This weekend I attended the Cutie.BPOC Festival 2016
It was amazing, healing, wonderful, beautiful, exhausting, a lot, a lot, a lot.
The first day, we met everyone and just talked and communed with the fam. It was really nice. There was also a Black Lives Matter protest, but I did not want to be around that energy (or around police officers, tbh)
Saturday meant a lot of workshops. I did a singing workshop, a workshop where we talked about decolonizing the politics of flirting, and a workshop for waacking, a style of dancing similar to voguing. I really wanted to talk about flirting and trying to center QTIBPOC people as worthy, valuable, and loveable, because this is something White heteropatriarchy makes all too difficult. I feel energized in that respect, at the moment. We'll see how long it lasts when I return to Lugano...
On Sunday, there were workshops planned, but I was too tired to attend anything. Instead, I sat, spoke, and laughed with members of my beautiful fam. It was very, very necessary.
Finally, Monday was a brunch organized at a different space, where I actually stayed much longer than I had planned to. It was weird to realize that it was the end.
This festival made me remember how amazing it is to be around people that love and understand me. There were so many moments of realizing I had needed to hear something. Just this Aha! of being affirmed in many ways. Speaking languages that I knew others would understand, being seen, being heard. It was all very lovely.
Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. I met a person whom I was interested in on many levels (because of course I did) who I don't think was that interested in me (because of course they weren't). Similar patterns, similar emotions. Very exhausting. Also, seeing all these beautiful people really made me aware of how much I don't have that in "real life"...
BUT
All in all, I would have to say it was still a very healing, beautiful experience. I can't wait until next year :)
It was amazing, healing, wonderful, beautiful, exhausting, a lot, a lot, a lot.
The first day, we met everyone and just talked and communed with the fam. It was really nice. There was also a Black Lives Matter protest, but I did not want to be around that energy (or around police officers, tbh)
Saturday meant a lot of workshops. I did a singing workshop, a workshop where we talked about decolonizing the politics of flirting, and a workshop for waacking, a style of dancing similar to voguing. I really wanted to talk about flirting and trying to center QTIBPOC people as worthy, valuable, and loveable, because this is something White heteropatriarchy makes all too difficult. I feel energized in that respect, at the moment. We'll see how long it lasts when I return to Lugano...
On Sunday, there were workshops planned, but I was too tired to attend anything. Instead, I sat, spoke, and laughed with members of my beautiful fam. It was very, very necessary.
Finally, Monday was a brunch organized at a different space, where I actually stayed much longer than I had planned to. It was weird to realize that it was the end.
This festival made me remember how amazing it is to be around people that love and understand me. There were so many moments of realizing I had needed to hear something. Just this Aha! of being affirmed in many ways. Speaking languages that I knew others would understand, being seen, being heard. It was all very lovely.
Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. I met a person whom I was interested in on many levels (because of course I did) who I don't think was that interested in me (because of course they weren't). Similar patterns, similar emotions. Very exhausting. Also, seeing all these beautiful people really made me aware of how much I don't have that in "real life"...
BUT
All in all, I would have to say it was still a very healing, beautiful experience. I can't wait until next year :)
