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Local organization launches new harm reduction program

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Peak Web
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The photo shows the backs of two men, walking arm in arm, as they engage in a kiss. One man has a rainbow painted onto his arm.
Clients are not required to abstain from drug use to access services. PHOTO: Sushil Nash / Unsplash

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

The local non-profit society Health Initiative for Men (HIM) has launched a new harm reduction program called PnP & Me to help clients identify and achieve their personal health goals for sexualized substance use. Colloquially known as party and play (PnP), the use of methamphetamines in a sexual context is common for gay, bisexual, and queer men (GBQ) as well as gender-diverse people.

To learn more about their 16-week counselling program, The Peak reached out to Evan Matchett-Wong, program director of HIM. The PnP & Me program is currently running its first cohort of clients, providing peer-led and drop-in group counselling. They also provide one-on-one counselling sessions with a professional. “The big component of this is not only receiving the mental health services, but also the social connections,” they said. 

Matchett-Wong noted LGBTQIA2S+ individuals often face higher rates of poverty and job discrimination. “[They] might be encountering a life that is hard to live and hard to find joy [ . . . ] for some individuals drug use is the only way they can find that joy.” 

The BC’s coroners service reported at least 161 British Columbians died from toxic drug supply in the month of April. Substance abuse particularly affects the LGBTQIA2S+ community — members are more likely to suffer from substance abuse than their heterosexual counterparts. The American Addiction Centers explains these numbers are affected by lack of support, internalized homophobia, disproportionate rates of mental health issues, and the need for specialized treatment options.

“Drug use has a multitude of complex factors and reasons for why someone would go into using any type of substance.” Matchett-Wong added, “It can be anything from surviving conversion therapy, being disowned by their families, or having difficulties accessing other services.” 

In an interview with Global News, Matchett-Wong discussed how harm reduction is crucial in mitigating the effects of toxic drug supply. “The major component about having a harm reduction based program like this is to help reduce those deaths within the community just by limiting the usage of it,” they said. “We have a firm belief that people are masters of their own bodies and have control over their own health, meaning that if someone wants to join the program and they don’t want to quit using crystal meth, they don’t have to.”

This means anyone whose goal is to reduce their usage may join the program without the pressure to remain abstinent from drug usage entirely. The strategy HIM employs is called contingency management, where they encourage clients to set goals with incentives if they achieve them. “We approach [the program] with a sense that it’s not condescending or patriarchal,” said Matchett-Wong. They note the program, unlike many others, does not require individuals to test clean for methamphetamines to participate. “We don’t believe in punishing people for using.”

On their website, HIM states their goal is to “strengthen the health and well-being in communities of self-identified GBQ men and gender diverse people in BC.” They have health centres in the Lower Mainland as well as anonymous testing events in the interior of BC to prevent and treat HIV and STIs for GBQ men. Their physical and social health programs provide holistic support to the GBQ community in BC.

To learn more about HIM’s harm reduction program and services, you can visit their website or email [email protected] for more information.

CONFESSIONALS: If you leave the group chat, I am leaving you for the sharks

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Peak Web
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Illustration of a closed envelope, with the text, “Confessionals”
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang /The Peak

By: Kelly Chia, Humour Editor

Is this a confessional or a reckoning? At this point, I’m not sure. I am a destroyed woman. And it’s because of you. I will RUIN you.

Look, I know how I sound. 

I’m a nice person. At least, I think I am. I always say thank you when I leave the bus, sometimes even when I leave the SkyTrain. But I am not patient. I’m about two inches away from releasing fresh hell, and I will not apologize. 

A bit of background on my dilemma. I admit, this group project wasn’t everything to me, three months ago. I mean, it wasn’t graded strictly, and I thought we were all about sharing the tasks. Then, we had the naive pretense of exchanging contacts via Discord, or WhatsApp. We laughed about taking on group responsibilities and joked about the long syllabus.

We had the joy of laughter then. 

But it is the eve before our presentation. The crux that breaks the ship on which our friendship sailed. I’m not dramatic. I tried to be patient. I believed that you’d do your part when I had seen you in class last weekend. You told me, with a smile on your face, that you’d respond! 

I sent you a text through your cell number. I waited. I messaged you on Discord. I waited. Five days passed.

I accepted the truth. I have been ghosted. 

You left me asunder in an ocean of Google Slide transitions and the most unhelpful illustrations. Please tell me how I’m supposed to use a vector of a sad boy eating ice cream for our Shakespeare analysis. You make me feel like a sad boy. With no ice cream.

