Last night, we toddled off to The Eagle to catch Steel Queer N'At, a quarterly performance of Pittsburgh queer talent put together by a local eclectic queer art collective. For months, we've talked about going to the monthly K'vetch performances (third Thursdays at Modern Formations in Garfield), but something always came up. So this was our big chance to see what all the fuss was about.
It was awesome (except for one detail I'll get to later). The organizers did a great job staging an outrageous, sexy show that made me think and, even more importantly, made me want to take some action ... to pick up my pen, pick up my picket sign and pick my ass up off the couch.
The performers were this amazing group of rowdy, righteous, motivated babes (and a few gents) who had something important ... a whole lotta something important .... to say and did it with style and words and music and movement that left the audience panting for more. In a good way.
It was also easily the most diverse group of queer women I've encountered in Pgh. Most every gay event is pure white with maybe one or two token minorities. And most every gay event organizers claim that they don't know how to connect with gay minorities. Perhaps they should get in touch with the collective because they seem to be doing a fine job.
We loved 'em all for speaking their truth, for speaking out loud and for getting up on that stage to just speak.
The next Steel Queer N'At should be in October. We'll post it here with plenty of advance warning so you can catch the show. October is also the Celebrate the Night performance night, but we'll post on that separately.
Now here's our concern. The performers howled about women taking back control of our bodies, our sexuality, our health and our identity. They called out corporate America for filling our bodies with poisons and to society for boxing us in with few choices. It was chilling and it was the truth.
It was also done in a room filled with smoke. And there lies the rub. If I wanted to hear the message, I had no choice but to expose myself to second hand smoke for the entire evening. Every smoker in that room took away my control over the very air I breathe. To hear their message, I had to sacrifice my own ability to breath and speak. How is this inclusive or empowering?
I respect that each woman, each person, in that room has the right to choose to smoke, but they shouldn't have the right to force me to smoke, too. If someone drank too much or acted obnoxiously, I could choose to move away. There's was nowhere to hide from the smoke. I had to leave the space to reclaim my breath.
We are creating a new aesthetic and we do this collectively because it is absolutely necessary for our health, well-being and struggle.
If you take the beauty industry to task for seducing us into inserting carcinogens into our vaginas, what about the tobacco industry's well-documented coercion of smokers? Studies show that lesbians are 70% more likely to smoke than heterosexual women; 25 % of lesbians smoke. I can't find the stats on the incidents of lung cancer and emphysema for lesbians versus heterosexual women, but I'm guessing there's a statistically significant difference.
That means roughly 75% of us don't smoke. Why force us to compromise our health to be part of the Steel Queer N'At experience? Why not have a smoke-free event and ask the smokers to respect me and my choices about MY health enough to step outside? Even make the performance area itself smoke free and have the smokers go downstairs to the third floor to smoke -- its not even outside. If a few smokers choose not to attend, I guarantee more non-smokers will gladly take their seats.
A smoke-free event would rock. I want to go again and want to take my women friends with me, but they won't willingly go into an environment where they can't breathe freely. No one should.
Look for another post soon comparing and critiquing the lesbian performance experiences in Pittsburgh.
And check out the Steel Queer N'At collective for a consciousness raising jolt to your LGBT identity. You won't regret it.
Saturday, June 10th Pride Erie Picnic Once again, the Pride Erie Picnic will be held at Presque Isle State Park at the Rotary Pavilion.We are back to having the Picnic on the traditional 2nd Saturday in June (June 10) and we will run from 1 PM to 6 PM (starts 1 hour earlier)
Now here's something very cool In addition to celebrating gay pride, these fine folks up in the Northwestern regions also use Pride to generate support for hunger programs.
Food Bank Donations
As we did last year, in addition to the potluck buffet, we will also be collecting nonperishable items for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania. Last year generous GLBT people and their supporters collectd 99 pounds of food. Let's see if we can top that!
