Queerly Beloved
Queerly Beloved - $1,000
Who
KJ Forman (23)
Gowlene (21)
What
Our initiative is to organize and present an 2SLGBTQIA arts market and spotlight called Queerly Beloved that aims to center the experiences of young marginalized queer and trans folks in the Ottawa community. Our event will take place at Happy Goat Coffee Company at 35 Laurel St on August 30th, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. We hope to hold 10-12 arts and crafts vendors (selling prints, treats, pins, patches, jewelry, etc.) and to showcase 6-8 performers (music, spoken word, drag performances, etc.). Vendors will not have to pay a table fee and will keep 100% of their sales. We also intend on hosting Dance, Dance, Liberation from 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. as an after party to the event. The dance party would feature queer and trans Black and brown DJs.
In their words: “We hope to be able to give emerging artists, musicians, spoken word poets, drag performers, and more the opportunity to showcase their talents and expertise without having to worry about the financial barriers that often separate queer and trans people from accessing inclusive and supportive spaces. We feel that it is crucial, especially around Ottawa Pride, to remind folks of the communities who are continuously pushed to the margins of our community and very intentionally subvert white masc, cishomonormativity that is centered in queer spaces. This event is intended to disrupt this narrative; and the successful execution of this event would look like sparking discussion and change around this reality.”
