The 2023 Albertan Queer Affirmation Review identified the importance of empowering Queer story tellers.
Through its ways, Treaty guarantees that Two Spirit folks & others should be able to live in our cities and schools. Queer people have the grand joy that, in being true to ourselves, we make room for & affirm Treaty. The same Treaty that allows us to be our own true selves lets others do the same, and deserves empowerment. Through this, Queer spaces become magic spaces, and stories maintain that magic.
By grace and good fortune, we've gathered Queer writers and their stories. Today's story is the second of our second tranche which has brought the pilot project back to life. It helps us set a new tempo and reflects on Queer storytellers, audiences, and who stories are for. What follows comes in part from being Queer in Treaty 7.
“A Garden of Voices and Time for Debate to Bloom” - A Queer Salon Inspired Tale
Wherever they meet and whatever they eat, sooner or later Queer folk share and hear each others stories.
There’s a proud tradition of salons as a place of story sharing; in France it was nobles and women, and then Lesbians and rainbow folk and the gender-diverse carried salons into the 20th and 21st centuries, abroad and beyond. There is a wondrous phenomenon some have embraced since the earliest days of humans of combining story with food, feast with feat – where the act of passing a plate or a tale feels radical, filling, fulsome, and downright human.
The first Affirmation review said stories and space are significant and backers helped make more of it through a pilot series of salons. Through donations from Indigenous folks, progressives, conservatives, progressive conservatives, lefties, righties, and Lucy’s, we brought what was needed to gather, feed, and empower storytellers and those writers sure brought out their best works, best camaraderie, as well as best thoughts and meta reflections on Queer stories. And with good inputs came good outputs; full bellies, big smiles, some tears but more cheers. With good outputs, came strong outcomes. Amongst the aims of the review we were looking to empower the community, find & empower those already positioned to do so, and grow the questions & connections for whatever comes from that empowerment – part of that comes through sharing finds with folks and online, (please know the folks behind this all are all appreciative of your knowing this story). A big part of that comes from growing how stories are thought of, shared, used, and bolstered in shoring up Queer folks and the liberties of places like Treaty 7 territory. And so, to my joy, wonder, and awe, I found myself at a pilot project story salon getting a front row seat to fresh and seasoned storytellers shoring up each other and pivoting to the big thoughts of sharing, using, and bolstering tales and voices.
That night’s salon was full of folks from the Queer Writers of Calgary as well as others in the room from Calgary including the well liked and noted poet & gardener Cece Chow.
It was hot, the food was filling, and the banter and socialising were both so so spot on. The unwritten but often practiced dance of 7-degrees-of-the-rainbow was on and happening as the salon’s attendees all got to add context to who they were all sharing the room with and their worlds.
Then, it was story time…
The room took in the origin story and great deeds of the Queer Writers of Calgary, they heard tales of the Stampede turning from rainbow stomping to rainbow stompn’ and of the many Queer cowfolk polks who no doubt where around to make the first Calgary Stampede and the many after the successes the were, the room even heard tales of Queer travel around the world; but the focal point was always going to be Cece.
Cece the poet, the transplanter, the speaker – Cece the impressive was in the room to share that night amongst the others and some of the others knew it & knowingly were excited. I recall being at Calgary’s grand Central library seeing Cece fill the stage and room at a performance of the Vagina Monologues and knew that of course Cece would be a star that night, talented and humble as she is.
A masterpiece in cadence and tone, her tone hit the spot for many if not all in the room. Taking advantage of an opportunity, I later asked her how she hits such well fitting form in her delivery only to find she found it more art than science herself; talented, humble.
The room recovered, rejoiced, and recovered again, and began shifting out of salon and stories vibes towards a wrap for the night. But one attendee brought it to a screeching halt and pivoted the crowd back to intrigue, “Before we are done sharing, I think have something to share afterall.”
Perhaps it was the room, perhaps it was the food, or even the libations though I am unsure if they partook as they seemed to have all their wits when they took a leap forward and followed up art with art. I am unsure of those factors, but I do know Cece focusing the room just prior played a part.
The Writer’s as a group had fostered the space for a story to be created and Cece’s presence in the room and support brought the story into that well-ready space.
The Hesitant Poet shared with the group the impacts of spending time at Wild Rabbit Vintage where the Queer Writers’ of Calgary would meet from time to time to hone their craft; they shared how others built their works while building each other up. The room sat down, leaned in, and listened intently. All of those factors and more no doubt gave them the thought of building works of their very own – which is very on brand for the Queer Writers’ of Calgary, propagating story and the like.
Hearing Cece’s thoughts and words, they spoke of how the question of “Do I belong here” shifted into “I do belong here” and how that question shift meant a grim realisation that maybe, just maybe, the work scrolled in into the notes app on their phone belonged in the room and in that moment too.
The room hushed as the fresh poet sunk into their all too natural moment of maybe-I-overcommitted-woe for a half-second, but it was too late as their friends had already begun singing their praises. More than that, the room was full of anticipation and excitement at the chance to see such a raw work and moment – some in the audience trying hard to not appear to be trying too hard in encouraging a potential debut.
Short, sweet, beautiful – my copy of their concise piece lost to time but my memory stays to this day of my first impression, “Like hell that was their first go, they are a natural.” Audience reflections seemed to match my own and as the work and the artist wrapped the room had another silence-followed-by-celebration moment.
I hope those smiles of Cece and the other audience members spoke whatever praise was needed to get future work from the humble and talented artist; there were many stars in that room.
There are many moments I wish I would have bit my tongue, but when a question popped into my head and stayed there I am glad I voiced it that night. In all the excitement and conversation someone’s words brought a seething question that kept burrowing in my head until I voiced it, “Who are stories for? What makes a Queer story a Queer story, who is it for, and what good or use can we get from them?”
The room erupted with thought—Cece, the Writers, the Hesitant and Talented Poet. The conversation went on late into the night, well beyond what the old-timers had planned, but it fueled the twenty-somethings in the room, who let the reflections pour forth.
Isn’t it funny how Queer stories make more Queer stories? How sometimes it’s about the Queerness of the writer? Other times, it’s about queerness as a genre, a subject, a lived experience. Sometimes, it’s about a Queer audience—or an audience being introduced to some facet of queerness for the first time.
Stories don’t just exist. They contribute. They expand spaces. They shift questions. They move people to speak, to listen, to share. And that night, at that salon, they did exactly that.
Find more from Cece online and on socials through her handle @TheTransPlanter And more about the Queer Writers of Calgary under their greater umbrella of The Frolic Parade - you can find them online through Instagram and Discord.
The Queer in Treaty 7 Podcast is produced here in Treaty 7 territory, and is a call to action from The 2023 Albertan Queer Affirmation Review; an ongoing work by community curated by Cupola Policy & Strategy. You can find more, read more, and hear more through this substack, and more on policy science inclusion efforts at CupolaStrategy.com
Thank you for sharing your time, and for entrenching the Treaty Queer.
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