Photo (Top): Rupert Raj (left) interviewed by Ryan G. Hinds.
Photo (Bottom Left): Catherine Hernandez.
Photo (Bottom Middle): Ryan Kerr.
Photo (Bottom Right): S. Bear Bergman.
Photos by Ted Kerr.
In the evening of Saturday, May 11, a performance salon was held at The ArQuives called Of Souls and Roles, Of Sex and Gender, the title borrowed from an anthology of trans poetry compiled by Rupert Raj.
The wonderful Ryan G. Hinds hosted the salon, welcoming artists S. Bear Bergman, Kirk DeMatas, Catherine Hernandez, Ryan Kerr, and Kiley May. After their funny and touching performances of poetry, storytelling, and video work, Rupert Raj read several poems from his anthology then sat down for a short Q&A with the host.
Photo: Friends, neighbours, and activists at the Still On Guard event.
Photo by Ted Kerr.
On Sunday afternoon, following an exhibit tour with curators Aidan Cowling and Ted Kerr, a large group gathered at the archives for Still On Guard: A Public Discussion on Queer Bodies in Canada. The event was inspired by the activism of Richard Hudler in response to Project Guardian, the controversial police investigation into a supposed child pornography ring (“The Kiddie Porn Ring That Wasn’t”) in London, Ontario in the 1990s.
The event began with a screening of After the Bath, John Greyson’s documentary film on the misinformation and moral panic generated by the Project Guardian investigation. Gerald Hannon then read an excerpt from his 1995 Globe and Mail article on the events.
Richard Hudler spoke about his involvement with HALO (Homophile Association of London Ontario) and the need to expand narrow understandings of sexuality through such methods as updating sex education curriculum in schools.
An open discussion followed on how queer bodies have been, and continue to be, marginalized, criminalized, and misrepresented, and the need for ongoing activism to resist oppression and improve the life chances of LGBTQ+ people.
Thank you to Ted Kerr and Aidan Cowling for organizing these events and to all who participated.