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.”
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Celebrando Nuestro Orgullo, Celebrating Latino Pride (9/28-10/2)!
Posted By Yarimee Gutierrez on September 27th, 2011
Organizer’s Note:
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) and in the spirit of supporting our LGBTQ Latin@ brothers and sisters, please join us in celebrating another Latino Pride!
You can show your support by attending as many of the events below as possible. We know first hand the amount of work that goes into organizing even one event, and it takes the support of our entire community to make sure they are successful. We applaud Boston Pride for supporting this segment of our community and doing their part to provide spaces we can celebrate all of our identities. Of course we also applaud the hard work and dedication of the individual organizers who put in their time, including one of QWOC+ Boston’s own, Zulma Acosta!
Happy Latin@ Pride! ~ Yari
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Opening Event: Latin@ Night at Rumor
Get the party started early with Boston’s longest running Latin night.
Rumor Nightclub
100 Warrenton Street, Boston
10pm-2am
$10, 21+
A portion of the door benefits Latin@ Pride.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
GENERACIONES: Nuestro Pasado, Presente y Futuro
[GENERATIONS: Our Past, Present & Future]
In collaboration with the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition.
Un panel de discusion sobre la ubicacion de lo que la comunidad Boston Latino/Latina LGBTQ fue, lo que es hoy, donde lo vemos mañana y lo que podemos hacer para seguir adelante.
[A panel discussion about where the Boston Latino/Latina LGBTQ community was, where it is today, where we see it going tomorrow and what we can do to move forward.]
Harriett Tubman House
Lincoln House Room
566 Columbus Ave., Boston
6-8pm
Free and open to all
GlamLife @ Estate
Presented by Chris Harris Presents and Rafael Sanchez/Gay Mafia.
Boston’s #1 Thursday night Hosted by JuJuBee with special guest star Jessica Wild, from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Estate Nightclub
1 Boylston Place, Boston
10:30pm-2am
$10, 21+
A portion of the door benefits Latin@ Pride.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Movie Night
In conjunction with the Boston Latino International Film Festival.
Fenway Health
Ansin Building Theatre Auditorium
1340 Boylston St, Boston
6-9pm
All ages.
$5 @ the door. Youth under 18 get in FREE!
Stay tuned HERE for the movie listing!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
Latin@ Pride Community Awards Reception
Join us for the annual celebration to honor outstanding contributors to the Latin@ LGBT community. Mix, mingle, and party while paying tribute to our do-good community members and allies.
Honoring The Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, Boston GLASS, and activist Alfredo Hernandez with the 2011 Latin@ Pride Awards.
The Foundation Room
15 Lansdowne Street, Boston
7-10pm
Tickets are $35 in advance ($50 at the door)
-includes light fare and complimentary admission to EPIC Saturdays at the House of Blues directly after the event (21+)
To purchase tickets: http://latinoprideawards.
-please indicate guest names so that we can add you to the prepaid guest list at the door
All proceeds benefit Latin@ Pride.
Epic @ the House of Blues
Presented by Chris Harris Presents and Rafael Sanchez/Gay Mafia.
House of Blues
15 Lansdowne Street, Boston
10pm-2am
$10, 21+
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
Family Picnic and Potluck in the Park
Bring your friends, families, loved ones, games to play, and good food to share!
Let’s celebrate our fabulous and diverse families and food while having some outdoor fun.
Some games will be provided for the little and not-so-little kids. Plus, there’s a playground and basketball court there too!
Southwest Corridor Park at the Stony Brook T stop, Jamaica Plain
12-4pm
All ages
Miss and Mister Latin@ Pride of Massachusetts Pageant
Hosted by Boquita with music by DJ Double D.
Plus special performances by Alexis J-Matrix, Matt Leonard (Boston Pride King 2011), Lakia Mondale (Boston Pride Queen 2010) and many more.
Come out and watch the crowing of Miss and Mister Latin@ Pride of Massachusetts and, when it’s all over, stay to dance at Fran’s long-running Latin Night.
