Sex discrimination claim over men on queens’ float

By Richard Wright

Saturday, August 25, 2012

 

Sex discrimination claim over men on queens’ float

The Ryde Carnival queens’ float with yeomen at Freshwater Carnival.

A BITTER ‘royal’ row broke out this week between rival carnivals over sex discrimination claims.
Two Yeomen of the Guard discovered they stood in the way of Ryde Carnival Queens’ float winning prizes against other royal tableaux at Cowes, Ventnor and Shanklin’s parades.
Judges refused to recognise it as a queens’ float because men were on it and instead placed it in a different category.
“It was built as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee with the yeomen protecting the crown and our carnival queens,” said Ryde Carnival Association chairman Claire Kay.
“But, after we complained about not being judged, we were told that to be included we had to remove our yeomen, who are an integral part of our tableau.
“As chair of Ryde Carnival, I think this is blatant sexual discrimination.
“Historically, the carnivals on the Island have had kings and queens on their queens’ floats over the years.
“In fact one of Ryde’s floats in the 90s, depicting the Austrian Tirol, won every single queens’ float first prize at all the carnivals, when we had a young man dressed in lederhosen with our queens.
“Nowhere in the carnival federation’s constitution does it ban men.”
But Ventnor Carnival’s secretary Jane Goodlet said: “We are just disgusted she has decided to air her dirty washing in public.
“Carnivals are free to make their own decisions and we told her the place to bring it up if she had a problem was at a meeting of the federation in September — but then she decided it was better to contact the County Press.”
Cowes Carnival Association chairman Lynn Hammond said: “No offence was meant but there is an unwritten rule men should not be on the queens’ float.”

Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk