From a QWOC in Japan: “I have learned that I cannot do it on my own and that as much as I perhaps took credit for what I knew and what I learned, I realize that I always had a constant source of support to fall back on. Now that these friends – my family – are many miles away, I am left to navigate this world, for the first time, as a true outsider.”
You Are Viewing Diversity Speaks
STRUT Take Two: A Fundraiser for DREAMActivist.org
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on August 7th, 2010
We hope you all have enjoyed QWOC Week! Tonight, we celebrate!
MANTRA | 52 Temple Place, Boston MA
8PM-10PM Socializing
10PM-1AM Dance Party with DJ Rizzla
Here’s a message from one of the DREAMAct organizers about our event tonight. Please consider showing up to support this really important cause and QWOC Week organizers who’ve been working VERY hard for the past few months. This would mean a lot to all of us.
———————-
To the QWOC + Boston community:
As much as I wanted to be there this weekend and meet all of you – because I have heard you guys rock – I was unable to. Reason being that since May, a few of my friends and I have been working around the clock in order to pass the DREAM Act. For those of you that don’t know what that is, I’ll give as brief a summary as I possibly can.
The DREAM Act is a piece of legislation that has been around since 2001 and would address the legal limbo in which young people that were brought to the US as children by their parents; children that have grown up but are still undocumented. In light of no chance of passing comprehensive immigration reform, the youth movement has been focusing and putting pressure on our legislators for passage of the DREAM Act this year.
In May, my friends and I quit our jobs and left our families and went to Arizona where, on May 17th, we conducted a sit-in at Senator McCain’s office. It’s reported that this is the first ever, known, case of civil disobedience by undocumented people. It was at this sit in that four of us were arrested and consequently, three of us were put into deportation proceedings. Luckily, we were released from ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) but we are, like I mentioned, in deportation proceedings.
I know some people have called us young, naive, foolish and a myriad of other things but we remain grounded by the young people we work with. Young people that currently only find hope and reprieve in passage of this Act. We’ve managed to do get this far and to do all the work we’ve done because our communities have been more than generous with us. They understand that our youth are our future and that with their success, we all succeed.
The immigrant and LGBT struggles are not independent of each other. I believe we are tied in ways more intricate than we most people have yet discovered and, I find it imperative that we not forget that.
So, with that, I’d like to thank the wonderful people behind making QWOC week happen and also thank you for coming out to Saturday’s Strut: Take 2 event, which will have part of their proceeds going to our cause. Our movement – the work I and hundreds of other young people have been a part of – is completely undocumented, immigrant youth run. There are no large corporations, grants or foundations behind our work but still, we have been able to make tremendous strides. Thank you for your support.
One last thing, while I can speak/write about this til I’m blue in the face, I’d like for you to see for yourself the lengths young people have gone through for their lives and their futures (hopefully) in this country. Images of the July 20 student civil disobedience at the Senate Hart Building in Washington DC can be found here (http://www.citizenorange.com/orange/2010/07/dream-act-21—images-of-coura.html) and here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/52315725@N08/)
Again, thank you for supporting the work of such brave young people. Thank you for supporting my work and my community. Our community.
- Yahaira Carrillo
Activist and DREAMer
Are you OUTSPOKEN?
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on August 1st, 2010
OUTSPOKEN (on Thursday, August 5th @PRECINCT) is one of the most highly anticipated events of QWOC Week, and our summer. Featuring performance and spoken word from queer people of color, this event annually creates a space for raw honesty and truths that will leave you inspired, momentarily speechless, but empowered to be more OUTSPOKEN.
Below are some comments by our organizers and performers about what being OUTSPOKEN means to them.
OUTSPOKEN QWOC WEEK ORGANIZERS
“Being OUTSPOKEN means being yourself, unapologetically; presenting yourself wholly (vs. fragmented) to the world no matter how hard it is; prioritizing the truth and what you stand for over status quo and complacency; standing up for what you believe in when everyone else remains seated and content with this circus we call liberation; speaking up and fighting for others who are unable to fight for themselves; being outspoken is a responsibility, both to your community, and to yourself.” – Spectra Speaks
“OUTSPOKEN to me means no limits. Standing up for self, and others who may not always be able to. It means furiously fighting for what is right/equal/just better than usual, and never settling for the wrong or satisfactory. OUTSPOKEN means standing up for me, and not letting anyone bow me down.” — Tikesha M.