Fran’s Place
776 Washington Street, Lynn
8-10 pm
$10, 18+
It’s not too late to become a contestant. Just complete and return the application athttp://www.bostonpride.org/pageant or contact pageant@bostonpride.org for more info.
All proceeds benefit Latin@ Pride.
Hot Mess Sunday- Latino Style!
Presented by Chris Harris Presents and Rafael Sanchez/Gay Mafia.
Close out the week with Destiny and DJ Richie LaDue at Underbar.
Underbar
275 Tremont Street, Boston
10pm-2am
$10, 21+
A portion of the door benefits Latin@ Pride.
OUTSPOKEN: Queer Women of Color & Trans POC Spoken-Word and Live Music Showcase (8/4)
Posted By Lina Torres on August 2nd, 2011
OUTSPOKEN is HERE! Art is a fundamental part of LGBTQ communities of color and certainly always present when it comes to QWOC+ Boston. In the words of a QWOC Week collaborator, “expression through art allows us to overcome barriers by communicating in a different and powerful way.” Spectra Events is excited to bring you a fantastic lineup of talented black performers. All of their work touches on feelings and thoughts we can relate to… the good, the bad and the ugly. So join us for this great night full of soul and creativity!
After the show, DJ LadySpindrift (yes, she actually spins) will bring down the house with old school R&B, hiphop, house, and top 40!
MEET YOUR HOST: HIPHOP MC MICAH!
MICAH is a hip hop artist, and transman from Massachusetts. He has been writing and performing for the past 4 years around Boston, NY and LA. He writes from his own experience in an attempt to show that regardless of all those differing identifiers, human beings have much in common, and much to learn from each other. He just released his first single, the queer anthem “Did it On Em”, and is in the process of recording his first mixtape through Base Trip Records. Follow Micah on Tumblr and on Twitter, and of course, like his Facebook page!
THE BLACKOUT ARTISTS
JANA’E JOHNSON is a spoken word poet originally from Sacramento, California. She has performed in numerous slams in Boston, California, Delaware and Virginia; and has recently opened for poet & activist Andrea Gibson. Although she just finished her first year in Boston, she has been involved with the LGBT Community. In particular she is a member of the Boston Dyke March Committee and she was the EMCEE for this years’ Dyke March in June. Jana’e currently works at Simmons College as Assistant Athletic Director.
LETTA NEELY is a spoken word artist — and one of the original OUTSPOKEN Artists (2008) — who has authored two books of poetry, “Juba” and “Here,” and was named “Best Local Author 2001″ by a Boston Phoenix reader’s poll. Twice a Lambda Literary Awards finalist for lesbian poetry, Letta frequents poetry readings around New England and is a regular slam poetry winner. She is an ardent civil rights activist who has done anti-homophobia training and educational outreach. Letta has also conducted writing workshops privately, in public schools, and at juvenile detention. You can follow Letta’s work and words at her brand new blog and Like her Facebook page (and maybe she’ll update it)!
MOFROISM & THE FEEL will be representin’ at OUTSPOKEN with lead singer, vocalist, and slam poet Monique Jarvis, a transformative and compelling fusion of jazz, r&b, funk, and folk with a backdrop of spoken word that issues a soulfully urgent call for social change. Monique is now director of a national award-winning performance arts after school program in the South Bronx and founder of the uncompromising and compelling Spok’N Truth Trio, Mofroism and The Feel. At RENAISSANCE she will be performing with Kera Washington of Zili Musik and bassist extraordinaire Laurie Goldsmith. You can follow Mo’nique Jarvis on Facebook.
