Semi-OT: Queer History 101
David Migicovsky
BY REBECCA TODD
eye magazine
Is your knowledge of Toronto's queer history based on what you learned in
high school -- i.e., nothing? Blush no more! The Summer 2000 Project's
Vitamin Q, a necessary supplement to any historical diet, will alleviate
any embarrassing ignorance.
This weekend, 12 queer youth (ages 16 to 24) host a history-inspired
walking tour, marked by original performances and visual art. Spectators
begin their tour at the Cawthra Park AIDS Memorial, stroll past the
infamous steps of the Church Street Second Cup and finish up at Buddies in
Bad Times Theatre.
Vitamin Q, the performance, is the culmination of the Summer 2000 Project
(a joint project of Buddies in Bad Times and Art in Action), an eight-week
intensive program now in its second year. Designed by co-directors Franco
Boni and Florencia Berinstein to combine history, community and the arts,
it's an exceptional hybrid that blends elements of a youth training
program, a research project, a support group and an arts camp that would
make any seasoned arts professional whimper with envy.
This year, participating youth got to work with actors Alex Bulmer and
Diane Flacks as well as directors David Oiye and Sarah Stanley. They took a
zine workshop with Rita Fatila and studied textile art with Joe Lewis,
improv with Gavin Crawford, movement with Marc Richard and photography with
Iza Morkrosc. And they were paid to do it!
On the lawn outside Buddies, university students Julie Auerbach and Tom
Corless, project support worker Michael Caines, and Berinstein all squat in
a circle (the grass lawn is suspect) and take turns with the tape recorder.
"Over the summer," Corless explains, "we were given a set of questions
about queer history in Toronto. We went to the Lesbian and Gay Archives and
researched topics like The Body Politic [1974-87], which was a gay-
liberation newspaper, and the bathhouse raids. And we learned about the
history of lesbian bars -- a lot of them opened and closed very quickly --
as well as the founding of Gay Asians Toronto, the AIDS Memorial and the
AIDS Committee."
A lot of the research has also involved interviewing older activists within
the community. "We also learned about the LOOT," adds Auerbach, referring
to the Lesbian Organization of Toronto, located on Jarvis from 1976 to
1980.
Among all the courageous battles against homophobia, Auerbach says she was
particularly impressed by the tenacity and hard work of early lesbian
feminists, "especially at a time when they were facing sexism within the
gay community and homophobia within the feminist community -- to try to
find some kind of a movement in those circumstances is pretty incredible."
"So for the performance," Corless continues, "we've tried to incorporate
the history that we've learned into the show, whether it's through improv
or dance pieces, monologues or little skits. Not all the show is dedicated
to the history, though -- we incorporated our own thoughts and feelings
into it. A lot of us have a lot on our minds, and we want to put that into
the show."
In addition to viewing the performances, spectators will be handed packages
filled with related postcards, bookmarks and zines. Berinstein admits to
her own recent ignorance of local queer history, noting that she and Boni
were doing the research only a couple of months ahead of the kids. And she
was clearly not the only one with gaps in her knowledge.
"Last year I was overwhelmed and touched by the support we got from the
community -- from older members who were willing to help out, as well as
from people who came to see the shows," she says. "We had crowds of people
who walked around with us for two hours in the hot sun. I didn't expect
such a positive response, and I think part of that is that there's such a
gap around history in our community -- and because the quality of work is
impressive. There's a willingness on the part of the youth to put their
stuff out there."
Caines says he has been struck anew by the idea that making art and
bringing it into the public sphere is an act of activism. "The idea of
activism as an act of creating something, whether it's community or a
sculpture or a performance," he explains.
In addition to the art and history, there's also discussion of issues
arising from the shared experience of being young and queer. Within this
particular group, Corell says he's impressed by the ease with which men and
women communicate with each other.
"It's inspiring, because in the community I find there is so much division
between men and women," he says. "It's cool to see a lot of the men taking
responsibility for their treatment of women, and being respectful and
understanding. People seem to be open-minded."
Adds Auerbach, "It's extraordinary to see young men who are really angry
and fighting against negative roles that are imposed on them. Gender roles
are redefining themselves, and it's an incredible vibe to be around."
>>David ========>
--
David Migicovsky, Evil Overlord of ACF
d m i g i c o v at n e w s c e n e dot c o m
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