Healing Queer Bodies

Join us on December 9th, 2018 for Healing Queer Bodies from 2-4:30pm.

RSVP on Facebook.

Hennepin County Minneapolis Central Library - Doty Room on second floor
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Theme: Healing Queer Bodies 
Systems of oppression and trauma live in our bodies. How have we and do we heal our bodies/hearts/spirits as queer people and communities? 

Irene Greene, Alejandra Tobar-Alatriz, Lucinda Pepper, Rhys Preston and Ali Sands.

Free event, free food, all ages, sober space. 
Child care provided. ASL interpretation provided. Please contact us if you have any specific accessibility requests. Contact us: hello@tellingqueerhistory.com

To find the Doty room:
Enter the first floor of the library on either Nicollet or Hennepin. Towards the center there are escalators or elevators up to the second floor. Escalator: around the banister to the right, u-turn to the left, across the bridge and straight into Doty. Elevator: left, right past hall into Doty. 

Parking under the library is $5 flat rate, enter from 4th street. 
Many buses have a stop on Hennepin and 4th. Please let us know if you need transit assistance. 

TELLING QUEER HISTORY is a series of gatherings based on sharing stories in an open, informal, and participatory format. It’s about connecting queer communities, queer history and generations so that we can learn from our shared past, present, and future.*

*Allies are welcome to join, listen and volunteer. Hearing our stories is a great way to be an ally, allowing and assisting us in having the space to tell our stories is a way to be an advocate. Thanks!

Home - August 9, 2015

THEME
Home. 
What does home look like to you? How do we create home as queer people? Where and how have queer people in your life made home? Who and what has supported your sense of home? How can Telling Queer History create or support your sense of home?

An intimate group gathered and shared what home has meant and does mean to them. We also shared drawings of what home could mean as a queer.

Collective poems were created with the "Exquisite Corpse" exercise where each person sees only the line written before theirs, writes a new line, then passes the poem to the next person. 

Rebecca Aylesworth, TQH team member provided a bountiful and delicious spread of food. 

At the Foot of the Mountain: Feminist Theater - April 2015

April's event focused on feminist and lesbian/ queer performance in Minneapolis, during the 1970s and 1980s.  
We will host a panel featuring local artists involved in Foot of the Mountain Theatre, Toklas: A Lesbian Soap Opera, and Dyke Night at the MIA. Panelists will be: 

Randa Downs
Chris Cinque
Laurie Witzkowski
Esther Ouray
Renee Sugrue
Annie Follet
Kim Hines
 

Vulva Riot: Eleanor Savage and Nasreen Mohamed - June 2015

Between tales of sexy lemon bars and moving stories of people finding their voice through performance- this was an afternoon for everyone. Telling Queer History featured Eleanor Savage and Nasreen Mohamed of Vulva Riot on June 14th at the Hennepin County Library. Eleanor’s humble and honest story of the formation and lifespan of Vulva Riot was accompanied by community and audience members sharing their favorite moments and gratitude. Thank you to the estimated 60 people who attended, our largest gathering to date.

Nasreen Mohamed and Eleanor Savage, Co-Producers of Vulva Riot. They invited community members, past performers and Al the door person to share stories with the largest crowd Telling Queer History has had yet. 

Vulva Riot:
Vulva Riot was a monthly cabaret started by Eleanor Savage in 1988. Vulva Riot was a successful community-organizing platform that brought together hundreds of queer women and trans* artists across differences of race, class, age and culture for 10 years. 

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Vulva Riot

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Eleanor Savage is a Program Officer at the Jerome Foundation, a foundation that supports emerging artists.  She previously was the Associate Director of Events and Media Production at the Walker Art Center for sixteen years.  Eleanor founded and was Program Director of Intermedia Arts' Naked Stagesprogram for nine years; this program supports the creative development of emerging performance artists.  She has produced and curated many community-focused events through Intermedia Arts, Walker Art Center, and KFAI radio. She is a civic-minded media artist and activist and has produced work with many Minneapolis and New York performers and choreographers, including Cheryl Dunye, Christian Marclay, Bill T. Jones, Morgan Thorson, Hijack, Shawn McConneloug, Pauline Oliveros, Holly Hughes, Lisa D’Amour and Split Britches. 

