IDAHOBIT: Freedom of Expression, Representation, and Parties
Today, as you may or may not know, is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.
This year’s focus is Freedom of Expression, and those of you who live in or around Melbourne should definitely come to the Freedom of Expression event at Hares and Hyenas (your friendly local queer bookshop). There’ll be a bunch of talented writers and artists, a talented musician, me, and food. What more could you want from an event? COME PARTY WITH US it’ll be great.
Freedom of Expression is, obviously, an important concept to me. I got my first exposure to queer media through fandom, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to watch queer romance, as a genre, really take off. It makes me ridiculously happy to see the queer experience edging its way into mainstream media and I’m honoured to be a part of it.
Another, related issue close to my heart is that of representation. There’s a quote from Laverne Cox floating around at the moment that I think sums up the issue and the importance therein perfectly:
“So many students have said, trans students have said; now I can have a point of reference when I talk about who I am. My friends are like, ‘Oh, like Sophia from ‘Orange is the New Black?’’ and they’re like, ‘yeah,’ and then they just move on and it’s not an issue,” she said. “I got a letter from a young, from a trans youth’s mother who said that he transitioned because of me and because of seeing me on the show it gave him the courage to talk to his parents about who he was and they’re supportive and loving and now he’s started his transition. It’s insane. It’s really beautiful.”
MTV.com Interview with Laverne Cox
Representation is the obvious follow-on from freedom of expression. I want all of you to take your voices and make them heard, in whatever way your art takes form, and make sure that people like you who may not know they’re not alone or have words to explain how they’re feeling have someone to look to. Take your voices and make yourselves and people like you visible so the world can’t ignore you any more.
Every one of us has the power to make a little difference, just by speaking up. By making our art about us, turning the camera around, putting our words to paper and saying ‘I’m important, too’. You are important. You are so, so important and we need people like you, baby queers and older queers and everyone in between to express yourselves, loud and often. Make people see that you’re here, you’re queer, and you sure as hell aren’t about to shut up about it.
If you do nothing else to celebrate IDAHOBIT, do this one thing. Use your words or your brush, your voice, your camera, your interpretive dance routine, your art, whatever it is, and speak up.
And if you wanna share what you’re doing, how you’re expressing yourself today, I’d love to hear about it.
