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What Is It?

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Queer and Rebel Days: What is it?

Queer and Rebel Days 2009 is a week of performances, discussions, food, and workshops in Halifax, NS, running from July 10 - 16, 2009. All events are free, trans and queer positive, and childcare is available upon request. Most events are based at the Roberts St. Social Centre, 5684 Roberts St., Halifax; see the Event Details page for more info.

Our goals are:

  • Learn from each other
  • Break down borders that stop us from working together
  • Have fun!
  • Create space for talk and action that might not happen otherwise

Here are some of the ideas we hope will spark conversation:

  • Consumerism and assimilation
  • The labels we use (queer, bi, lesbian, trans, etc... who uses which ones, and what do they mean to us?
  • Queers as agents of gentrification
  • History and future of activism in our communities
  • Oppression and alliance: how can we support each other?
  • Your topic here!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Are You People?

We are a bunch of people who share an interest in these ideas -- many of us didn't know each other before we started. So far, people have gotten involved at all stages of the project, and we hope you will too. We are people of various ages, who identify with a variety of genders and sexual orientations. And we want to meet you. Do you have feedback about the events? Suggestions about something we should do, or something we could do better? Let us know.

 

Are you against Gay Pride?

Definitely not. Many of us have been participating in Pride events for years, in Halifax as well as other towns, cities and countries. Many of us will continue to. We deliberately chose not to schedule our events at the same time as Pride events so they wouldn't conflict. Our experiences at the various Pride celebrations we've attended have made us wonder, what isn't happening? Are there things that might enrich our communities that don't or can't happen in the traditional Pride framework? We aim to find out, and we hope you'll be part of the experiment.

 

I am really uncomfortable with the word "queer". To me it's a slur. Why should I join you?

The word "queer" creates some tension. For some people, words like "gay" or "bi" feel claustrophobic and "queer" presents a welcome relief, allowing for a broad range of possibilities. For others it's an unacceptable insult. This is definitely a conversation we hope to have -- not to convince people to change their labels, but help us all broaden our understanding. We hope that the word "queer" will not prevent anyone from participating... but if it does, we hope you will contact us to let us know your thoughts and suggestions.