Queeriosity 2007
Queeriosity – Youth Speaks
June 15, 7:00pm
Performance & Readings
Rainbow Room | LGBT Center 2nd Floor
Free
Youth Speaks is proud to present The 10th Annual Queeriosity, an intergenerational evening celebrating queer voices through Spoken Word. Queeriosity kicks off Pride Week with a multi-disciplinary event that embraces queer youth of color.
Established in 1998 by two queer youth poets, Queeriosity continues to create a safe space for queer voices to speak and be heard. Says Youth Speaks Program Director Jason Mateo, “Queeriosity also builds alliances amongst youth of all persuasions and orientations. Though Youth Speaks celebrates queer voices with this event, Queeriosity is meant for everyone.”
Performers include Los Angeles based choreography Christopher Eclipse, The Suicide Kings’ Geoff Trenchard, Poet-Activist Kirya Traber, singer/songwriter khalil.anthony, Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Finalist Terry Taplin, Spoken Word artists Jason Mateo and Adriel Luis and more.
On the heels of the Eleventh Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam, which hosted more queer youth poets than ever, Queeriosity strives to further expand the audience for queer youth.
Twenty-year old Youth Speaks intern and Queeriosity performer Susanna Myrseth says, “Queeriosity is not an option, but a necessity. With every poem and story shared on the stage, we are reducing isolation and building safe spaces for all youth to grow and thrive. The moment we realize we are not alone, we become infinitely more powerful. We seek not to be tolerated, but to be celebrated.”
Aligned with Youth Speaks’ vision to combat alienation and silence, Queeriosity also serves to provide a space within the Hip-Hop community for queer voices. “Traditionally and sadly, Hip Hop does not always welcome queer voices. Public spaces for youth are too often not safe for out queer youth and/or trans youth. Queeriosity is our attempt to bring together a diverse audience of youth and adults to bear witness while queer youth take center stage. Queeriosity is an important part of our mission to bring diverse youth voices from the margin to the core.” -Aya de Leon, Hip-hop Activist
Queeriosity is part of Youth Speaks’ Bringing the Noise Reading Series, and is supported by The Horizons Foundation, The Grants for the Arts / Hotel Tax Fund and the Queer Cultural Center.