“Being OUTSPOKEN means sharing and owning your beliefs, your fears, your joys and your frustrations. It means valuing yourself and empowering others to value themselves, showing the world your life and your world because they reflect you and your community. It means being responsible for the world around you, knowing that without your words, entire communities, experiences, and needs would be forgotten.” – Nathalie G.
“Being OUTSPOKEN is recognizing spaces where I have privilege—either because I’m femme, educated, bilingual, etc—and speaking for others who can’t. It means being true to me or my experience and sharing this. It means allowing myself or others to be uncomfortable in the name of learning and growing—or checking someone!” –Idalia Poetry
Some WORDS from OUTSPOKEN Performers
London Bridgez
Kit Yan
Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene
URIAH BELL –> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAe5-dV4wNI
Tell us via comments below… What does being OUTSPOKEN mean to YOU?
(Erika’s Blog) We’re Already Speaking Out; Time to Speak UP
Posted By Erika Turner on July 23rd, 2010
As is common for most college undergraduates, I recently had a brainstorming session on what I should do with my life, whereupon it came down to two possibilities: writing or real estate development. Two very different career paths – one of which happens to be potentially more lucrative and thus more practical than the other. (Can you guess which one?)
Then, I read Adaora’s blog, “To Hell With Mainstream Press Coverage: Women, People of Color, and Trans People Should Create and Control Their Own Media Stories.” (Long title, no?) And I thought to myself, “Well damn. Tell me how you really feel.”
It was written at the perfect time and really made me think about how I could contribute to the community by speaking for myself. (Note: Not speaking for the community – but myself as a member of many communities –queer, people of color, women, queer women of color.) As opposed to, say, people who are a part of none of the above.
But this post really isn’t about me – rather, it’s about us: all of us, as a community of people with unique stories to tell, whose voices are not being heard. And the reason why our voices aren’t being heard is because 1) many of us aren’t even speaking and 2) those of us who are speaking, aren’t speaking loudly enough (in the arenas that need to hear it).
Ah, and thus, we turn to QWOC WEEK. As a newcomer to QWOC+ Boston, I’m still learning about all of the components that go into the organization and the different ways in which we contribute to the community for which we’re named. QWOC WEEK, which is in less than two weeks, is the perfect embodiment of just that: arts, music, activism, performance – and most of all, the opportunity for us (thus, meaning you) to speak for ourselves.
One of our newest events is OUT OF THE BOX, a Media and Literary Artists Studio, in conjunction with Rising Voices Press and co-hosted by Somos Latinos and Massachusetts South Asian Lambda Association (MASALA). This studio is meant to feature artistic and literary work by queer people of color and will give guests the opportunity to meet with the creators of the content and provide feedback. The studio is an exciting venture for us, because, though we have always featured performance-based writing, we are exploring and presenting other ways in which people express themselves; many writers aren’t ‘performers’… so we’d like to give writers who ‘read’ their work, a chance to share their words with us during QWOC Week.
As a person who doesn’t feel like she has enough soul or rhythm to roll out a rhyme, I’m happy to see this event come into fruition. I excel only at stick figures, but the literary medium is my personal passion. It’s important that we also recognize the voices of those who do not speak verbally, but through pens and paper; paint and pastels.
Then, of course, many of you already know about OUTSPOKEN. This premiere spoken word and live music showcase produced annually by Spectra Events, is popular for many reasons, one of which is this: some people just seriously love spoken word.
I’ve mentioned the event to several of my friends who have fallen over themselves trying to find out when and where it is, just because spoken word is, quite frankly, the sh*t – if done right. It’s also popular however for the same reason it’s important – it gives people a way to speak their mind about important issues that affect them. It’s different than penning a blog post or ranting on Facebook, though those things can be pretty effective too. (At least I hope so, since I tend to both quite a bit.) It’s visual as well as auditory – it’s more than just the words that express the feeling. It’s how the person speaks, the rhythm of the phrase, the movement that manifests itself with the moment in which the words are being spoken.
