Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain
Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain:
The BiCast does a great interview with the editor of Purple Prose. It also includes some awesome music in the break!
Posted inbisexuality History lgbtqia queer
I spoke at Queer Black Spaces 3 last night; a rare LGBT+ event…
I spoke at Queer Black Spaces 3 last night; a rare LGBT+ event in Black History Month. During the event I listened to other Artists of Colour as they spoke about erasure of Queer people of colour in recent history, and how important archives are. I was taken with just how much of history there is in the past 40 years, and how quickly people forget that we have even been present in that short space of time.
Ajamu’s (pictured above with the cap) history quiz was fun, but it was obvious from all the wrong answers people gave, that little is known about UK Black LGBT+ History. It particularly reminded me of how vital Bi’s of Colour (www.bisofcolour.tumblr.com) is, and how I really want Stage 3 of the Bi’s of Colour History Project to be fully funded. So if you want to make a donation to this work, please visit www.gofundme.com/bochistory and help ensure that Bisexuals of Colour are never forgotten!
OctoCon – The Irish Sci-Fi convention (or activism never has a…
OctoCon - The Irish Sci-Fi convention (or activism never has a day off)
In last week’s episode of Jacq goes to a Sci-Fi convention…
I’ve been to 3 conventions prior to OctoCon. Dragon Con was awful. Nine Worlds was pretty bad. EasterCon (Dysprosium) was good. I was completely ignored at DragonCon - as in I’d talk to someone & they’d look at me with a blank stare. A panelist called me a Troll at Nine Worlds when I spoke up about cultural appropration. So far, so bad.
Dysprosium had more than its fair share of racist attendees - from the man proudly wearing a Gollywog badge, to an attendee demanding I explain to him & his mates how to end racism. The good thing about Dysprosium was the organisers were brilliant when I spoke to them about these problems. They got on with sorting out these issues quickly, & reassured me that I was being listened to. It is something I really appreciated. I shouldn’t have to face these kind of problems at any event, but they kept on happening. I didn’t have very high hopes for OctoCon. But in the end, it was fantastic!
I took part in 5 panels, including 4 that were decidely LGBT+ and sex positive. Where most conventions will have a single diversity panel (or in the case of Nine Worlds, a track), OctoCon had diversity woven into every single session. I didn’t only hear about or from People of Colour in the Race & Sci-Fi type sessions, but in the ones on Timetravel, in Genderqueerness and inErotica in fiction too. This is no small thing for me; having been used to being shoved in a ‘ghetto’ of ethnicity at events. The fact that there weren’t even that many People of Colour in attendance didn’t alter the fact that I felt listened to at OctoCon. I felt respected. I had loads of fun and learned new things about the worlds of gaming, science fiction and fantasy. And with the added bonus of a lot of seriously HOT folks in attendance, what more could I ask for?
Go to OctoCon. http://2015.octocon.com You know it makes sense.
And support the bid for Dublin 2019 too! http://dublin2019.com
Better than a Quinn Martin production.
On 5th September 2015, I attended Totnes Pride. I had been…
On 5th September 2015, I attended Totnes Pride. I had been asked to give a speech and be on a panel about gender during the day. I had no idea that it would be such a wonderful experience!
Mat and Jon, the twin brother organisers of the event were friendly and welcoming; nowadays I have a worry about how lesbian and gay people will be to bisexuals, so their genorosity was a weight off my mind.
The talented CN Lester was also in attendance. Their camaraderie during the day was invaluable, especially when I realised I hadn’t eaten in far too long!
It is so rare to go to an LGBT+ event that is 100% free of hassle - no nasty comments from onlookers, no grief from other marchers, and a genuine sense of inclusivity. Totnes Pride had all of that. I’m impressed by the fact that in a very white rural area, I was made to feel so at home that I didn’t want to leave at the end of the day.
LGBT+ people in rural areas may experience isolation, but if this event is anything to go by, when they come together, they put big cities to shame!
Posted inbi bicon lgbtqia queer steven universe
BiCon 2015Inclusivity has always been at the heart of my values….
BiCon 2015
Inclusivity has always been at the heart of my values. I’ve felt like I don’t belong, been actiely erased, dismissed and ignored for years. BiCon, and the Bi’s of Colour group has helped combat the loneliness and isolation and otherness I’ve felt in a big way. It’s why BiCon is the highlight of the year for me and so many others.
This year I gave a presentation with two other bisexuals of colour on what we have been up to as a group for the last five years, since the group’s formation. It was wonderful to see how things had changed, and how much more of an accepting place BiCon has become. But more needs to change. During the weekend, I was spoken to in a really harsh manner by a few people who treated me like a research subject, instead of a human being. The middle-class, white, academic bias many attendees have ingrained in their psyche, was something I found disappointing. This came to the fore, both in casual meetups over lunch and dinner, and also in a few workshops (especially the nonbinary gender one).
There were some wonderful things that eclipsed the bad this year: there were 19 bisexuals of colour in attendance at the Bi’s of Colour session. We raised £190 for the Bi’s of Colour History Project www.gofundme.com/bochistory , and the Steven Universe Sing-along was one of the most enjoyable sessions I’ve taken part in!
BiCon 2015 took place in Nottingham University.
BiCon 2016 will be at the University of Preston.
Stage 2* of the Bi’s of Colour History Project is…
Stage 2* of the Bi’s of Colour History Project is underway. I aim to interview bisexual people of colour on their lives and on the common themes that arose in the Bi’s of Colour survey report. I also want to include photographs of the interviewees, alongside ephemera relating to bi/pan/fluid people of colour.
I am based in London, but I am able to travel to carry out interviews in the following places: Brighton, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast. For interviewees outside of these cities, I can email a list of questions.
This is where your help is needed. I’ve set up a Go Fund Me page where you can donate for this campaign: http://www.gofundme.com/bochistory
Individuals: I know money is tight for all of us, but if you can donate even a small amount, it will help this campaign.
LGBTIQA organisations, you can help me to complete this work. If you’ve read the Bi’s of Colour Report, you will know how vital this is. Your assistance will be added to the Stage 3 exhibition/display. You’ll get publicity for supporting a very marginalised group of people.
Your donations will help to pay for travel, and to reimburse participants for their time. I need to pay for photography and printing. I cannot do this without your help. There is currently nothing like this out there. It doesn’t have to be like that.
If anyone wants to contact me to discuss how to get involved with this project, email me at bis.of.colour@gmail.com
*Stages
Stage 1: Bi’s of Colour survey and report
Stage 2: Oral history interviews
Stage 3: Travelling exhibition/display of Bi’s of Colour History
Stage 4: A published book of the project!