Left in my thoughts, I monologued on and on, much like Edgar Allen Poe and the worst group partner. You were supposed to be my partner, and you’ve parted my heart. I am running on three Red Bulls, and I’ve just had a revelation. In fact, I’d call it inspiration. 

Tomorrow’s presentation will not only have no trace of your work in it, it will condemn you, in the most academic sense. You see, I have decided to do a fun mad-lib. We know the plot of Othello so well now, I’m sure the class will be excited at my creative decision to use your name in place of Iago. You are the betrayer!

Tomorrow, you will receive my fair deliverance. Everyone will hear it, the professor, the TA, and the class that could really care less. What use is the high road in a 100-level Shakespeare elective?!

. . . Or, I could go back to my chicken noodle soup, and never look at a Messenger group chat, ever again.

Political Corner: Don’t call us taxpayers!

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Opinions
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Canadian flag against skyscrapers
An engaged citizen is worth more than a taxpayer. PHOTO: Adrian Lang, Pexels

By Luke Faulks, Opinions Editor

How do you describe your priorities as a Canadian voter? From climate change to income inequality, from reconciliation to immigration, we all have a range of issues that animate us. But what’s true for everyone is that those interests don’t stop at our wallets. We’re not just taxpayers, we’re citizens. Reducing the public to “taxpayers” minimizes our roles, reduces our interests, and teaches politicians the wrong lessons. 

In any given election cycle, Canadians, and by proxy, their interests, will be reduced to taxpayers and taxes. It’s a trend we can see across the political spectrum. An easy search through Liberal, Conservative, NDP, and Green statements shows parties embracing the term. And our political leaders aren’t the only ones who’re guilty of leaning into the rebrand. News and Opinion pieces from prominent Canadian outlets sprinkle the term throughout articles, as does academic research. 

We need to fight back against the impulse to use the term. 

“Taxpayer” reduces our role in politics to that of a piggy bank. It assumes stymied participation, something Canada doesn’t need help with. Canadian political participation has yet to match the over 79% turnout observed during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. The “taxpayer” brand is a symptom of that low turnout. Outside of paying taxes, the term suggests, Canadians don’t have a role. We don’t have a role in running for office ourselves, volunteering with public organizations, or otherwise engaging outside of whining about how our tax dollars are spent. It reduces our role to the point of endangering a healthy political system. 

The term is also derogatory to Canadians, whose political interests exceed how politicians are going to spend their money. Case in point, we’re a country that knows fully well that fighting the climate crisis requires significant investment. We want effective climate action, anyways. Indigenous reconciliation is another issue that requires substantial investment. Despite the impersonal nature of the problem for most Canadians and the hefty price tag attached to it, it’s an issue that Canadians feel passionate about, which makes it worth politicians’ time to integrate these issues in a way that doesn’t reduce us to the taxes we pay. 

 Lastly, the taxpayer brand risks not just softly disenfranchising and explicitly reducing Canadians, but creating a reverse effect — telling politicians that raising or lowering taxes is the way to win votes. A 2013 study found that politicians on both sides of the aisle were convinced their voters tended to be more conservative than they actually were. The study suggested politicians were more likely to overestimate voters’ desire for austerity measures, and more likely to underestimate voters’ appetites for tackling social justice issues. 

The race to the bottom on taxation — the natural result of politicians’ belief that they can run on lowering taxes — since the beginning of the neoliberal era has had a damaging effect on the government’s capacity to problem-solve. To effectively solve issues like climate change and Indigenous reconciliation, we need a fully-funded government. Using the term “taxpayer” implies a penny-pinching public that’s reluctant to see their money go anywhere but into their bank accounts. Using a more comprehensive term, like “citizen,” would help support the perception that voters are willing to support spending initiatives.  

During his inauguration as Canada’s 28th governor general, David Johnston provided a rallying mantra for citizens: 

“We are a smart and caring nation. A nation where all Canadians can grow their talents to the maximum. A nation where all Canadians can succeed and contribute.”

Each of Johnston’s important calls to action requires much more than being referred to as “taxpayers.” We have interests that both encompass and exceed worrying about how politicians spend on us. We’re citizens, not just taxpayers.