Eleanor Savage

Nasreen Mohamed is the Director of Student Engagement for International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). The focus of Nasreen's work is to build strong collaborations across campus to enhance a sense of belonging for international students at the University of Minnesota and to promote the contributions of international students to their colleges and departments. Prior to her work with ISSS, Nasreen worked at Minneapolis Community and Technical College as the Director of Power of YOU, a recruitment and retention program that served under-represented students

Nasreen Mohamed

Queer Love - Feb 2015

Summary:

People shared vulnerable stories about all kinds of love in their lives. Some made valentines to illustrate that love. Attendees explored love around these prompts: your first queer crush, the first person you knew was out, the person who showed you love as a queer person, self love, community love, love for the person who broke your heart, love for the people who fought this battle before us, love for the youth who will keep it going. Bring it all.

Here are some samples of the Valentines they made about queer love. 

Spirituality, Social Justice and Sexuality: Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Rev. Anita Hill and Rev. Meg Riley - December 2014

Rev. Dr. Voelkel, Rev. Anita Hill and Rev. Meg Riley shared personal stories of faith and justice work as queer people. They also provided historical context to root their stories in a larger context. 

Political Awaking: Beth Zemsky - October 2014

Summary:
Beth Zemsky told compelling stories of 4 decades of social justice work. Starting with her coming out story in college, how AIDS affected her personally as she lost her twin brother, and her role in bringing the Tretter collection to the University of Minnesota. 
Following the event, attendees were invited to the depths of the University archives to see the Tretter Collection in person. The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies houses over 3,000 linear feet of material about the GLBT experience.

Video recording of Beth's story is archived with the Tretter Collection. 

Organizing in QPOC Communities 80's & 90s: Rosanna Hudgins - June 2014

Summary:
Our one year anniversary was well attended, our biggest gathering to date. Rosanna Hudgins was an animated story teller; gracing us with physical objects, compelling stories and her beautiful singing voice. Attendees enjoyed sharing their stories in small groups through a variety of mediums. 

Changing Identity: Alex Iantaffi - March 2014

Summary:
Alex Iantaffi shared his journey of self discovery and changing identity. Growing up Catholic in Italy to his very queer family in Minnesota. Attendees enjoyed sharing their stories through a variety of mediums including movement and visual art. 

Sunday, March 9th 2014
2:00-4:30pm
Quatrefoil Library
1220 East Lake Street
Entrance on Lake street, up stairs or ramp. 

FEATURED STORYTELLER
Alex Iantaffi - About Alex
"I am a trans masculine, genderqueer, bi/queer person in his 40s, who is originally from Italy and has lived as an immigrant first in the UK and now in the US for a total of 21 years. I strive to live an integrated life as a spouse, parent, activist, Pagan priestess, licensed marriage and family therapist, educator, researcher and writer. I currently work as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, Program in Human Sexuality, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. My clinical work is mostly focused on trans youth, adults and their families and I am also a sex therapist. My research and writing has mostly been focused on gender, disability, sexuality and over the past few years HIV prevention. Much of my scholarly work could be described as looking at the sexual health of minorities within minorities. I try to base my work on an intersectional approach to health disparities and oppression. I try to do my best to be a community-engaged scholar and I love to cheerlead people who are interested in sexual health and LGBTQ health."

New Small Group Options
This month, we will test out ways to tell our stories in small groups through other forms of communication. We will break into small groups as usual but one will use visual art and another will use movement to share with each other. Two other groups will still have a conversation focus. Let us know what you think as we work to be more inclusive of other forms of communication in our future gatherings. 

Joy and Vitality - A Self Revolution: Tawnya Sweetpea Konobeck - January 2014

Summary:
Tawnya Konobeck aka Sweetpea, shared her very emotional story of struggles as a young person and the unhealthy examples around her, leading to her current success as a burlesque dancer of international fame. 

Sunday, January 12th 2014
2:00-4:30pm
Quatrefoil Library
1220 East Lake Street
Entrance on Lake street, up stairs or ramp. 