PORSHA OLAYIWOLA hails from the southside of Chicago. She is most aptly described as a woman, poet, lover, warrior, sister, and feminist. Porsha received her B.A. in African American Studies while dabbling in U.S. History and Women & Gender Studies from the University of Illinois. She spent the last year in service, helping to alleviate America’s poverty. Poetically, Porsha O. intertwines the spirits of Audre Lorde, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ida B. Wells Barnett, and June Jordan with the bluntness of Hip Hop Feminism, creating poetry that speaks for itself. Porsha O. has opened for Mae Jemison, the first African American female astronaut, Dr. Cornell West, professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies, MC LYTE, pioneering female hip-hop artist and Dr. Angela Davis, activist. A founding member of the Chicago-based political-performance group, “The Unwritten Amendment,” she uses poetry to create a dynamic flow of infra-politics that rebels against the norms and rigidity of society. You might catch her generating a cypher that is all her own; a cypher that is uncontrollable, undocumented, and just plain ole dope. To follow Porsha, send her a friend request on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
ROBIN “BOBBIE” WHITE is the award-winning author of two volumes of poetry, and a forthcoming collection of short fiction, Intersections (Sunset Pointe Press). She is also the author of Omphaloskepsis Twelve Powers Journal a tool for focused transformational writing. In addition, Robin has pseudonymously authored seven children’s books. She is currently working on her third collection of poetry, When Love Departs: Writings of Transition and Loss (Sunset Pointe Press eBooks). She is a Chicago Literary Award Winner, an Urban Media Makers Winner, and is the recipient of the prestigious Lambda Literary Award for Independent LGBT Press as the founder/owner of Kings Crossing Publishing. Visit her websites to learn more about her work: www.robingwhite.com and omphaloskepsisbybobbie.blo
SAPPHIRA CRISTAL, 22, with her bubbly personality and killer smile, reigns from Houston, TX. Often called the “Gospel Diva,” she is a wild energetic entertainer who captures her audience with her “unflinching Focus”. She can be found locally at Jacques Cabaret and Machine Nightclub in Boston. This Fabulous Ebony Diva is a classically trained singer and actor and can also be seen in the Ryan Landry original, ” Peter Pansy,” in Provincetown, MA. She is also a regular featured performer at Spectra Events. Catch Sapphira online via any one of her web channels, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube!
Thursday, August 4th
Doors at 7PM, Show Begins at 8PM
Club Choices
381 Somerville Avenue Somerville, MA
Activism & Karaoke: The International Edition (8/3)
Posted By Lina Torres on August 2nd, 2011
At QWOC Boston, we understand the feeling of always wanting to do more but simply not having enough time or not knowing quite where to start, who to donate money etc… we’ve all been there! But look no further — Activism and Karaoke on a Wednesday night is the perfect antidote to your do-gooder paralysis. We’ve created the perfect combination — Sign before you Sing!
Back by popular demand… Activism and Karaoke: The International Edition. Join QWOC+ Boston, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), Black and Pink, The Network/La Red, and SoulForce for a fun filled evening of activism and karaoke!
This year we’ll be highlighting international activism and raising awareness around issues impacting the rest of the world. As members of the LGBTQ community living in the United States, we enjoy a great deal of privilege. Although it is certainly not enough, we can find support and resources through community organizations and institutions dedicated to fighting for our representation and equality.
For instance, one of our feature organizations, Soulforce, a national agency that targets religious-based oppression impacting LGBTQ people, is organizing a two- month bus ride around the country (for folks 18-30) that stops at various religious universities and organizations that have anti-LGBTQ policies to host dialogues, trainings and information sessions on creating safer and more affirming spaces. (They’re still accepting applications by the way — pick one up at the event!)
But just as local advocacy is crucial to our safety here in the US — most of us enjoy the freedom of self-expression without fear of being in harms way –it is equally important to learn about, and learn from, those activists who have paved the way for LGBTQ communities around the world. Many have taken huge risks with the goal of achieving great strides. Activism and Karaoke will highlight some of this work and the great deal that still needs our support and attention.
There’ll also be an opportunity to donate items to a survivor kit drive for The Network/La Red! 
This is a wonderful organization dedicated to providing support services and addressing partner abuse in LGBTQ and polyamorous communities. TNLR seeks “to create a culture in which domination, coercion, and control are no longer accepted and operative social norms.” They do amazing work so please consider contributing one of the items listed below. Bring any of these items (roughly valued between $5-10 dollars) and you will be admitted to the event for free!
