Good Queer Fun For Good Causes

Hey dears! The Serotonin Factory is all about transformation, self-determination, music,and drunken tomfoolery, so if you're in the Philly area there are some great chances this week to have fun and support worthy causes:

Thursday, Jan 26, at 9pm,  in honor of my friend Rae's birthday, during their always-delightful karaoke night,  Tabu is ever so graciously donating 15% of the money made at the bar + money made from jello shots to his chest surgery fundraising project, The 7000 People Project! http://7000peopleproject.org/

And Friday, Jan 27, at Tritone Come out and join Gender Reel's Organizers as they host our next MixTape Event!

MixTape is a quarterly surgery fundraising showcase for gender non-conforming and transgender people. This months MixTape is raising money for Sam Richman, and features the amazing Jack Cooper as our MC, and our always wonderful regular DJ, and Gender Reel Organizer, Evil v.

Performances by:

Alien Beauty
Chaos and Lace (from NYC)
Dynasty
Wordz
Messy
J Mase III
Screwsmart
Ethan B.

Performances from 10-12 am, DJ, dancing and mix and mingle to follow.

MixTape brings diverse communities together one party at a time, for a good cause.

Cover $5

This is a 21+ and you must show ID to enter.

Motivation Mondays: Painting Party! And Gender Reel Was Awesome!

Hi pals! This weekend I got to volunteer at the Gender Reel Festival. Here's how the website describes the festival: "Gender Reel is an annual event dedicated to enhancing the visibility of gender non-conforming, gender variant/queer and transgender identities. As a festival, our goal is to empower artists, filmmakers, and photographers to continue creating works that is reflective of gender non- conforming experiences and identities. To do this, we provide an accessible and embracing multi-media platform where this work can be displayed." 


You know I get really happy whenever I'm surrounded by fellow gender-enjoyers. It was a wonderful day full of edifying films, good art, and favorite friends. I'm so glad I volunteered because it forced me to come out of my shell a little bit and talk to people I didn't already know. 


(I you're in Philly and looking for fun LGBTQ things to do, the Philly Trans March is coming up October 8th, and they have a fundraiser coming up this Friday! With pancakes!)


My favorite part of Gender Reel was getting to participate in my pal Sam's painting workshop. Not only did I get to support him for his first teaching endeavor and find out that he is a natural teacher, I got to sit around and make art with cute people, which is the best thing ever. It inspired me to re-take-up watercolors, and to think about planning a painting party myself.

Motivation Mondays: Being Queer is Awesome!

Art in the service of gender-innovating is one of the most happy-making elements in my life right now. Here are some great ways you can contribute art, time, poetry, etc:

Gender Edge Collective http://genderedge.blogspot.com/ has wonderful events (see above!) and is always taking art and poetry for their beautiful zine! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gender-Edge-Collective/111183248966393

RAGE throws really great parties (and other actions) towards the cause of getting the Philly transportation system to stop using gender stickers on their bus/trolley passes: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119024039464&ref=ts

Gender Reel is taking all kinds of art in celebration of gender variance: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gender-Reel/129639227100001?ref=ts&sk=wall

And the Philly Trans Health Conference is coming up—I’ll bet they still need volunteers! http://www.trans-health.org/

Last Saturday night, Amy and I attended a screening of The Gender Sticker Film Project. They have another event coming up this Friday. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=212567582102307 You should totally go!

There was a dance party planned to follow the screening, so how could we not go? Walking into a room with that many cute strangers made me nervous at first, but by the time I sat down on the floor with my wife, my married friend’s boyfriend, and his boyfriend, to hear an adorable singer cover Kids! by MGMT! On! The! Ukelele! (Also! Violet! By! Hole!) a lovely grace settled over me. Surrounded by duos and triads and clumps of gorgeous people of all genders in cute outfits and special haircuts, I felt the you’re too much/not enough that follows me around in my head go quiet. I felt at home, which you know is my big quest, because last time I made a mix CD, it had four songs called Home on it.

Anyway, after the singer finished her set, they started the movie preview. The film is a work in progress being created by Wren Warner, and it chronicles the ways that gender stickers force tranfolks into all kinds of annoying conversations, puts them in danger of harassment, and costs them extra money whenever a bus driver happens to disagree with them about what their gender is. A few years ago, a lady sued over it, and the city was ordered to change the system, but they haven’t yet.

Like I said at the top of this post, there’s nothing as soul-soothing as revolutionary art. It gave me some much-needed perspective on my own worries and made me feel so, so lucky that I sometimes get to make that kind of art. Being in that room also made me thankful as heck for the couple of transguy crushes that put me on the path to being there. (Note to self: love as research is good for you.)

The dance floor was an absolute miracle. I lost self-consciousness in favor of joy to the point where it totally could’ve counted as church. Everyone was smiling and smiling and smiling at each other. Shaking my ass to My Chick Bad, I felt so grateful to be among people who are brilliantly redefining love and identity, who are doing their gorgeous best to influence the rest of us beyond our stupid, repressive inner voices, beyond limits, beyond fear. It’s so nice of them. Of us.

(It looked sooooooo much better than this video does.)