FEATURED STORYTELLER
Sweetpea - "Equal opportunity tease" http://www.thesweetpea.com/index.html
Sweetpea's mission is to promote and nurture the experience of succulent, multifaceted, full-spectrum joyful living by caring for, connecting to, and fully inhabiting our bodies. 

JANUARY THEME
Joy and Vitality: A Self Revolution - 
Sweetpea will talk about inviting health into our present lives after unhealthy past examples and practices. Sweetpea will share how self care has been a form of activism and revolutionary practice as a queer person. 

Family Dinner: Chef Kate Moore - November 2013

Summary:
Chef Kate Moore shared how she has used chosen family meals to cultivate a loving and accepting community in her life. She also made a delicious pot of root vegetable soup for everyone to enjoy during the event. 

Sunday, November 10th 2014
2:00-4:30pm
Quatrefoil Library's new location in Spirit on Lake
1220 East Lake Street
MPLS MN 55407
(between Chicago and Bloomington Avenues, 2 blocks north of Powderhorn Park)

FEATURED STORYTELLER
Kate Moore - a chef and community builder
www.communitycookingwithkate.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnD6vIFSGuM

NOVEMBER THEME
Kate will be talking about Family Dinner, a weekly meal that binds a chosen family together. Kate will touch on what chosen family means vs family of origin and how to create one for yourself.  

Code Switching: Jason Jackson - September 2013

Summary:
Jason Jackson shared is story of navigating many different cultures throughout his life. Using code switching to present the part of his identity that fit the dominate narrative or was most to his advantage in each setting when he was not able to bring his whole self to the spaces he had to navigate. 

FEATURED STORYTELLER
Jason Jackson - Assistant Director at University of Minnesota GLBTA Programs Office

SEPTEMBER THEME
Code switching: To customize style of speech to the audience or group being addressed.
 

Sunday, September 8th
2:00-4:30pm (with special pre-event preview at 1:30pm)
Madame of the Arts (3401 Chicago Avenue S, entrance in the mural wall)

Katie Burgess and Kevin Kaoz Moore - July 2013

Summary:
Attendees chose between the two featured storytellers: Katie Burgess and Kevin "Kaoz" Moore.  
Katie wove a story from themes chosen by the audience: Train hopping, homelessness and juggling. Katie is a gifted performer of transgender experience who has had times of homelessness. Katie developed busking skills including juggling and unicycle tricks. 

July 14, 2013

Kevin shared stories from his perspective as an out gay black male hip-hop artist. 

Telling Queer History: the first gathering - June 2013

Our first gathering at Madame of the Arts was a success beyond what we expected. About 25 people gathered from ages 16-70 representing a range of LGBTQ identities, races and classes. Our three featured speakers shared their stories in small groups and facilitated space for attendees to share their stories. We were inspired by the vulnerability of people's stories and the ways that connected us. So we kept going. Join us as we continue to Tell our Queer History. 

Chong Moua - Hmong mother shared her story of coming out as queer in a culture that doesn't have a word for that because there isn't a tradition of accepting LGBTQ people. Chong has been involved with Shades of Yellow (SOY) the first and only Hmong Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) nonprofit organization in the world that works to provide support, education, advocacy, and leadership development to Hmong/Asian Pacific Islander (HAPI) LGBTQ and allies.

Harry Waters Jr. - Professor Waters’ career in professional theatre and film extends to students in THDA through his courses in all levels of acting and his mainstage productions.  In addition to his ongoing professional work, Professor Waters works on various community-based theatre projects in the Twin Cities and nationally, and is a committed dramaturg and deviser in support of emerging artists’ development.

Barbara Satin - Barbara Satin is a transgender activist involved with both local and national gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities and organizations.Barbara is a founder of GLBT Generations, a group that has worked to educate people about the needs of LGBT persons as they grow old. She is also a member of Living Table (formerly Spirit of the Lakes) United Church of Christ in Minneapolis, and was instrumental in helping develop a 46 unit affordable rental facility, Spirit on Lake, which opened in Minneapolis in 2013 and is providing safe and respectful housing for LGBT seniors. Barbara is the Assistant Faith Work Director for The Task Force. Barbara works on a variety of social justice issues that have a faith component, including assisting faith settings in welcoming and affirming transgender persons.