Butch Femme Queer Feminist Elders(November 2012)

This summary provides an overview of an enlightening panel discussion titled "Butch Femme Queer Feminist Elders," which took place at the Auckland Trades Hall on November 24, 2012. The panel featured voices of influential community members, including Marewa Glover and Wai Ho, among other speakers, and covered the evolution and experiences of the queer feminist community from the 1980s through to the 2010s in New Zealand.

The event began with an acknowledgment of the land's traditional custodians and a welcome to ancestors and attendees from diverse locations. Emphasis was placed on the importance of sharing stories, healing, and celebration. It was noted that such intergenerational contact is scarce, making the occasion particularly significant. Iconic figures Leslie Feinberg and Minnie Bruce Pratt were mentioned as influential elders from abroad, highlighting the need for cultural and historical context for the queer community in New Zealand.

Speakers candidly shared their personal journeys, including experiences of discovering identity, navigating relationships, and confronting the challenges and complexities of various intersecting identities. One panelist described the significance of owning one's history through visible queerness and debates of assimilation versus preservation of unique identities.

A poignant narrative detailed the elder's journey from a challenging start, marred by child sexual abuse and early independence, to learning lessons around self-exploration, protection, and establishing boundaries. The speaker shared poetic reflections on past relationships, the marks they leave, and the path to empowerment and self-discovery. A key piece of advice offered to younger members was to bravely pursue self-knowledge and self-care.

Parenthood was a focal point of discussion, with panelists encouraging members of the LGBTQ+ community to consider parenting as a viable and rewarding option, not to be discounted. The importance of embracing diverse familial structures was stressed, with personal stories illustrating the joys and complexities of creating families through avenues like IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies.

One of the speakers delved into their personal transformation from perceiving themselves as butch to embracing a more feminine identity and eventually finding comfort in the term "queer," encompassing the fluidity of their gender expression. They underscored the creative aspect of gender, treating it as both a form of performance and an intrinsic part of one's being.

Another narrative explored the sociopolitical implications of coming out, the challenges of fitting into predefined categories, and the liberating nature of inclusive queer and genderqueer communities. The power and impact of Butch-Fem relationships and desire were recounted passionately, illustrating the deeply rooted historical and cultural ties within the LGBTQ+ community.

Throughout the panel, the difficulties related to visibility, assimilation, heterosexual privilege, and the sometimes painful shift of identity through transition were examined. A central message was the need to retain connections to one's history and the essential interplay of identities and experiences that contribute to the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ communities.

The discussion underscored the transformative power of community, connection, financial independence, and the necessity to learn about power in various forms. The event concluded with an affirmation of the vibrancy and richness inherent in diverse identities and a call to celebrate and protect the queer history and culture.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Marewa Glover Wai Ho unidentified voice(s)

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