What Grinds Our Gears: SFU students aren’t eligible for a U-Pass during a semester off

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Opinions
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Vancouver SkyTrain
SFU students are still SFU students during an off semester. PHOTO: Diego Mazz, Unsplash

By Luke Faulks, Opinions Editor

You know what’s cool? The U-Pass system. Through SFU, we’ve got unlimited access to the Lower Mainland’s sprawling bus, SkyTrain, Seabus, and gondola (c’mon folks) network. You know what’s less cool? Revoking that access when students aren’t signed up for enough courses. Dick move, whoever runs this thing. 

Maybe eligibility is based on some erroneous assumptions about students. Let’s picture the SFU student who’s taking a break between semesters. Are they going to commute for work to fund their continued academic goals? Are they going to head out on the town to unwind after a grueling semester? Apparently, the survey says “nope!” No, what the U-Pass system tells us is that a semester off is spent sequestered away in your place of living. No travelling. No commuting. Why else would the powers that be halt the Compass card system when SFU students are still part of the community? 

Now, yes, paper pushers, I can feel you fuming. “We pay for the U-Pass in our semester fees,” you say. “We don’t pay during off semesters,” you argue. “Stop pestering me for my take on the U-Pass system,” you add. True, true, and apologies, Tyler. Every semester in which we take courses, we pay a fee of just over $170 for access to the U-Pass system. That’s a lot. And it’s enough that we should be able to have a carryover semester where we, as SFU and Translink’s sometimes-year-round-money piñatas, get to use the transit system for free. 

Even between semesters, a great deal of what we do remains in service of achieving our academic goals. Why grind our lives to a halt by intermittently dropping students’ U-Pass eligibility? 

Unraveling stories of “dreamers and changemakers” at the Xicanx exhibition

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Peak Web
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gold and white painting of a praying woman or saint
Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers showcases the interconnectedness of art and activism. Krystal Chan / The Peak

By: Pranjali J Mann, Staff Writer and Yelin Gemma Lee, Arts & Culture Editor

Content warning: mentions of racialized violence against Latinx folks, El Paso mass shooting, undocumented status, systemic racism 

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) on the UBC Vancouver campus displays art as a powerful form of activism and sociopolitical critique. The Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers exhibition opened on May 12 and is gracing MOA until January 1, 2023. It aims to expand on “the idea of Xicanx art while continuing to address the personal, social, and political issues of our times.” Being a student learning about similar issues relating to the India-Pakistan partition and loss of family and culture across borders, this theme intrigued me. 

Xicanx is a gender neutral term for chicano/chicano — used to connote “people of Mexican origin living in the United States since the early twentieth century.” In the context of the exhibit, the term “reflects those who fought for and claim this designation, and incorporates the ‘X’ from the Spanish transcription of the Nahuatl sound, ‘ch.’ Nahuatl is one of the major Indigenous languages in Mexico.”  

The exhibit covered experiences which “transcend borders and gender,” through themed sections: neighborhood, borderlands, activism, home, and identity. Displaying a wide range of artworks from 1970–2022 by 33 Mexican American artists including murals, mixed-media installations, and paintings, the vibrant exhibit was captivating.

According to the exhibit co-curator, Jill Baird, the exhibition presents stories significant to Mexican culture, activism, and the US border. The moment I entered the exhibit, a ceiling full of colorful flags and hot pink walls welcomed me into the space with a powerful quote by Tomás Ybarra-Frausto: “The power of place is tangible and evident in the way we speak, how we identify ourselves, and the values we profess.”

Borderlands

According to Baird, this section of the exhibit captures “peoples’ concerns of crossing the Mexican American border, but also the idea of how that impacts people’s lives.” 

A piece by Carlos Fresquez titled Salon de los Ilegales particularly stood out to me the most from the borderlands section. The piece uses the silhouette of a family that was used on “yellow highway caution signs” at the US-Mexico border “to warn drivers to watch for Mexican families running or crossing the roads.” This recognizable silhouette of the running family is placed on various thrift-store landscape paintings. The paintings are displayed across a map of the US.

“I ‘illegally’ place a representation of the Mexican into their utopia. Therefore, by placing the running family into these landscapes I am documenting the undocumented,” wrote Fresquez in the description of the artwork.

I was immersed in reflecting on the stories of perseverance depicted in this piece. Would the kids running ask their parents why their identities were constructed this way? What conversations would they have? Where are they now?  

Another piece read, “We did not cross the border. The border crossed us,” attributed to Tomás Ybarra-Frausto. The exhibit referenced a map of 1848 borders, when Mexico made up a larger part of the US.

