Our Stories, Our Voices: August 2021

Coming Out Twice: Finding the Right Time to Tell a Story One of the biggest challenges for LGBTQIA+ folks remains coming out to their communities, and disclosing that they don’t fit within the heteronormative expectations of our culture. Equally hard, but less discussed, is the ‘coming out’ about mental health issues and discussing mental illness, in what remains a very ableist society. In this session, Mariana Osuna and 1990’s Chris use their award-winning short films to explore what it means to be queer and living with mental health challenges, in an environment that makes it hard to be either.

The Intersection of Queer Sexual and Mental Health The patriarchal medical field has always been a breeding ground for discrimination against queer humans, especially in sexual health and education. Simply asking questions about sex practices comes with risk to personal safety, along with feelings of anxiety, shame, and guilt. This sex-positive session, led by Lucie Rachel, will use film and spoken word to explore the mental health struggles of seeking physical and sexual wellness as a queer individual, while providing solidarity and resources to our underserved queer community.

The Colonization of Gender and SexualityThe influx of “corporate Pride” shines a harsh light on how thinly-veiled appropriation passes for allyship in a white capitalist society. Combined with cultural and social expectations, it has made navigating the intersection of race, sexuality, gender and mental health an exhausting and confusing endeavor. Filmmakers Campbell X and Victoria Anderson-Gardner will lead this session in conversation with 1990’s Chris to address these topics, and to beg the question of how we decolonize queer love.

Queer Identity and Artistic Expression We communicate who we are in a hundred different ways through the work we do, the places we live, and the art we create. How we present ourselves to the world, and our relationship to our physical environment, are equally important elements of defining ourselves. Through exploring their award-winning films, Hao Zhou and Mariana Osuna will lead a conversation around how identity informs art – and how our art informs our identities.

Intergenerational Wisdom and Queer History Across Cultures When we speak intergenerationally, we have to find a shared language to have meaningful dialogue. We need a meaningful dialogue to understand the damage done by those in power, and the legacy left to us by those who fought against them. We welcome you to join this conversation with filmmakers Campbell X, Bennett Singer, and Hao Zhao, and Chaplain of the National STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association, Reverend Magora E. Kennedy, as they promote love and understanding between generations of queer and racialized folks to explore how far we’ve come and how far we will go.