Intro To LGBTQ Cultures

Saw these bits of graffiti while walking around downtown Des Moines, Iowa on Spring Break. Nice of them to try and correct their spelling...

Metro Inclusive Health is a health center throughout the areas of Tampa, New Port Richey, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Metro Inclusive Health is meant to focus on men and women within the LGBTQIA+ community and offers help to these members of the community when dealing with health issues, especially if it concerns AIDS. They came to visit my LGBTQ+ class this semester and discussed different methods of protection against AIDS. They mentioned a precautionary method, pREP, and a method for if you may have come into contact with AIDS. I highly recommend giving Metro Inclusive Health a firm look if you live in Florida and are apart of the LGBTQIA+ community or have friends or family who are. 

-AS

For the representation of Two-Spirit culture, I decided to choose this picture to use as representation. This picture was taken at Two-Spirit Powwow, which is a form of celebration that includes dancing, music, and more. In this context, a Powwow is used a celebration of Two-Spirited people and is basically a Pride for those who identify as Two-Spirit. A Two-Spirited person is someone of Native descent that does not stand with the typical male and female gender roles, but instead takes on the idea of a third gender role. The term is a modern, pan-Indian, umbrella term that is mostly used by Northern Americans.

-AS

For this assignment I chose to recreate me. I chose to use this picture of me because I feel it represents Module 14 where we discussed Queer Fat Studies. Throughout the whole semester things have stood out to me, but "Week 14: Queer Fat Studies" stood out to me the most because it resonates with me. So for this I decided it would be appropriate to post a picture of me, a queer "fat" woman so I could recreate myself into a positive light instead of a negative one that I've had for so long. Taking from Taylor's "Flabulously Femme Queer Fat Women..." part of the queer community has used the phrase, "No fats, no femmes"  which coincides with the heterosexual belief that glorifies thinness as well as masculinity. As both a "fat" woman and femme, I do not want to be in cahoots with this negative connoted phrase and so for this recreation I am officially looking at myself as a beautiful big queer woman who knows her worth. I needed to recreate some confidence and this was the start in doing so! I hope you understand why this is what I chose and why it is so important to me.

What does LGBTQIA+ mean to me? Let me tell you. 

LGBTQIA+ represents my metaphorical home or safe space and my happiness.

It is how I go through each day feeling okay, loved, and supported even if not by my closest friends or family. It helps remind me that I am not alone and that I am loved and cared for in the community where I most fit. LGBTQIA+ means I get to experience new people and new things in my life, I get to go to concerts and prides and feel like I’m truly at home and at peace. LGBTQIA+ stands for everything I needed in my life and finally have. It gives me comfort. 

Word Count: 115 words.

-AS

An overarching theme that really stuck out to me this semester through photographer Zanele Muholi, artist Cole Faust, and the documentary State of Pride is the importance of visibility of QUEER JOY!!!

Yesterday was lesbian day of visibility so I have decided to write what the identity of being a lesbian means to me! Choosing to identify as a lesbian is rooted in my politics. Fuck patriarchy, the male gaze, tolerance instead acceptance, rape culture, capitalism (which consistently puts poc women and poor individuals at the bottom), homophobic policies that are aimed at erasing and silencing the LGBTI+ community.

I have been told the proverbial phrase that’s “it’s a phase” and as femme presenting most people assume I’m straight so lesbian day of visibility is important to me because I get to say I’m a lesbian and I’m proud suck it if you think it’s a phase 🤷🏾‍♀️

In America being self-sufficient is regarded as a major personal achievement. Moving away and starting one’s life on their own is expected and parents often count down the days anticipating their own independence. However, this model is highly unsustainable because community support is essential for humans. Talking, collaborating, and connecting are how we keep the body and soul happy.

The works that inspired me the most this semester were Cole Foust's paintings and Taylor's Radical Self-Love Toolkit. Cole shared intimate parts of himself and his journey with gender identity through his art, which was extremely brave and lovely! Taylor's chapter was something I definitely needed to read (twice). The way she speaks about actively loving one's self in a world where we are perpetually meant to feel less-than was stunning and necessary for my personal growth especially during hard times like these. And, of course, I was particularly fired up by our discussion of bisexual erasure being a bisexual woman myself who has consistently felt left out of the conversation and seen an incredible lack of bisexual art getting any recognition. I wanted to combine these ideas into one painting- a lusciously curvy body painted through the colors of the bi-pride flag! It's surely no Picasso, but I had a lot of fun painting it, and I feel inspired to create more queer art (:

Darryl Whitefeather (Crazy Ex-girlfriend)

2020

While deep diving into different components of queer art, I came across this genre called queercore. Queer core has various different sounds, but it’s practically a hard core version of queer music. GRLwood is one of my favorite bands, and this album always reminds me about bisexuality. Both artists in this band identify within the LGBTQ community, and write music about the struggles with bisexuality.