In Our Lady of the Checkpoint, a woman with a halo and prayer hands is depicted crossing the border. The piece was crafted by “woodcut and vinyl on archival paper” by Celeste De Luna. The artist statement read, “The common experience of brown women of the border, both documented and undocumented, is how bodies are considered potentially criminal vessels and are objectified by both governmental agencies and people all around us.”

Activism

The section focusing on activism highlights the negative impacts of fighting the status quo on their bodies. The two-piece painting by Roberto Jose Gonzalez featured skeletons on a Black background and appeared to be connected by two skeletons’ hands meeting at the same point along the edges. One was titled El Paso 8/3/19 and the other No Hate, No Fear. El Paso 8/3/19 depicts a chilling scene of skeletons strewn about on the ground on top of each other, with one skeleton leaning a hand on the edge of the canvas. Gonzalez described that this piece was on the El Paso, Texas massacre, a racially targeted mass shooting. 

“The shooter wrote that he was specifically hunting Mexicans. It is a tragedy where few words can express the pain and sorrow experienced,” wrote Gonzalez in his artist statement. No Hate, No Fear extends off of the death-pictured piece, depicting what appears to be the grieving loved ones of those in the previous panel. Even through skeletons, Gonzalez successfully expressed human grief and tragedy of lost life in an emotionally impactful way. 

Neighbourhood

The Brown Dot Project by Linda Vallejo featured “data pictographs” which represented statistics in different shades of brown relating to class and color. The project came from Brown Belongings where Vallejo collected “the experiences, knowledge, and feelings” of “Chicano/a and American Indigenous communities.” In her statement the artist said, “I ‘long’ to find a visual language that will open a dialogue about how Latinos see ourselves, how others see us, and how we can find understanding and joy in both our differences and our similarities.” The infrared orange colour of the pigment prints as a way to present data and make commentary on racialized experiences was powerful. 

The Xicanx exhibition stirs a strong message of social justice by allowing a platform for artists that are “dreamers and changemakers.” The most important takeaway is to go and visit these masterpieces while they are here. As Baird revealed, the viewer might be able to catch some of the artists as they sometimes drop by the museum to talk about their impactful pieces. MOA plans to host a celebration in honour of Day of the Dead on November 2. 

To learn more about the exhibit and purchase tickets to Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers, visit MOA’s website. You can virtually preview the exhibition here.

Food for Thought: Bubble Tea

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Peak Web
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A digital illustration of a brown sugar bubble tea with pearls on top
Bubble tea options can be found around SFU campuses! Illustrations courtesy of Stella Nguyen / The Peak

By: Cristina Liao, Peak Associate

From the newly opened Yogost in UniverCity to the Gong Cha stores that can be found all over the Lower Mainland, we see this Taiwanese drink known as bubble tea, boba, or 珍珠奶茶 rapidly seep into the western world. 

I have a never-ending love for this beverage. Once summer hits, the fruit-based bubble teas are my ultimate comfort drink when those study sessions start getting rough. With its numerous unique flavours like “peach soda pop” at Yi Fang and my go-to “osmanthus oolong tea” at Shiny Tea, it’s hard to imagine ever getting bored of this drink. Even if you were to order everything from the menu at one store, different shops will have their own flavours and unique takes on classics like taro. 

Digital illustration of milk tea with jelly and pearls
Illustration courtesy of Stella Nguyen / The Peak.

Being one of Taiwan’s most beloved beverages, the history of bubble tea began in the late 1980s with the classic milk tea. Milk tea, shaved ice, and tapioca balls were individually popular as desserts at the time and these elements were combined to produce the first classic milk tea boba. As bubble tea became increasingly popular throughout Taiwan, “stall owners started introducing fruit boba, using fruit powders and syrups in lieu of actual fruit.” 

However, this isn’t the only origin story of bubble tea. There are other claims to the true beginnings of bubble tea such as the rumour that a teahouse in Taiwan called Chun Shui Tang started selling iced tea on their menu. The manager there decided to add tapioca pudding in their drinks as a test, and ended up adding it to the menu because of how good the combination tasted. This addition became so popular that it was a bestseller for the shop’s franchise and concessions all over Taiwan began following this trend.  

Digital illustration of a matcha latte bubble tea with pearls
Image courtesy of Stella Nguyen / The Peak.

Although I’ve been delighted at the growing popularity of bubble tea in the western world, it sometimes feels like East Asian culture is watered-down to iconic food and drinks like dim sum and bubble tea. Childhood memories of white classmates making fun of the smell or look of my lunches contradict the love for certain East Asian foods I see now. Food can be closely linked to cultural identity, but cultural appropriation and the white gaze seem to take up too much space and overshadow this beautiful experience. 