The performances we feature each year at OUTSPOKEN are proof that the issues we speak of (whether love or politics, social issues or the everyday mundane) affect us wholly – physically, emotionally, spiritually. And you can hear it. And you can see it. And thus you, too, can feel it.
Unfortunately for many of my friends, OUTSPOKEN is located at a 21+ venue – thankfully, QWOC+ Boston’s got your back. As mentioned in the last post (QWOC WEEK: Activism Meets Diversity), we’re having a Youth Open Mic during Family Day at Stony Brook Park, co-sponsored Boston GLASS. As a queer youth myself, I stress the importance of this event because I know how hard it can be to swallow your fear and speak up. It doesn’t even have to be in reference to performance – we’re young. We think we know everything. Then people ask us what it is we know and we freeze. Panic. We become silent. Often times, it’s because the question “What do you know” can be patronizing; other times, it’s because we don’t even know if we can answer it.
However, it’s important that we do speak. For one thing, we have to start somewhere. For another, we must speak for ourselves, for the same reason that the queer community as a whole must speak for itself.
If you’re an adult and you’re wondering if Youth Open Mic is something you’d be interested in, consider the words of one of our QWOC+ Boston organizers, Ana:
“Youth find ways to speak out, they find ways to create platforms for themselves. So it is not so much that we (adults or QWOC+) give them a platform/venue but that we give them our attention. They will know coming into our space that we appreciate, acknowledge and support their voices and will encourage them to continue being innovators and leaders. And it is important that they speak for themselves because it is their experience that needs to be articulated, not our perception of their experience, along with the solutions to the inequalities they face as a marginalized group.”
And thus we come to the “and friends” of our name. OUTSPOKEN, Youth Open Mic, and OUT OF THE BOX are all platforms for queer people of color to speak. It goes without saying that, generally, we are not given this opportunity every day; these outlets of self-expression were created for just that reason. Therefore, we don’t have specific events for allies to speak at. However, the love and support of our allies is, always, extremely appreciated. Their attention and recognition is one of the things that gives us courage to speak up, that lets us know that people are listening. We encourage their continued support and attendance during QWOC WEEK.
These three events reach out to the diverse talents of queer people of color – but you don’t have to be a performer, writer, or artist to contribute something. In regards to QWOC WEEK events, even showing up counts. Sharing what you’ve seen and heard is almost as important as the performance or piece itself. Either way, you’re increasing visibility and you’re doing something. And that’s all that matters. There’s a voice in action too.
So, then – review the dates below:
OUT OF THE BOX: Media and Literary Artists Studio
Monday August 2nd @ 6PM-9PM
OUTSPOKEN: Queer People of Color Spoken Word and Performance Showcase
Thursday August 5th @ 7PM-10PM
Family Day at Stony Brook Park Featuring Youth Open Mic
Saturday August 7th @ NOON-4PM
We’ve got two weeks; I can’t wait to see you.
Reflections of a Straight Girl: What Does It Mean to Be an Ally?
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on July 17th, 2010
REPOST from http://www.zarachiron.com/
My sister Zara, wrote this recently for her blog @ ZaraChiron.com. It was so moving, touching, and insightful that I felt compelled to share with you all. If you have siblings, parents, family members etc, that haven’t yet come around, I hope you find inspiration in this piece, to be patient (and brave) enough to remain open to their own journey of moving closer to you so that one day, you’ll be as fortunate as I am to know what it means to be loved by an ally.
—
Summer 2006, my world was redefined by a simple act of bravery.
My sister Spectra, sheepishly and hurriedly flung a letter at me while I slept ever-so-lazily on her frame-less futon, amidst the fur balls also known as her tuxedo kitties, and then exited the room. For a second, I thought I had dreamed it, but noticed the curious expression of the dude-cat as he put his wet nose to the paper.
