWAP sailor didn't blow kisses at shipmates - she was just pouting.

Drusilla Marland was prone to pursing her lips, said her friend X, also born a man.

The transsexuals arrived at an employment tribunal on bikes yesterday, just like Little Britain "Lay-dees" Emily and Florence, played by Matt Lucas, 32, and David Walliams, 34.

Miss McLeod said she had seen the redhead pouting many times but had never taken this as a sexual come-on.

Miss Marland, 48, claims she was hounded out of her job with P&O Ferries due to constant jibes.

The engine room worker said fellow staff quizzed her on her "balls" and referred to her as "he".

Miss Marland, of Bristol, claims she was forced to resign from the Pride of Bilbao, which sails from Portsmouth.

The tribunal also heard that male colleagues complained that Miss Marland joked one of them could be her first sexual partner after she had the full op - claims she denies.

Miss McLeod, 49, said: "As for her 'exaggerated pouting', I have never attached any meaning to it. It's a mannerism, that's all."

P&O Ferries admits sexual discrimination but denies unfair dismissal.

Nicely written, Olivia. I like the subtle way she brought in Little Britain. Apparently David Cameron, head of the Conservative Party, uses a bicycle too, so I guess he must be a "lay-dee" as well. Is that how it works, 'Olivia'?

And then, in number seven position on Google, is someone who describes himself as Admiral Flynn, who has a little blog called "Admiral Online" where he makes querulous noises about the world. Here's a little throw-away remark he made about me:

This is Drusilla Marland.

'She' used to be a man but nobody would possibly know

She/He is claiming unfair dismissal.

She claims some people made fun of her.

Surely not

Note the inverted commas, suggesting that I am not really a she at all; and the she/he thing, which perhaps suggests that I'm not really a human at all. Nicely done, 'Admiral'!


Phew, got that off my chest. No point in jumping up and down and getting annoyed; after all, I was completely vindicated and these silly little people ended up with egg on their faces; but if you ever do pass by this way, Olivia Matthews and 'Admiral' Flynn, I'd like you to know that what you wrote was plain nasty, and that you rendered yourselves contemptible by doing it. At least Olivia was being paid to do it. I wonder if that makes it better, or worse?