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QC - Wednesday (Backdated Entry)
Jul. 6th, 2005 11:54 amThe morning plenary was about Marriage and why this is a queer issue. Not everyone who’s queer actually wants to marry someone of the same gender, but it would be fair and equitable if they could do so. There were many allied issues mentioned at the plenary, and ideas about being involved in the union struggle against Industrial reform (more about this on Thursday). There was also an announcement of an incident at “The Deen” (formerly “The Red Lion” when I lived in Perth). Once of the bouncers there had seen two men kissing and bounced one of them for this action. Some form of action in response to this was planned.
Later that morning I tried to attend the “Media Misrepresentations” workshop, but it was held in the open air with the audience speaking to the organiser. As I’m slightly hard of hearing, I could barely hear anything, so I went with my zines to the stalls at the fair. I had my comic strip “Laura Seabrook’s Queer Stuff” available for sale. While I waited, I chatted with Tim Wattling who works for MACASH, a body that investigates and reports on issues to the Federal Senate.
It seems that the same time that QC was on, MACASH were having hearings about V.S.U. elsewhere at the W.A. Uni. Because they only had limited time and resources, they could only listen to submissions from peek bodies and umbrella groups. This meant that the queer collectives, not representing all students, couldn’t submit. I understood the problem, but he came in for a certain amount of abuse from some students sitting near me.
At 2pm I ran my own workshop “Alternative Queer Spirituality”, which was about being non-Christian and queer. I had about 20 attendees. Unfortunately for me I’d left my prepared PowerPoint presentation back at Barnsley in the rush to pack, so I improvised for the whole session. Basically, my own spiritual roots come from the ancient Gallae, transgendered followers of the goddess Cybele; from ideas of immanence promoted by Starhawk, and Taoism. There were many questions.
Directly after this I attended the “Making Space” workshop, also about LGBTI spirituality. This was radically different from my own workshop, but very interesting. There seemed a general reticence to commit to one opinion or another, but the variety of views and attendees was most interesting. A quote that stayed in memory: “I don’t believe I God because I don’t believe in Mickey Mouse”.
There was a Querelle launching that night at the Alexander Library, followed by films and videos. Querelle is the official magazine of the conference, and is produced by a different group each year. This year’s had technical and other problems that reduced the number of contributors and the final version to basics only. I was discontent with this, and later asked for (and got) it for 2006. I was bored with the proceedings and chatted outside with Steve and Thierry.
There were others outside as well, both students and others. It was interesting and kind of fun to watch members of the conference interact with the down-and-outs and homeless who inhabit the cultural centre at night. After the launch, there was also a showing of videos and films in the adjacent auditorium. Key among these was amateur footage of the dispute at Wollongong University. Queer students there had been given a “queer space” that was really a leaky garage off-campus!
The need for “queer space”, like that of “women’s space” isn’t always obvious, especially to folk who embrace heterosexist norms as if they were the only “natural” way there is. The need for safe space is the need to be who you are without threat of violence or fear. There’s plenty of both around if you’re different. When some non-queers and men object to such spaces they miss the point – everywhere else (minus obvious exceptions such as toilets, and even then) is already is “straight space” and “men’s space”.
In any case, the video showed scenes from the collective’s struggles and protests against this situation. Later Thierry gave me a lift to the Terrace and I caught a bus home.
Later that morning I tried to attend the “Media Misrepresentations” workshop, but it was held in the open air with the audience speaking to the organiser. As I’m slightly hard of hearing, I could barely hear anything, so I went with my zines to the stalls at the fair. I had my comic strip “Laura Seabrook’s Queer Stuff” available for sale. While I waited, I chatted with Tim Wattling who works for MACASH, a body that investigates and reports on issues to the Federal Senate.
It seems that the same time that QC was on, MACASH were having hearings about V.S.U. elsewhere at the W.A. Uni. Because they only had limited time and resources, they could only listen to submissions from peek bodies and umbrella groups. This meant that the queer collectives, not representing all students, couldn’t submit. I understood the problem, but he came in for a certain amount of abuse from some students sitting near me.
At 2pm I ran my own workshop “Alternative Queer Spirituality”, which was about being non-Christian and queer. I had about 20 attendees. Unfortunately for me I’d left my prepared PowerPoint presentation back at Barnsley in the rush to pack, so I improvised for the whole session. Basically, my own spiritual roots come from the ancient Gallae, transgendered followers of the goddess Cybele; from ideas of immanence promoted by Starhawk, and Taoism. There were many questions.
Directly after this I attended the “Making Space” workshop, also about LGBTI spirituality. This was radically different from my own workshop, but very interesting. There seemed a general reticence to commit to one opinion or another, but the variety of views and attendees was most interesting. A quote that stayed in memory: “I don’t believe I God because I don’t believe in Mickey Mouse”.
There was a Querelle launching that night at the Alexander Library, followed by films and videos. Querelle is the official magazine of the conference, and is produced by a different group each year. This year’s had technical and other problems that reduced the number of contributors and the final version to basics only. I was discontent with this, and later asked for (and got) it for 2006. I was bored with the proceedings and chatted outside with Steve and Thierry.
There were others outside as well, both students and others. It was interesting and kind of fun to watch members of the conference interact with the down-and-outs and homeless who inhabit the cultural centre at night. After the launch, there was also a showing of videos and films in the adjacent auditorium. Key among these was amateur footage of the dispute at Wollongong University. Queer students there had been given a “queer space” that was really a leaky garage off-campus!
The need for “queer space”, like that of “women’s space” isn’t always obvious, especially to folk who embrace heterosexist norms as if they were the only “natural” way there is. The need for safe space is the need to be who you are without threat of violence or fear. There’s plenty of both around if you’re different. When some non-queers and men object to such spaces they miss the point – everywhere else (minus obvious exceptions such as toilets, and even then) is already is “straight space” and “men’s space”.
In any case, the video showed scenes from the collective’s struggles and protests against this situation. Later Thierry gave me a lift to the Terrace and I caught a bus home.