As I sat up and began to read, I wondered, “Geez! What could I have done this time?” since my sister had taken to reprimanding me through written notes ever since I started living with her so as to avoid full on conflict. I was greatly unaware of the depth and power of the words on the page I held in my hands, words that would reshape the world as I knew it, and raise my personal level of consciousness. By the time I finished reading what I now regard as the “Coming Out Letter” (which I still have in my treasure bag of memorable goodies!) I was – simply put – instantaneously changed; and for the better.
At first I felt relieved, grateful, even flattered that she would share something so personal with me at all, given our shared understanding; that in Nigerian culture and society, it is both socially unacceptable and illegal to be gay. As in, literally, illegal! I am thoroughly embarrassed and saddened to admit that a gay person is seen as spiritually abominable, emotionally unstable, mentally ill and generally perceived as decadent. No doubt, these perceptions are hypocritical and outrageously revolting to me — especially since there is so much that is truly decadent about the greedy puppets that control (and perpetuate further corruption of) Nigerian society, but how would my sister have known how I felt? Am I not Nigerian — like her? Did we not both grow up in the same homophobic environment riddled with discriminatory vocabulary, aggressive ignorance and deep-rooted disapproval of the gay community?
Her bravery was deeply touching and evoked an emotional response in me. I began to cry; not because she let me in on something so delicately significant, but because she had taken the monumental step to face, accept and explore the truth about the person she is; a spirit that will not, cannot be dictated by society or even manipulated by an intelligent, yet societally programmed mind; this person she was revealing to me could only ever be expressed and seen by an open heart.
I felt I had been given the ultimate gift: a chance to Love.
Even more beautiful than having somebody love you is having someone to let down their armor, open a door to let you love them in return; when they say, “This is me and I am giving you permission to know and love the entire person that I am” it is nothing less than intimate and absolute power bestowed that comes with a depth of responsibility.
My sister had kept out of sight, watching my expression through the hinge cracks, no doubt nerves on-end as I read the letter and began to cry. She peeked into the room, and as I sniffled confirmed that it was safe to enter. As she crouched next to me on the carpet, crying and reaching out for a hug, I remember, I said to her — a little choked up, how “I had never loved her more.” I meant it, and her relief in form of free-flow weeping confirmed that she understood, but I am not sure she truly grasped my words or the meaning behind them. Still, I recognized the moment for what it was; a beginning. And, I promised myself I would evolve along with Spectra and be a better sister to her — to every aspect of who she is so that one day she would come to know those words of mine to be as deeply true.
The transition has not been entirely smooth. I had to banish any and all remnants of cast-off ignorance that lingered in my system and get to know my sister all over again, as queer; this is still and always should be work in progress. And by work, I mean ‘work’ from both parties. I’ve been resourceful — what would I have done without my handy cousin Google, the L Word, Will & Grace, and a whole lot of QWOC+ events?! It helped that my sister was constantly inviting me to ‘see’ her, to be a part of something she’d once been afraid to share. Whether it was a QWOC+ event she wanted me to help her with, a lesbian film she wanted to watch (and could actually relate to, “Saving Face”!), a book for me to digest and discuss with her, etc, she always showed me that she wanted me to be a part of her life. I’ve had many illuminating conversations with Spectra herself, but I’m sure she will agree that we’d never have gotten to the point where we are now — sisters, friends, and loyal allies to each others causes — if I didn’t keep pushing myself to learn, and grow.
It is easy to not notice prejudice when you have the luxury of not needing to do so. It is easy to overlook, neglect and breeze over things that “do not (directly) concern you.” It is even easier to not acknowledge your own privilege, dismiss obvious inequalities under a countless number of justifications and excuses, because in so doing, you rid yourself of the only humane course of action — to take a stand for something.
Sure, it’s not that hard to continue pretending (especially to yourself) that you are all that and a bag of gummy bears when it comes to your “open-mindedness” and “inclusivity” (“Hey, look, I’ve got so many gay friends!”), but you cannot escape the truth; it will always find you and test you in the most personal way. What then will you do? When “the truth” cannot be hidden under a phony political discussion over cocktails to make you appear like the conscious intellectual sort? What will you do when the “issue” is now a “person” that you know and claim to love?