- Food Gift Card (Shaws/Stop& Shop/Star, $5-10)
- CVS/Rite Aid Gift Card ($5-10)
- Charlie Cards with stored value ($5-10)
- Movie Theater Pass (1)
- Deodorant (at least 2)
- Toothpaste (at least 3)
- Lotion (Small Bottles/Travel Size)
- Reusable water bottle
- Tote Bag
- Umbrella
Once again, you will aso have the opportunity to check out the work of Black and Pink, an organization dedicated to the abolition of the prison industrial complex.
Through Black and Pink’s Action Station at the event, you will have the opportunity to check out some great art created by members of the LGBTQ community in prison and to sign up for their pen-pal program. “ I am especially excited to see event attendees making connections with our LGBTQ family behind bars through the Black & Pink pen-pal program (www.blackandpink.org/prison-penpals)” said Dorsey, a member of the organization and QWOC Week collaborator. This is a great opportunity to learn about an important issue affecting our community and to make a tangible difference by establishing personal connections with individuals currently most affected by it.
And last but not least, learn how you can volunteer as an organizer for QWOC+ Boston in the Fall! We have lots of new events coming up and we need more hands. We are hosting several events in solidarity with Latino Pride this year as well as planning our 5th anniversary celebration and various projects to capture, document, and archive the herstory of QWOC+ Boston. As always, you can count on our continuing our Diversity Speaks discussion series, as well as our socials, movie nights, and much more. If you’d like to get more involved, you can email lina@qwocboston.org ahead of time and be sure to speak with an organizer at the event!
There’s so much do to and so much to sing! We are very excited to see you all there!
Wednesday August 3rd, 6PM-9PM
Club Cafe
Admission: Donation Item or $10
209 Columbus Avenue, Boston MA
OPENING QWOC WEEK PANEL: Transgender Women of Color Speak (8/1)
Posted By Lina Torres on July 31st, 2011
Join us for the Opening QWOC WEEK Panel!
In the spirit of fostering more open dialogue, and as part of our Diversity Speaks discussion series, QWOC+ Boston and TranSCEND of AIDS Action Committee, co-sponsored by Mass. Transgender Political Coalitionare kicking off QWOC Week with a very important sharing circle, “Trans Women of Color Speak”
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199333806766635
This event aims to bring queer and trans people of color and allies together to “Listen” to the voices of trans women of color as they speak personally about the wide variety of their experiences they have as full and complex people, and as members of both the transgender and POC community.
But this isn’t a political forum; the diverse and truly personal stories from our panelists will serve as a catalyst for us, as a community, to identify and commit to ways through which we can all become active stakeholders in creating transWOC-inclusive spaces within QPOC communities, and also POC-inclusive spaces within the transgender community at large.
MEET OUR PANELISTS
Our speakers hail from diverse backgrounds and careers. Each of them has committed to participating in this discussion to shed light on what is most personal to them in order to bring about progressive change in our community. It is truly an honor to have these three amazing women lend their voices to this panel. Check out their bios below!
Alyssa Kwan
Alyssa Kwan is an East Asian, trans, lesbian, femme woman that is deeply involved and invested in progressive, queer, and feminist politics. She is a software engineer with a background primarily in financial services, and is dedicated to her work as craft. She also writes about personal and political issues in both prose and poetry. Since coming out as a trans woman and beginning medical transition at the age of 30, Alyssa has been tackling the challenge of coming to terms with her personal identity, especially as it relates to community affiliation. As an East Asian trans woman, she has faced discrimination along a wide variety of axes, but has also experienced the joy of shared struggle with different marginalized communities. She is also committed to educating people on the complexities of intersectionality and the kyriarchy. She writes a blog at http://amaevis.tumblr.com/.
