Radical in pink

Pervers/Cité returns with another anticorporate
celebration of all things LGBTQ

GETTING READY FOR A QUEER OLD TIME:
P/C organizers at work

by LINA HARPER

Already in its third year, Pervers/Cité is turning into a feisty little toddler. Starting out a radical queer alternative to a perceived overcorporatization of Divers/Cité, Pervers/Cité is slowly coming into its own. “We definitely have more events this year—I think it shows the broad reach of queer politics,” says organizer Jean Genet Ramsey—an alias used to avoid harassment. “Pervers/Cité is just part of a larger movement going on across North America among members of the LGBTQ community,” he adds.

More than 20 parties, games, BBQs and workshops are planned this year. Below are some events slated for the upcoming festival.

The Madonna Show—Black Material: White Gurl… A Retrospective: Multimedia performances, music, theatre, videos, art and choreography chronicling Madonna’s 30 years of cultural appropriation. Dance party to follow with DJs Kalmplex & Will Munro. L’Alize (900 Ontario E.) on Fri., Aug. 7, 9 p.m.

Walking Tour for the Queerious: Exploring Montreal’s Historic Homo-Geography: Organizers invite people to “a limp-wristed sashay” through Centre-Sud and the homosexual village. The walk will cover old public sex spots and the ghettoization of gay spaces. Meeting at the Champ-de-mars metro entrance, Tues., Aug. 11, 1–3 p.m.

You Improvise to Survive—Sexual Safety, AIDS and Prisons for Queers and Trans folks: A workshop on safer sex practices for jailed queers. Negotiating the lack of condoms in prisons, where gay sex behind closed doors is common. At Café Touski (2361 Ontario E) on Wed., Aug. 12, 6 and 8 p.m.

Kino Short Film Night: Local artist Coral Short and Bildwechsel, a Hamburg-based feminist film archive collective, put on an international DIY film night. Shorts will be shown from Europe and North America. At Café Touski (2361 Ontario E.) on Thurs., Aug. 13, 8 p.m.

Proud as Fuck: An event filled with stripping, rapping and singing, followed by a “sexy, dirty, crazy” dance party. At the Cabaret Playhouse (5656 Parc) on Fri., Aug. 14, 9:30 p.m., free.

2 Legit 2 Quit: A workshop for queer and trans people who identify as indigenous and/or person of colour to reflect upon the history of trans’ and queer people of colour’s oppression and resistance. 3942 Ste-Emilie. Sat., Aug. 15, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Queers Between the Covers/Queering Activism Against Israeli Apartheid workshop: In its second year, the annual queer book fair offers a plethora of books and ’zines, and gives local queer writers and artists a chance to network. The Queering Activism workshop will give participants an introduction to Israel’s occupation of Palestine. At 1710 Beaudry on Sat., Aug. 15, noon–5 p.m. The Queering Activism Worksop runs from 3–5 p.m.

Queers Come Out Against Israeli Apartheid: Pride Parade Contingent: A pink bloc—a queer committee that allies itself with a non-homo cause—will march in this year’s parade to protest what they call Israel’s racist apartheid regime. A huge queer contingent in Toronto was successful at the Toronto parade this past June—the Montreal contingent will be made up of at least 100 people at the parade. Unlike previous years, Pervers/Cité decided to go legit this year and register the contingent into the parade. Meeting at the corner of de Lorimier and Ste-Catherine E. on Sun., Aug. 16, 12:30 p.m.

PERVERS/CITÉ RUNS FROM TO
THURSDAY, AUG. 6 TO SUNDAY, AUG.
26. FOR MORE INFO SEE THE WEB
SITE, PERVERSCITE.ORG