Before Spectra really let me in, I honestly felt like I was “for” the “gay community”, but now I understand that being an ally is way more than just a social or political “stance” on an “issue” — it is truly personal. When it comes to justice and equality for human beings, there is no in between, no neutrality; passivity might as well be aggression for you are either for or against. Period. I am a person who loves my sister, all parts of her, and will stand up to anyone, movement, person, or drunken slurr-throwing a**hole to protect her. There’s nothing political about that.
I do, of course, recognize my privilege in the knowledge that I am a straight, petite “girly” young woman who loves stilettos and baby doll dresses with a heterosexual preference for men that is globally accepted, but I passionately honor my personal linkage to the fight for LGBT equality and for the right for anyone to express the “self” by speaking out in spaces in which my sister is not as comfortable or present. It’s one thing to be an ally at QWOC+ events, it’s another thing to be an ally when you’re outnumbered by narrow-minded and/or ignorant straight men and women. But trust, l am always ready! Lock and Load! *haha kidding*
I may not be a direct member of the community–but I am sure as Helen a sister to it because at the end of the day, homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, transgender, gender-queer and everyone in between who refuse to adhere to “labels” are human beings like me; we are all just people. We should all have the right to be ourselves. We are all human beings and citizens of this interesting (and often twisted) world of ours. So — my sister aside — that is reason enough for me to care enough to want to read a book (or RSVP “yes” to all 300 QWOC+ events on Facebook).
As human beings, the more we connect with each other — recognize, explore, accept and even celebrate how we differ — the more we can see who we are inside more clearly. I feel connected to more people in the world than I did before and, in turn, have developed a stronger sense of self; my world has expanded, my experiences are more conscious, and I am a much better person.
So I call on all of you, friends, brothers, parents, sisters, school teachers etc., of the brave people of the LGBT/Queer community. Push yourselves. Check yourselves. And grow, via healthy balance of stepping out of your comfort zones, listening, asking questions, and seeking new ways to learn about the struggles (and victories!) of your loved ones. If you don’t do this — become a more purposeful ally to someone else — for someone you claim to love, then at least do it for yourself.
What Kind of Feminist ARE You, Anyway?
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on July 16th, 2010
We’re kicking of QWOC WEEK with a one-of-a-kind networking event for local area feminists, womanists, afrofeminists, and non-profit professionals/activists who love them! We want to highlight and remember why QWOC+ Boston started: to empower and increase visibility for WOMEN.
We asked a few of our organizers to share their viewpoints on feminism below — whether they claimed feminism or womanism or both or neither; how they learned about it, etc.
“I don’t use any of those terms to describe myself because there are parts to each one I do not identify with. For feminism, it is the history of white feminism. For Womanist, it is the connection to theology. What I am is very aware of the oppression women of color face because I am a woman of color. Also my education was centered around the United States’ history so when discussing oppression it was very focused on women, people of color, and immigrants, and the every changing “other”. So the organizing work I do revolves on those intersecting identities. Call it what you want. I’m concerned with oppression period.” – Ana C.
“I do call myself a feminist, but it took me a while to feel comfortable with the word. I always associated it with white women, rallies and protests- issues that never felt real to me. But female empowerment/visibility has always been important in my life. My version of feminism looks like my mother working and making her way through school while raising 3 kids – or not focusing on house and husband (gasp!) It’s my friends – male and female included- having conversations in the kitchen/a bus stop/after a movie about the shit we deal with every day or checking and challenging each other on what we believe. It’s me being loud about what it means to be me in my own skin.” – Yari G.