Below is a list of the most needed items. Please no home-canned foods, glass containers, unsealed or opened packages, outdated baby food or formula, or bulging or severely dented cans.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, check this out:
Steel Queer N'At BlowOUT Show
at Pittsburgh Eagle
June 2nd
Doors open at 8:30, Show starts at 9pm.
Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door.
ADVANCE TICKETS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
THIS SHOW WILL SELL OUT.
Tickets are available at A Pleasant Present and A Big Idea, or send us a message for more information.
This is a 21+ show.
Showcasing the best queer art Pittsburgh has to offer, it'll be a night of sexy burlesque, fresh musical performances, some of the region's hottest spoken word artists, and much more, topped off with a headlining performance by Sonji Woodruff (myspace/sonjimusic). The show's lineup performances by The Sweet Jezebels, Thrive, Joey Edgar, Colelea, Lakisha Wolf, Cathryn Calhoun, Grit of the Grass, ISIS da Genius, The Butch Kings, Yah Lioness, Sonji Woodruff, and more, plus surprises and giveaways.
In another overt example of homophobic law enforcement, Allegheny County police are "stepping up patrols" around a South Park bathroom suspected of being the location of many a gay tryst.
The Post-Gazette report hits the classic homophobic note -- the site's proximity to a children's playground. Because you cannot report on gay sex without making at least one subtle allusion to children.
Now I understand that having sex in public places is illegal. But when is the last time you read a story about cracking down on heterosexual public sex? I guarantee you that there are more incidencts of breeders having public sexual relations than homos. And I guarantee you that most gay men are not having sex in public restrooms. But those who do are not guilty of a greater crime than the majority of high school students parked at South Park.
When I was in high school, we rode the activity bus and had to walk through the parking lot of Sam's Club to get home. Every day for the entire track season in my junior year (1987), a car was parked in that lot containing an adult man and woman having sex. We walked right past it every day and they never batted an eye. They were having sex within eyeshot of the middle school and a half a block from a preschool. Where was the umbrage? Who protected me?
Let's be honest -- this is not a crackdown on public lewdness. This is a crackdown on the crime of being gay.
Last night, we took a drive into Regent Square to hear singer/songwriter Eve Goodman perform at the Square Cafe.
She's great. We heard about her performance through a local Queer Events email list and thought it sounded like a nice evening. So off we drove. It was well worth the $98.34 in gas (kidding). :-)
Eve is very personable and her music was thoughtful and entertaining. I enjoy live music somewhat, but get kind of bored quickly as my attention wanders. Especially when the artists performs 17 monotonous songs about their inner thoughts on, well, anything.
Eve ain't like that. Her introspection felt universal, not self-centered. She has some delightful numbers on her partner's 94 year old grandmother and two best buddies, Big Dog and Little Wag. Her parents were in attendance which made it just seem somehow more cool.
Laura is defintely the musical one in the family. I enjoy music, but sitting in a smoke filled club (or standing) surrounded by self-styled hipsters listening to someone whine about their life is not my idea of a good time. The environment destroys any connection I may feel with the performer. Hence, the Square Cafe is perfect -- no smoke, lots of seats and really delish hummus.
Check out Eve's website for her performance schedule. You'll be happy you did.
If you are unable to attend but would like to donate please send your tax deductable donation to Dreams of Hope, c/o Robin Godfrey, 3432 Perrysville Ave, Pgh, PA 15214
Dreams of Hope is a nonprofit creative and performing arts youth group committed to developing leaders in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender youth community and to promoting awareness and understanding of this community. Through the creation of new artistic works by and about its members, professional training of its members in public speaking on LGBT issues and performances for academic institutions, DOH confronts and challenges homophobia.
Last night, we toddled off to The Eagle to catch Steel Queer N'At, a quarterly performance of Pittsburgh queer talent put together by a local eclectic queer art collective. For months, we've talked about going to the monthly K'vetch performances (third Thursdays at Modern Formations in Garfield), but something always came up. So this was our big chance to see what all the fuss was about.
