Calling all gender benders, t-guys, t-girls, stealths, fish, voguing femmes, non-binaries, genderqueers, no labels, drag impersonators, androgynous, PreOps, PostOps, grrrrls, boi, kweens, kings, shims, he-shes, gender creatives, and all of the thousands of indigenous titles we can only hope to wrap our many tongues and many minds around!
You asked and now we’re coming! This fall, TLC@SONG will be traveling far and wide across the region to connect with trans and gender non-conforming Southerners. With strategic legislative attacks, a history of little resources, and the number of Black and Brown transwomen murdered in the South this year alone, it is clear that we have work to do. Whether we are fem queens, boi dykes, Trans Daddies, agender, intersex, stealth, pre-op, post-op, or non-op, we need each other! This tour is for all of us who experience violence not only for being Black and Brown, but also because we buck against gender. Our resistance is beautiful and we want to share it with each other.
We’re calling this listening tour the Jewel Box Revue to honor the history of the famous drag troupe that started in South Florida and rose to critical acclaim before the AIDS epidemic in America. The Jewel Box Revue marked the most documented account we have of the celebration and performance of gender-fluidity in the South! Though many of the performers were called gender illusionists, today many of them would say they are transgender.
We wish to continue that spirit of the Jewel Box Revue this fall to connect to one another, talk about what we are experiencing, build tangible solutions for our communities, discover the great joy that lies within us, celebrate the genders that we carry, and honor the legacy of those who came before us who paved the way to get us closer to liberation. We’ll be going from town to town and state to state finding and connecting with our folks by holding listening sessions, and we want you to be a part of it!
Where Can You Find Us?
We’ve already been to Selma, Alabama, but there’s a few more places you can catch us!
Little Rock, AR
October 13-16
Greensboro, NC
October 21-24
Orlando, FL
October 28-30
Bring Us To Your Town!
Can you offer your living room for a discussion on oral histories? Will you organize a talent showcase that marries activism and art? Will we get to taste your award-winning dish?! Whatever you have right now, is enough. Bring your collective stories of struggle in your town and bring your knowledge of local history, and we’ll connect you not just to each other, but to a regional movement. Let’s get free!