“When I was in high school, I used to call myself a “people-ist” – a person who gave a damn about people. I guess I would call myself a feminist now, but I think I’m too uninformed to really put any sort of title on myself. Every title is so loaded – what’s the difference between a womynist or a womanist or a wombynist? At the end of the day, I don’t want to get caught up in words or phrases or titles. The meaning is what’s important and for me, I care about every person. I care about every person: transgendered, female, male, genderfucked, bisexual, lesbian, queer, black, Asian, Latina – EVERYONE – being treated with respect, dignity, and equality. So, right now, I’m still learning about all this. Meanwhile, I’m good with working toward a belief, regardless of a title.” – Erika T
“I call myself an Afrofeminist because I’m as loud and as militant about gender equality and anti-homophobia in POC and/or male-dominated spaces as when I am with other open-minded, progressives (or privileged conference circles). I’m willing to risk awkward silences whenever I “check” friends in my Nigerian/African/International circles on their homophobia, just as I’m willing to risk losing solidarity under an umbrella issues such as racism by calling out men of color if they happen to be sexist. I’m feminist in Nigerian spaces, in immigrant spaces, in black spaces, in queer spaces — everywhere, not just at conferences, constantly fighting for and against everyone.
“Feminism” will ALWAYS be a word I learned “after I arrived in America”, and thus it’s also been just as important to me to stay conscious of the multiple cultural contexts via which I communicate. At the end of the day, if my parents in Nigeria don’t understand what the heck I’m saying, then I’m doing something wrong.” – Adaora A
How would you describe YOUR personal brand of feminism?
QWOC Week: Activism Meets Diversity
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on July 13th, 2010
In approximately three weeks, Queer Women of Color and Friends (QWOC+ Boston) will be hosting one of the most diverse festival celebrations in the city – QWOC WEEK 2010.
Our “3rd Annual Multicultural Pride Celebration” kicks off on July 31st with Feminist Friday at Caprice Lounge, a social networking event for feminists, womanists, and those who love them, and ends on August 8th with an appreciation brunch for QWOC WEEK’s organizers, volunteers, and collaborators.
Many of you must be wondering, what is QWOC WEEK about, anyway? A handful of you must be going, duuh, it’s a week full of fun activities for queer women of color and allies. Sure, but is that all it is?
When founder and organizer of QWOC+ Boston, Adaora, decided to produce QWOC WEEK in 2007, she did so after noticing that Boston’s queer women of color community remained, for the most part, invisible within the larger, male/white-dominated gay community, and as a direct result, pride celebrations as well — even ones that celebrated people of color.
In Adaora’s words, “QWOC Week is QWOC+ Boston’s take on what a pride week (for LGBTQ people of color) should look like; a variety of art, music, discussion, and social events that appeal to all kinds of people — older, younger, partnered, single, people of color, immigrants of different cultures, the politicians and activists among us, artists and educators, feminists, transpeople — all of us.”
However, the recipe for producing the ideal QWOC WEEK hasn’t yet fallen from the sky; QWOC Week organizers have spent the last three years tweaking (and adding to) an important list of criteria which they use to create the draft calendar; there’s always plenty of social networking and community-building (both of which are at the core of our mission), so other stipulations include having as many all-ages events as possible, facilitating a “Diversity Speaks” discussion, hosting a family-friendly/outdoor event, presenting either a visual art exhibit or film screening, and incorporating a community/direct service component into the week.
Diversity and Activism
This year, inspired by the politically-heavy nationwide Harvey Milk Week, we’ve decided to work with collaborators who exemplify different kinds of activism — health, youth development, arts and music, support groups etc — such as Fenway Women’s Health, Boston GLASS, and Queer Asian Pacific-Islander Alliance, to name a few. This is because the lead organizer believes that “Diversity is about more than just people’s backgrounds. It’s about what issues we care about, and being aware of the different ways people give back to their communities.”
For example, we are hosting an event entitled “Activism and Karaoke: Sign Before Your Sing!“ This event takes place on Wednesday, August 4th at Club Cafe. Activism and Karaoke may be two things which seemingly have nothing to do with each other, except that both involve a little courage, putting yourself out there, and sign-up sheets! BlackandPink.Org a website that creates awareness around prison abolitionist 
issues and promotes advocacy for our oft-forgotten LGBTQ community members in prison, will be helping us host this letter-writing drive to folks who have no support system behind bars, and signing peeps up to be pen pals if they’re up for it. We’re super excited to finally see this event come to fruition (it’s been in the works since Harvey Milk Week in May!) We’re also really excited to co-host this event with Men of Color Creating Change, a social networking group for gay men of color and allies in the area, whose members will be present to make sure new connections are made, and — no doubt — will lead us “altogether now” in karaoke-song at least once during the evening.