Elizabeth Marie Rivera-Valentine (TransCEND)
Elizabeth Marie Rivera-Valentine is a proud Puerto Rican transgender female haling from New York City & has been married and residing in Boston since 2009. Elizabeth has been involved in HIV Prevention & Education and Social Justice Activism/Organizing for the past 15 years, advocating for LGBT2SGNCQ individuals. She was also featured twice in the PBS Lesbian and Gay television news magazine “In The Life”. Elizabeth now works for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. She became a full-time staff member at Cambridge Cares About AIDS in March 2009 as the Health Educator and Web Designer for TransCEND (Transgender Care and Education Needs Diversity; www.transcendboston.org ); a community-based HIV prevention and health education program formally of Cambridge Cares About AIDS (CCA); by and for transgender women now located in Jamaica Plain in the Jackson Square area. Her new role as the Community Organizer for TransCEND will advocate for clients and their needs externally which are necessary in keeping the voice of our community heard as well as keeping the program connected and visible within the trans social justice movement.
Lina Morales (TransCEND)
Lina Morales is a second-generation jewish mexican-american lesbian trans woman born and raised in the mexican-american neighborhood Little Village (La Villita) of Chicago, IL. She has been used to since forever of being of two or more worlds and defining herself in the intersections. She works for the TransCEND program of AIDS Action Committee and lives in Jamaica Plain.
Mesma Belsare
Mesma S. Belsare is a Boston-based Indian Classical dancer, choreographer, actor, visual artist and educator. She belongs to a generation of young dancers in the South Asian Diaspora in North America who have created a unique niche for themselves in the realm of classical Indian arts. She holds a Master’s degree in Art Education from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston MA. Mesma is a recipient of the Government of India scholarship for advanced study of Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance), was once nominated under the Best Dancer category for the Dora Mavor Moore Award by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, Canada and twice nominated for Boston Foundation’s Brother Thomas Fellowship for ‘excellence in the arts’. The Theatre Offensive of Boston honoured her as a ‘Gender Hero of Boston’. She serves on the Board of The History Project that documents and preserves the history of Boston’s LGBT communities. Mesma looks forward to sharing her thoughts on the QWOC panel. (Photo Credit: Ahn Dao Kolbe)
Looking forward to members of the diverse queer and trans community of color (and allies) join us for this very important conversation.
Diversity Speaks. And, it is our responsibility to listen.
—
About TransCEND
TransCEND provides 1 on 1 counseling and group support, HIV counseling and testing, referrals to transgender friendly legal and medical providers, safer sex and injection supplies, hygiene products, complimentary cosmetics and have a welcoming community safe space. TransCEND also seeks to build a network of support, safety, and education to improve the health and well-being of transgender women. They work to address how all forms of discrimination impact HIV prevention and health education, such as unequal access to health care and health-related information, and the lack of recognition of the distinct needs of the transgender community. TransCEND also collaborates with individuals and organizations that advocate for social justice and non-discrimination for transgender and gender-variant people of all backgrounds.
Co-sponsoring Organizations
Mass Transgender Political Coalition
Suffolk University Office of Diversity Services
Suffolk University President’s Commission on the Status of LGBTQ Faculty, Staff and Students
Suffolk University President’s Commission on the Status of AHANA Faculty, Staff, and Students
Symposium on LGBT Suicide Prevention: A Call to Action
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on June 14th, 2011
Founders Note to the QWOC+ Boston Community: I will be speaking at the breakout session, Creating Safe Spaces Across the LifeSpan, during the LGBT Suicide Prevention symposium, taking place THIS Saturday June 18th. If you’re familiar with the stats, then you know that LGBT youth of color are disproportionately impacted by suicide, and that my (other people of color) speaking at this event is important.
I wrote an article last Fall about my own experience in college, and have been speaking since then about the importance of our advocacy as adults when it comes to creating awareness around mental health, addressing bullying in schools, lack of diversity etc — all issues that can impact students who are at risk for attempting suicide. I plan to highlight some of the issues and questions I raised in this article during the symposium, along with other insights that have been shared with me from other young people. If you work with youth, have an experience from which you could contribute to the conversation yourself, are a parent, or simply someone who cares about this issue, I whole-heartedly encourage you to attend.
