Kirin J Callinan has defended rapper Miss Blanks after she was involved in his removal from the Laneway Festival lineup.
Callinan was quietly dropped by festival organisers from the lineup earlier this month. Blanks later said that she’d had a conversation with organisers prior to his removal saying his behaviour, which includes controversially flashing at last year’s ARIAs, should not be “tolerated”.
She further said, “I believe in a process of accountability.”
Callinan has now spoke out in defence of Blanks in an Instagram post writing, “It does not sit well with me one puny pitiful bit that a fellow artist & clearly strong, trans woman of colour could now be shamed or take the blame, be defamed or suffer the same re my recent omission from a certain summertime festivus, regardless o the role she may have played.”
He further wrote that she was an artist we should support because she’s, “bold, original, flamboyant, progressive & with somethin to say.”
He demanded that people stop the “harassment” directed at Blanks but did concede that he’s a “wee bit disappointed” that he won’t be performing at Laneway this year.
“More important than some rocking concert, more relevant than resentment or regrets, is respect ~ for each & every one o us,” he concluded.
Callinan is still yet to directly speak about the flashing incident at the ARIAs. Before this, he addressed his removal from the Laneway lineup by writing on an Instagram story, “As it stands, I will no longer be performing at Laneway this year.”
Blanks is playing Laneway which is due to kick off in Adelaide this week.
You can read his full Instagram post below.