On Saturday, August 7th, we’ll be hosting our first Youth Open Mic in Stony Brook Park, as part of a collaboration with Boston GLASS, an outreach and support group to LGBTQ youth aged 13 to 25. Incidentally, last year, an MIT student who attended OUTSPOKEN — our queer people of color spoken-word and live music showcase — remarked to an organizer that the experience had “changed her life.” So when Precinct (this year’s 21+ venue for OUTSPOKEN) reiterated that it could not admit youth to the event, QWOC+ Boston pitched the idea to Boston GLASS of creating an entirely separate event (in alignment with the lgbt youth writing contest) geared towards the younger generation. Thus, as we enjoy the outdoors, sports, food, and pickup sports games, we’ll also be given the opportunity to hear a few brave, “outspoken” youth stand up and speak for themselves.
Stand Up for Kids
In addition to providing various platforms for young people to speak their minds — the writing contest, open mic at stony brook, even our intern’s weekly blog — we’d like to provide for others who aren’t as fortunate; many young people are without a lot more than just a place to speak and be heard; many young people are without a place to sleep, clothes to wear, or food to eat; many of our youth are homeless.
In response to this, we’re partnering with Kappa Psi Kappa Fraternity (KPK) to run a clothing and survivor supply drive for Stand Up for Kids, an organization well-known on the west coast for providing support to homeless youth, and who recently opened up an office in Boston.
Says Elijah Dear, the North Atlantic Regional Director of KPK, “[QWOC+ Boston] has been a wonderful role model, and resource for the LGBT community… Assisting with this charitable drive was an opportunity for myself, and my chapter to work alongside QWOC+ and be a part of QWOC week.” In case you didn’t know, KPK is an organization comprised of gentlemen who believe that irrespective of background, “[men] can come together and change not only [their] community, but the world.”
As part of the QWOC Week Clothing and Supply Drive, we will be collecting (newly packaged) underwear and tube socks. Elijah asserts that Stand Up for Kids is “one of a select few youth organizations extremely dedicated and connected to its mission of assisting at-risk kids – especially in Massachusetts,” which was enough for the QWOC Week organizers to get on board and work with KPK on this project. While many of us are familiar (and have participated in) clothing drives, this seemingly simple initiative is unique in that it aims to bring attention to something which is often overlooked (our M.O.). It’s easy to forget that underwear and socks, are just as important – if not more important — than pants and shirts. You might wear the same pair of jeans three days in a row – but what about your underwear?
The drop-off days for the clothing drive are:
- Sunday August 1st (Old School Meets New School T-Dance)
- Monday August 2nd (Out of the Box: Media and Literary Artists Studio)
- Wednesday August 4th (Activism and Karaoke: Sign Before You Sing!)*
- Saturday August 7th (Family Day at Stony Brook Park featuring Youth Open Mic)
*As you can see, donations will be accepted at multiple events all week, but we are dedicating the Activism and Karaoke event specifically to this cause – rather than pay us an admission/door fee to attend, we’re asking all guests to purchase/bring newly packaged underwear and socks to gain entrance.
QWOC+ Boston hopes to make a big difference this summer, and we’re pretty confident that our partnerships with organizations like BlackandPink.Org, Kappa Psi Kappa, Stand-Up for kids, and more will aid us in our efforts. As Elijah says, “activism begins with understanding the needs of the community, and acting on those needs,” and QWOC WEEK’s mission is to respond to as many of those needs as possible.
“QWOC WEEK itself is a direct-service event…,” says Adaora, “the week brings people together, creates awareness across issues that are relevant to queer/LGBT women of color; it includes our allies and supporters, and as a direct result, we are stronger and more unified as a community. I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”
So, when you’re out there enjoying yourself at QWOC WEEK, whether it’s playing Frisbee at Family Day in Stony Brook Park, listening to a queer youth speak up at the Open Mic, listening to your sister sing at Karaoke while letter-writing at Activism and Karaoke, or ‘checking yourself’ during what’s sure to be a thought-provoking QWOC Film Night — just remember that you’re doing something good, you are part of this movement, your voice and participation are equally as important as the platforms we’ll be providing to contribute them.
QWOC week is for everyone. And like Adaora says, “Even if you don’t call yourself an ‘activist’, you’ll feel good about participating, being included. That’s the most important part.”
A Warm Welcome to Our Summer Intern, Erika Turner!
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on May 26th, 2010
Erika Turner, Crazy Social Media Intern
It is with great excitement that we welcome Erika Turner to the QWOC+ Boston family this summer as our first “Social Media” intern! Yes, we’ve gone 2.0 (it’s official when you get a specialist intern, right?) — or at least plan to, and Erika is going to help us get there.
This summer, Erika will have her hands full helping us get organized for QWOC Week, writing our newsletters, planning a few events of her own, and most importantly, blogging, tweeting, and facebooking about anything and everything QWOC! We’re looking forward to providing her with a platform to share her ideas, views, and perspectives — and encourage you all to join the conversation — so we hope you’re just as excited as we are.
Here are a few words from Erika:
Hi everyone! I am a rising sophomore at Wellesley College, originally hailing from Las Vegas, NV. I am a prospective East Asian studies major, with a concentration in Japanese culture, and a prospective Women & Gender studies minor. Other than social justice and my personal relationships with friends and family, I am most passionate about writing. I have a ridiculous amount of respect for those poetic souls out there, but my main love is creative fiction and literary journalism. I love good food, good friends, and good conversation so “social” is definitely part of my definition, as is “empathetic” and, you know, “loud.” I’m extremely excited to be interning with Queer Women of Color and Friends because there’s something empowering and enlightening about realizing, as a young woman just meeting the world, that there are so many people just like you and yet so amazingly diverse as well. I’m looking forward to what I know will be an amazing experience this summer.
Please join us in giving Erika a warm welcome! *applause applause* Oh, and she’d appreciate a few words of wisdom about dealing with us purple crazies 
Thank You for Supporting QWOC WEEK 2009! We Are on Hiatus till the Fall
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on August 10th, 2009
QWOC WEEK was a HUGE success; we did it bigger and better than last year, and due to your support, are anticipating an even wider reach in 2010!
Thank you to ALL of you that came out to the events, that posted about the week (and/or ALL of the events on Facebook), that nagged your friends about attending and supporting the work, that came out night after night to engage with your community… There wouldn’t be QWOC WEEK or a QWOC+ Boston without you.
We’d also like to take a moment to thank each and every one of the organizations, businesses, grassroots movements, and individuals that contributed to the success of QWOC WEEK. Thank you for taking our belief – that social networking can be a powerful tool to promote diversity and multiculturalism – to the next level.
- Emerson College
- Dorchester Arts Collective
- ACT Roxbury
- The Center for New Words
- Somos Latinos
- CHOICES Lounge
- Truth Serum/Cinemental
- Chubrub Productions
- The Progressive Project
- Union of Minority Neighbourhoods
- MIT Women’s and Gender Studies Program
- MadFemmePride
- Simmons Institute for Leadership and Change
- Fenway Health (Gold Sponsor)
- The Network/La Red (Platinum Sponsor)
- Boston SPYCE
- Nancy DiGiovanni / SavorYourExistence.Com
- Boston People of Color Meditation Sitting Group
- Greater Boston PFLAG
- GLSEN
- The Beehive
As the organizers and volunteers take some time off to enjoy the rest of the summer, we rest knowing that there were many new connections made (and some older ones renewed!) from the successful week. We look forward to watching these new connections blossom into more fruitful partnerships this year and beyond! Photos will be up on our website by mid-week, so be sure to check back in a couple of days.
THANK YOU ALL! See you in the Fall!
ps – QWOC+ Boston turns THREE years old in October. Now isn’t that something? Stay tuned for upcoming events by subscribing to our mailing list (under the “Contact” tab) or joining our group or page on Facebook!
