CIRQUE
Change-Igniting Red-hot Queers United for Empowerment
CIRQUE is a social justice conference that will bring members of the queer community together to exchange ideas, resources, artistic creations, fantasies, passions, and goals. Through innovative educational and participatory workshops, we will promote recognition and acceptance of the diverse identities within queer culture and collaborate as a united community.
Queer folks are already set apart, separate from the mainstream, sometimes not fully accepted or not accepted at all. We are different, and many people do not tolerate deviation. Understandably, many efforts of the queer community target inclusion in society. But what about inclusion in our own queer community? We are a diverse group, including a variety of identities: gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual, queer, genderqueer, butch, femme, bear, drag queen/king, leather man/dyke, intersex, androgynous, top, bottom, etc. If we remain in factions, often pitted against one another, misinformation and distrust will continue to propagate. This fragmentation inhibits our underdeveloped collective strength, strength that would enable us to better accomplish our individual and common goals.
Participating organizations of CIRQUE will educate and entertain attendees by leading a workshop centered around the theme of unity. Only through awareness and explicit knowledge of the differences within our community can we utilize our combined resources to ignite and fuel action. Only through full queer empowerment can we unite as one group to advocate for the celebration of our deviations from the mainstream.
about 8 months ago
Albert Einstein said that you can’t solve a problem from the same paradigm that created it. I love the intent of CIRQUE. Yet I don’t know how we can create unity if we start from a position of duality or binary existence. If we see ourselves as separate, won’t we just keep being separate from one another? If we keep seeing ourselves as deviations, how can we find unity? What if we saw ourselves as gifts, the hidden jewels scattered throughout the mainstream, adding glitter and brilliance to the unified world? If we start from that position, then I do believe we can find unity everywhere.
about 7 months ago
Hello Constance,
I will not speak for all the members in CWP, but I am one of the people that is working on CIRQUE. I agree with what you are saying, I feel the way you feel, but unfortunately that is not how it is now in our community. I don’t see myself as separate, but I still see so much separation in our community. This is why we wanted to have a conference to bring the gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual, queer, gender queer, butch, femme, bear, drag queen/king, leather man/dyke, intersex, and androgynous communities together to show that we are all just one; and have to unite and work and support each other.
Hopefully we will see you at some events and maybe even as a volunteer.
Sophie