Bubble tea plays a large role in Asian Canadian culture, seeing as it has brought a newfound appreciation for our influence on Canada’s food and drink sector. As Presotea states, “For many diasporic Asians, bubble tea is a symbol of their culture.” As an SFU student, you have many options for getting this cultural beverage on our campuses. There are Xin Fu Tang and Coco stores that can be found at the Central City mall beneath the Surrey campus, as well as numerous places at SFU Burnaby, including the aforementioned Yogost. You might see me at Yogost on a hot summer afternoon enjoying the peach lychee yoghurt foam, contemplating the true origin story of bubble tea.

 

How voguing carries decades of queer history through its movement

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Peak Web
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The person extends their arms out toward the audience in a vogue pose with a PowerPoint slide of the event banner projected behind him
The public talk and workshop event gave an emotionally compelling introduction to ballroom culture and vogue. Photo Credit: Chloë Arneson / The Peak

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

On June 16, the SFU School for the Contemporary Arts and SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement hosted a Public Talk and Vogue Workshop at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. This workshop and presentation was part of their two-day event to explore the history of the house and ballroom community. 

House and ballroom is an underground Black and Latinx LGBTQIA2S+ subculture that features extravagant social events of gender and sexual expression. Vogue is “a highly stylized form of dance.” Inspired by poses from Egyptian art and high fashion, voguing uses exaggerated gestures and movements to tell stories and celebrate LGBTQIA2S+ identities.

As a queer person, I’ve interacted with fragments of ballroom culture and voguing, but had very little knowledge of its rich history and cultural importance going into this event. When I walked off of the colourfully lit dance floor on the afternoon of June 16, I left with a greater appreciation for how much of our present-day queer culture is owed to the Black transwomen of the ballroom scene.

Michael Roberson, co-creator of the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Group, walked us through the origins of ballroom and voguing. He explained that a community formed around the ballroom scene, led by Black and Latinx transwomen who created this space for themselves in and around New York. Vogue uses a variety of different styles and techniques, all with various cultural origins within the queer community. Roberson showed us videos of iconic ballroom and voguing performances by trailblazers including Leiomy Maldonado and Javier Ninja. 

I was astonished that in all of the drag related media I have consumed, I had never heard these stories. Drag is an industry that profits immensely from the culture of Black and Latinx people, but now largely excludes them from the limelight. I made a mental note to think more critically about the queer content I support going forward and started by watching more Maldonado videos in awe as soon as I got home.

Following the moving and educational talk by Roberson, we jumped right into the voguing workshop. Ralph “Posh” Gvasalia, the founder of the non-profit VanVogueJam, led us through the basic 5 Vogue-Femme elements: hands, catwalk, duckwalk, spins/dips, and floor.  

As we learned the first few moves with our hands and practiced our catwalks, I felt like a badass. This explosion of confidence was instantaneously cut short as we moved on to spins, dips, and the duckwalk. Bouncing across the floor in a crouched position, some attendees put on their best Maldonado faces and some couldn’t help but laugh as we struggled to keep balance and kept falling backwards. The duckwalk required you to kick your feet out while crouched, incorporate the hand movements we learned earlier, and core strength — all of which I do not possess.

For a dance that is so commonplace within queer culture, I never realized how hard voguing is. Posh taught us that ballroom is more than just individual elements laced together to create a performance: it is a form of storytelling. He told us to imagine a story for ourselves that embodies the attitude we feel while we dance, and let it be seen through our movements. It was a little tricky to embody the diva within me as I gracefully smacked my head on the floor. 

We practiced in a circle around Posh and even though I was definitely not getting better, I started having more and more fun. In the spirit of vogue and ballroom, we clapped to keep each other on beat and cheered with delight as Posh showed us what a true master of vogue can do.

As a person who never had the chance to really participate in queer culture within their own city, this event felt really liberating for me. Learning how to vogue encouraged me to step out of the restrictive box I created around my queerness and allowed me to be unapologetically expressive. I felt connected to both my local queer community and its rich history. 

To learn more about the history of ballroom, you can watch Michael Roberson’s TED talk. To learn more about SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement’s upcoming events you can check out their website and their Twitter.