As people of color, it is our responsibility to figure out ways in which we can better support young people in creating safe spaces for them at school, at home, and in the world, so I do hope you’ll consider attending. There are scholarships available to attend if you cannot afford the registration fees. Do what you can to be there on Saturday, or at least forward this information on to your networks so we can maximize attendance.
—-
The Greater Boston Chapter of AFSP has designed this program to place LGBT Suicide Prevention on the state and national agenda and provide a framework for actions aimed at reducing suicidal behavior in these populations. This call to action seeks to address gaps in knowledge and prevention.
*To register: http://www.afsp.org/lgbtsymposium
* Scholarships available – contact Melanie at mvarady@afsp.org.
Symposium Agenda
Registration begins at 12:00pm
Program from 1:00pm-6:00pm
Keynote Speech:
Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director, Family Acceptance Project
Dr. Ryan co-developed the Family Acceptance Project to promote family support, decrease risk and improve well-being for LGBT youth.
Breakout Session Topics
- Creating Safe Spaces across the Lifespan
- Why Words Matter in Media and Social Media
- Making Mental Health an LGBT National Priority
- The Interface of Stigma, Psychiatric Vulnerability and Depression and
Coming out as LGBT
- Suicide Prevention in Transgender Communities
Following the symposium, please join us for a reception and dinner to celebrate the Boston Chapter’s 20th Anniversary.
Background and Genesis of the Symposium
Despite four decades of research pointing to elevated rates of suicide attempts among LGBT people, national suicide prevention initiatives, including the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, have given scant attention to suicide risk in sexual minority persons. AFSP convened a 2007 conference to assess the status of data on the issues and examine the targeted interventions, prevention strategies or public health polices needed to reduce risk in these populations. The subsequent report on suicide and suicide risk appeared in as the lead article in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Homosexuality and served as the impetus for the conference.
The NERDY CABARET Features QWOC Nerds on Wed June 22nd!
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on June 14th, 2011
The NERDY CABARET will feature a diverse line up of entertainment from secretaries, sluts, songstresses, and a sultriness of the intellectual sort. We’ve finally created a space where hipsters are encouraged to sport their fake wide-rimmed glasses and your came-after-work-didn’t-have-time-to-change ensemble could even pass as kinky. Nerdy science jokes, political sattire, hip-hop storytelling, and sexy role-play involving inanimate objects are all encouraged.
Wednesday June 22nd
MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS
472 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA
AUDIENCE: You are encouraged to wear wide-rimmed glasses, lingerie, or a combination of the two! 
ADMISSION: Sliding Scale $8-10; RSVP on this site to get in for $8 that day.
MEET YOUR HOSTS
SPECTRA is the intellectually artsy mastermind behind Spectra Events (and their new show, the Nerdy Cabaret). This creative nerd, introverted socialite, and femme-lovin’ Naija boi digs video games as commentary for the human experience and multivariable calculus as a metaphor for relationships. When s/he’s not making love to a piano (or other inanimate objects), s/he’s blogging about more serious stuff at www.spectraspeaks.com, espousing un-proofed formulas for optimizing polyamorous connections, and pondering the science of love at @iqwoc on Twitter.
Brand of Nerd: ARTSY
IDIALIA is a fierce Puertominican poet; a proud nerd, and a lover of safe words like pancakes, hickies, and sugarmelt. She began writing for herself, until she looked around only to realize the scarcity of voices like hers — queer brown artsy and kinky — in the media, so now she writes for everyone else; for the kid in kindergarten who cried after someone made fun of his accent, for her little sister who asked her to pass the “people colored crayon” (peach), for the transgender girl who smiled after putting on lipstick for the first time, and to the people privileged enough to ignore the injustices that exist in the world. Follow her on Tumblr and @idaliapoetry on Twitter, and maybe she’ll blow you a kiss.
Brand of Nerd: FLIRTY
INTRODUCING: YOUR NERDY PERFORMERS!
