Sex in public

Art, politics, identity and fun merge
at the first ever Radical Queer Semaine

AT RQS HQ: Co-organizers (l to r)Troy Davis, Laurence
Chamberlain-Bérubé, Leslie Chalal and Andrew Thorne

by SHAWN THOMPSON

This Friday, March 6, will mark the first edition of Radical Queer Semaine, 10 days of bilingual, queer-related workshops, performances and artistic productions. This local youth initiative is hoping to rally together identity minorities of all kinds in the hopes of future community building.

To this end, 20-year-old organizer Andrew Thorne says opening safe spaces in order to discuss topics that don’t have space available elsewhere is key. “It’s not easy to talk about queer sexuality sometimes,” he says.

Part of the Radical Queer Semaine’s schedule is devoted to public actions. The “Queens and Rascals Winter Carnival” invites radical queers to participate in outdoor activities in Lafontaine Park, while the “Solidarity Family Outing” event is described as dressing up with the “outfit that you always wanted to put on but never felt safe” to do so.

The Semaine also features several workshops that address the different forms of violence faced by queers in public: sexual assault, HIV stigmatization, sex working and other intersectional topics.

“The idea is not keeping it behind closed doors… or on stage!” says organizer Troy Davis, 29, referring to the “mainstream gay culture” of entertainment-driven types of drag shows.

Most of the film projections, art performances, music acts and the closing “Monster Ball” dance party will take place in two studios rented at Le Chat des Artistes (2205 Parthenais), a new space-rental project developed for artists, artisans and cultural organizations.

Located in the Centre-Sud borough, the space (affectionately renamed “La Chatte” by the organizers) will act as the Semaine’s headquarters. People are invited to come by whenever they want to look at the art or just hang out. “So it really encourages the creation of dialogue and reinforces the community feeling,” says organizer Laurence Chamberlain-Bérubé, 19.

The collective had a rough time trying to find an independent space. They wanted a venue different from the traditional consumer-oriented space, one that wouldn’t be limited by opening and closing hours.

“Just having something that is not in a bar, that is not always revolving around alcohol and being on the scene and all that shit... That’s what’s definitely lacking, I find,” says Davis.

They also wanted the area to be outside the institutional network of universities and art galleries. According to organizer Jordan Arsenault, 28, space is political. “The context is obviously going to change who comes, why they come, what they are expecting, how they interpret what is happening and so on,” he says.

Last January, the collective threw a fundraising party to help finance Radical Queer Semaine. They said over 200 people came, to their great surprise.

“It was like having people validate the very non-judgmental and inclusive aspects of what we’re doing,” says Arsenault.

This collaborative effort of a dozen organizers and over 50 artists is “firmly rooted in a rejection of class strictures around sexual and gender identity,” he adds.

This Friday, March 6, Montreal activist and community worker Michael Hendricks will open Radical Queer Semaine with a discussion on the roots of queer activism and proposals for what actions are needed now. It will be followed by video projections, a surprise performance and a slumber party. Bring your pajamas!

RADICAL QUEER SEMAINE RUNS FROM
FRIDAY, MARCH 6 TO SUNDAY, MARCH
15. ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE AT 2205
PARTHENAIS (FRONTENAC METRO).
FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS,
SEE TINYURL.COM/CRQ4L8.
ALL EVENTS: PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN