Do./Th. 09 jun. 2011: Queeristan 2011 benefit voku 19uur, vegan food, no reservations, donations welcome.
A queer weekend of activism and resistance. Let’s set out to explore issues of solidarity in times of change, talk about privilege, power, and sex, reclaiming our bodies and minds. Join us in creative, critical, and political workshops, artistic endeavors, and a queertastic party. Come with all your inspirations and criticisms to turn this weekend into an inspiring journey of queer politics!
On June 17 – 19, 2011 we welcome you to the beautiful building of Schijnheilig, a nomadic collective in Amsterdam to join in on a queer venture of creative activism and critical debates.
It is time to rework those political, affective, bodily, creative and social maps. Together we will explore and celebrate bodies, we’ll engage in conversations and workshops that work towards re-claiming our bodies and minds, and we’ll enjoy great food, films, and queer love. Although we did set up a loose-framework for the workshops, just to get us going, we need all you lovely queers to give shape to this weekend. The program isn’t finished without you. Come with all your inspirations and criticisms to turn this weekend into an inspiring journey of queer politics.
The days will begin with a public meeting to introduce the different workshops and give space for ideas, questions, and critiques. Thus, all workshops will have an open structure and we invite everyone to actively participate. After the introduction, we will split up into smaller working groups. The decision to split into smaller workshops was made because there is so much to do and little space or time to do it. After both morning and afternoon workshop sessions we will gather again to share our experiences and ideas as a larger group.
The program is not finalized yet, but we can tell you some of the themes: sex/sexwork/positive porn, anti-racism, transactivism, speakers from Zami group, public action, clowning, rhythms, solidarity, Palestinian queers and the Boycott Divestment and Sanction campaign and of course a Queertastic party.
Are you as fed up with xenophobia, commercialisation, racism, homonormativity, transphobia, sexism and oppression? Do you want a platform to express yourself, engage in critical debates, and meet other queers? We want you! Let’s do that QUEER R.E.S.P.E.C.T!
[http://queeristan.org/]
“What is Queeristan? Certainly not a(nother) country. Behind it there is a nomadic collective of activists based in Amsterdam whose interests do not exactly rhyme with law&order, nor with setting up new borders. Nonetheless Queeristan is all about providing a space. Not only an autonomous space that dodges logics of profit and commercialization, but also a platform to both explore and counter the normative workings of gender and identity. A safe environment for queers and a factory of resistance. Our critique departs from the simple fact that buying “normalcy” in the guise of being either male or female, a Dutch or a foreigner, gay or straight, either one or the other, simply means to bedisciplined by a choice made elsewhere, to be docile towards it, to keep your mouth and your eyes shut.