Erika Musicmaker is a Boston-based performer, dancer and musician.
Erika is also the beloved host/MC of TranScriptions, a queer-themed (always ally-friendly) open mic every 2nd Thursday of the month that features poets, writers, musicians, performers, activists, and unique creative expressions of all kinds. Learn more about Transcriptions HERE. You can follow Erika on their truly nerdy Twitter handle @vectorial.
Brand of Nerd: CLASSICAL
Boy Baret a.k.a. Pampi a.k.a. Aparna Das enjoys experimenting with video, poetry, movement and installation, though her forte is pen and ink. There is a marked obsession with blood, bones and goddesses. Saraswathi Jones a.k.a. Tanya K. Palit is a singer, song writer, and ukelele player in a local library-themed pop rock band. She fantasizes in her cubicle about potential dissertation topics. In their work, this dynamic duo critically engage issues of identity, gender, sexuality, and the body politic. You can follow their work at www.thirdeyefell.com, Twitter, and Youtube.
Brand of Nerd: BOLLYWOOD
J Mase III is a Black, Trans, Queer, Rowdy-as-Hell Poet with a capital [P] based in Philly. An organ donor, Mase is author of If I Should Die Under the Knife, Tell My Kidney I Was the Fiercest Poet Around and creator of the annual multi-city performance event Cupid Ain’t @#$%!: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Poetry Movement. A bit of a public intellectual (not in the snotty way, though) Mase can also be found contributing to various publications on the issue of gay teens in the church, gender (and genitalia), and a plethora of othe issues. You can stalk him at Facebook, GigMaven, and Youtube.
Brand of Nerd: REAL
Sapphira Cristàl , 22, with her bubbly personality and killer smile, reigns from Houston, TX. Often called the “Gospel Diva,” she is a wild energetic entertainer who captures her audience with her “unflinching Focus”. She can be found locally at Jacques Cabaret and Machine Nightclub in Boston. This Fabulous Ebony Diva is a classically trained singer and actor and can also be seen in the Ryan Landry original, ” Peter Pansy,” in Provincetown, MA. For the NERDY CABARET, Sapphira will be both singing and performing drag. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube!
Brand of Nerd: DIVA
Queer Asian Pacific-Islander Alliance Hosts a Fundraiser BBQ!
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on May 8th, 2011
We are QAPA (Queer Asian Pacific-Islander Alliance) and we are holding a BBQ Fundraiser to raise money for our Pride registration. This is our first time registering as an independent organization and we plan to make a big impression marching in this year’s Pride parade. We will be serving ribs, steak, wings, hot dogs, and vegetarian fare. Everyone is welcome!
Tickets on sale at: http://pridebbq.eventbrite.com/
$20 online / $25 at the door
Date: May 14, 12pm – 3pm
Location: Arsenal Park (Watertown, behind the Arsenal Mall), 485 Arsenal St., Watertown MA
QAPA is committed to providing a supportive social, political, and educational environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage in the Boston and New England area.
Queer People of Color Duo Serve It Up for Cinco De Mayo: Spoken Word Meets FUNK
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on May 3rd, 2011
THE BASEMENT w/ London Bridgez and Live FUNK Band
Thursday May 5th | 7-11PM
19+ (no exceptions)
Church | 69 Kilmarnock Street, Boston MA
On Thursday May 5th, Spectra Events Basement Series, a monthly live music showcase of artists who push against boundaries (followed by a strictly non-mainstream international dance party), will feature London Bridgez, a nationally-touring local artist, who fuses music with poetry, and is embarking on a summer tour across the country. Many Boston-based artists jump ship to New York the minute they see traction, but London has remained loyal to her beantown fan base for years. It is no surprise that she chose Boston as the city to host her summer tour kickoff show, and a roster of talented local artists (including Micah Domingo, HipHop MC and the founder of Interseqtion, a newly launched networking platform for queer artists) to join the roster of performances.
