what queer in the streets again

Queers decry a heteronormative consumerist holiday!

last night at a minute to midnight, a ragtag group of queers and allies, trans folks and brass band friends, some decked out in their most scandalous (over thermals, of course), danced through the streets of Providence, Rhode Island, stopping to flirt with and provoke our local gay bars.

We are sick of the majority of queer spaces in our city revolving around consumerism and intoxication. We are sick of "queer" meaning "assimilated white gay men" when there are a whole lot of us who don't fit with that identity. We are sick of monogamous relationships being the accepted norm. We are sick of feeling like we have to prove our love to our partners by showering them with unnecessary mass-produced crap. We are sick of feeling like crap for being single. Instead of sitting around and complaining, we decided to throw our own party!

On Valentine's day at midnight, we took to the street, to create a free, all-ages, festive queer space that for once, didn't revolve around alcohol.

We danced to brass provided by a few members of the what cheer! brigade and had signs with slogans such as, "i have straight friends," "we recruit," and "break up with patriarchy."

Our reception was varied - at some gay bars, they were all about it, and in some places there was quite a bit of tension. As we snaked through Providence, our numbers grew, as spectators became active participants.

Despite some aggressive invitations to suck dicks from drunk bargoers, some beer thrown by the queers in the club at the queers who can't afford the 7 dollar cover charge, and being called dummies and threatened with teargas by some pitifully incompetent providence police, (and learning firsthand that they "don't care about killing people" after threatening to teargas a crowd of kids in a packed staircase), a great time was had by all. there were no arrests.

to get in touch with what queer?!, email whatqueer@gmail.com

what valentines day?!

VALENTINES DAY

What Queer?! says "Valentine's Day? WHAT VALENTINE'S DAY?!"
Street Dance Party!
FEBRUARY 14! 11:59 PM empire street, providence RI
OUT OF THE BARS AND INTO THE STREETS!
WALK OUTSIDE OF THE "HIDDEN" GAY BAR AND DEMAND VISIBILITY!
REJECT THE HETERONORMATIVE AND CAPITALISTIC MESSAGE OF VALENTINE'S DAY!
CREATE AND DEMAND QUEER SPACES THAT DON'T REVOLVE AROUND CONSUMERISM AND GETTING INTOXICATED!
REMIND THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE THAT QUEER LIBERATION MEANS MORE THAN HAVING A GAY MAYOR!
MAKE OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
MAKE A SCENE!
MAKE NOISE!
WEAR COSTUMES!
BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!
MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN!
(TYPE IN CAPSLOCK ALWAYS AND FOREVER!)


also, check out the queer zine archive project!
http://www.qzap.org