Oztix | News | Kirin J Callinan Responds To Laneway Line-up Axing

Kirin J Callinan has broken his silence regarding his recent removal from the upcoming Laneway festival.

Though the Sydney songwriter said he was "disappointed" with the decision, he threw his support behind Miss Blanks, who approached Laneway organisers about his expulsion.

"She is the exact sort of artist we should all support — bold, original, flamboyant, progressive & with somethin to say," Callinan wrote on an Instagram post.

"Furthermore, it mortifies me to think that she could now be made to feel unwelcome in any way, shape or fabulous form — onstage, backstage or on her ig page, at any stage.

"So I’m saying so, demanding it now, there will be no harassment, there will be no D’s out 4 Miss B in 20 A~teen. There will be tolerance & there will be respect."

The statement continues, "To say I’m a wee bit disappointed that I will not also be performing for every dusty, sexy, sunburnt woman & man & non-binary human ‘round this beaut n dusty sunburnt land is the understatement o the new year.

"But more important than some rocking concert, more relevant than resentment or regrets, is respect — for each & every one o us."

See the full post below.

The decision to remove Callinan from the 2018 Laneway bill was sparked after Miss Blanks, who is also an ambassador for the 1800 LANEWAY safe space program, approached organisers.

Among the reasons behind Callinan's Laneway axing was his stunt at at the 2017 ARIA Awards where he exposed himself on the red carpet.

Blanks said earlier this month, "It threatens many people of many intersections, there are many people that have a potential for risk when someone like Kirin is on the line-up. Ableism and blackface, exposing himself at the ARIAs was just the icing on the cake".

My friends, There’s been some talk. Debate & discourse. Much of it positive, some of it misinformed, a small n sanctimonious element too. Regardless o the noise, however, 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 #laneway #lanewayfestival @lanewayfestival @miss.blanks #missblanks She is the exact sort of artist we should all support ~ bold, original, flamboyant, progressive & with somethin to say. Furthermore, it mortifies me to think that she could now be made to feel unwelcome in any way, shape or fabulous form ~ onstage, backstage or on her ig page, at any stage. So I’m saying so, demanding it now, there will be no harassment, there will be no D’s out 4 Miss B in 20 A~teen. There will be tolerance & there will be respect #respect #tolerance #therewillbe I’m serious. Deadly. To say I’m a wee bit disappointed that I will not also be performing for every dusty, sexy, sunburnt woman & man & non-binary human ‘round this beaut n dusty sunburnt land is the understatement o the new year. But more important than some rocking concert, more relevant than resentment or regrets, is respect ~ for each & every one o us. So, be kinder to each other in 2018, be kinder to yourselves and perhaps, one day not too far from now, the world will be big enough, for all of us #allofus #bigenough #thisguysinlovewithyou by Annett @annett.bonkowski
A post shared by Kirin J Callinan (@kirinjcallinan) on Jan 30, 2018 at 12:40am PST