While many Bostonians will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with shots of Tequila, London Bridgez will be spitting poetry to live FUNK music at CHURCH, Kenmore square’s infamous live music venue. Known for her interactive performances, London is asking her fans to submit one-liners in response to the question, “What is Poetry”, during the ticket purchasing process, in order to create a one of a kind piece, “Poetry is…”, which she will perform during her show on Thursday.
The show is 19+ and starts promptly at 8PM. Tickets cost $12 in advance online at http://londonbridgezkickoff2011.eventbrite.com/ and $15 at the door. Group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. Email spectra@spectra-events.com for more info.
A limited number of press passes are available for media professionals. Press inquiries can be forwarded to spectra@spectra-events.com, or call 617.682.6482.
Discussion: Voices of the African and Immigrant Diaspora Against Violence and Homophobia
Posted By QWOC+ Boston on March 18th, 2011
Africa and Immigrant Diaspora Speak against Violence and Homophobia
Saturday March 19th | 2-5PM
Harvard Democracy Center
45 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP (Required): http://diasporaagainsthomophobia.eventbrite.com/
Join community members, activists, and leaders of African descent (including African, African-American, South American, Latin@, East and South Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Carribean people) for a very important community forum on how we, as the diaspora, can address violence and homophobia in Africa, the Carribbean, South America, and beyond.
The recent murder of David Kato, a prominent Ugandan LGBT activist and human rights defender, along with the murder of transgender women in Honduras and Puerto Rico, has sparked worldwide calls to action. But, amidst the western voices that dominate the media, where are the collective voices representing viewpoints and perspectives of the Diaspora?
“The future of Africa and its Diaspora is in the hands of the Diaspora themselves”, says African LGBT Activist, Adaora Asala, founder of Queer Women of Color and Friends and afrofeminist blogger at Spectra Speaks, “We are the only people that can educate and empower our communities to address the impact of violence against LGBT persons in our respective countries.”
The event will feature a panel of speakers, both straight and part of the LGBT community:
- Antonieta Gimeno, a community organizer and educator with 35 years experience addressing racial, gender/sexuality, economic and human rights issues, will be lending her expertise as a consultant on leadership development women, immigrants, LGBT communities and people of color.
- Faith Onyimbo, a small business owner who is currently seeking asylum in the U.S. after being forced out of Kenya by the destruction of her storefront and threats of violence based on her sexual orientation, will be sharing her experience as an LGBT activist and asylum seeker.
- Reverend Kapya Kaoma, a religious leader who recently published a report exposing the U.S. Right’s involvement in the surge of violence against LGBT people in Africa, will be guiding a conversation about the role of religion and US evangelicals in African culture.
- Cassandra Okechukwu, an Assistant Professor at Harvard School of Public Health will be lending her background to shed light on the implications of cultural wars, homophobia, and HIV/AIDS on the health and livelihood of African communities.
Following contributions from each panelist, attendees will be divided into small groups for community discussion and input about LGBT inclusion and equality along the following axes: Culture, Religion, Women’s Rights, Politics, Public Health, and Immigration.
The discussion is being supported by local area activists, community partners, and allies, listed below:
- Africans for Improved Access (AFIA)
- Multicultural Aids Coalition (MAC) — Major Sponsor
- Queer African Youth Network (QAYN)
- Queer Women of Color and Friends (QWOC+ Boston)
- The Network for Immigrant and African American Solidarity (NIAAS)
- Network Afrique
For all attendees, registration is REQUIRED at http://diasporaagainsthomophobia.eventbrite.com/
NOTE: This event is open to people of African Descent and the afore-mentioned Immigrant Diaspora, only. Allies are welcome to attend the reception at OM LOUNGE (95 Winthrop Street, Cambridge MA), from 5:30-7:30PM. RSVP by sending your first and last name to spectraspeaks (at) boxbe (dot) com. (Please include *RSVP* in the subjejct line).
PRESS interested in covering the event should contact the lead organizer at spectraspeaks@boxbe.com. Please include “PRESS” in the subject line.