Pass Over uses morbid humour to critique systemic racism

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Peak Web
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Two young Black men dressed in casual street clothes pose standing with the backs of one shoulder connected, looking at the camera solemnly
Pass Over cleverly critiques police brutality and systemic racism in an emotionally impactful story. Photo Courtesy of Emily Cooper

By: Yasmin Vejs Simsek, Staff Writer

Content warning: mention of racial slur, racism, police brutality.

Pass Over at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island is a political commentary on Black men wanting a better life for themselves. Written by Antoinette Nwandu and directed by Omari Newton, this Broadway play has come to the Vancouver stage to make the audience laugh, cry, and reflect upon the impacts of anti-Black police brutality and systemic racism. 

The long-time issue of police brutality is something that has been denounced by the general public, especially after the murder of George Floyd. Pass Over did not shy away from critiquing this systemic problem and successfully portrayed the fear that Black people must experience daily — particularly in the US. Moses (Chris Francisque) and Kitch (Kwasi Thomas) are the two charming and witty main characters of the play: Black men who are on the streets dreaming of the promised land and taking their fate into their own hands. Pass Over successfully left me on the verge of my seat, wanting to analyze every single aspect of the play. 

The play starts with Moses and Kitch talking shit with an overuse of slang words and being brotherly with each other. Within the first five minutes of the play, they fell to the ground in fear of gunshots from the police and the audience were left feeling horrible for having just laughed at their inside jokes and banter. This form of contrast happened several times during the play and each time we were more and more struck by the reality of fear.

The set was simple, with a street, a lamp, some trash, and tires and crates for seats, and it magnified the characters’ circumstances and their wish for a better life. Moses and Kitch discussed their ten-point list of what their promised land entails, which included ordinary items we take for granted such as clean sheets and socks. Directly following this dialogue, a stranger entered and juxtaposed our two protagonists with his Southern vocabulary, pristine white suit, and food for a whole village. In stark contrast to Moses and Kitch who just shared a pizza crust, he was an alien in their surroundings, a representation of colonialism. Moses and Kitch attempted to talk like the white stranger, in the hopes the police would leave them alone. This was very comical and absolutely tragic all at the same time.

It would be impossible to count how many times the n-word was used in Pass Over. It became exaggerated when paired with the repetitive use of “damn” and “man,” to the point of being overdone. It was also repeatedly said by white characters, which was extremely uncomfortable to hear, but I imagine that was the intention.  

The play takes a metaphorical supernatural turn when Moses gets the powers of the biblical Moses to overcome “the angel of death itself” — the police. This was a clever way of showing that it literally took magic to get out of the unjust circumstances enforced by systemic racism.

Pass Over astonished me. The turn of events threw me back in my seat and I was surprised I didn’t see it coming. The emotional acting and the hardships portrayed had me too engaged to even imagine what could come next. I find it very impressive when a play can make you laugh through a topic that is so traumatizing, and the guilt of laughing is an important emotion needed to reflect upon the realities being critiqued. Although with small theatrical critiques, I was left reflecting on the play and its message for hours afterwards — and isn’t that what theatre is supposed to do?

Pass Over runs at Waterfront Theatre till July 2, 2022. Tickets can be purchased here.

Events to not miss at Queer Arts Festival 2022

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Peak Web
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Drag Queen Bijuriya stands on a black background in her Desi-inspired costume with white and gold details
A peek into the artsy festival of the summer by and for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Photo courtesy of QAF 2022 and SUM Gallery

By: Yasmin Vejs Simsek, Staff Writer

The Vancouver Queer Arts Festival (QAF) is in the top three list of LGBTQ2S+ arts festivals world-wide and features multimedia exhibitions, music, rooftop parties, and more. This year it returns to an in-person programme from June 18–July 8 with the theme “Hauntings.” Artistic director Mark Takeshi McGregor defines the theme as an exploration of “what frightens us, with liberal doses of profundity, humor, and camp.” The festival takes place in different arts spaces around Vancouver, with most of its events hosted at the Sun Wah Centre in Chinatown. 

Here are four events to look forward to at this year’s Queer Arts Festival:

 

HAUNTINGS: Pride in Art Community Show

For the first time ever, this community arts show is teaming up with the queer-led James Black Gallery to showcase art from local LGBTQIA2S+ artists. The Pride in Art Community Show is a staple at the QAF, and every year its name honours two-spirit artist and co-founder of Pride in Art Society, Robbie Hong. HAUNTINGS will feature works from artists such as stunning digital artist Avery Chace, and multi-medium, macabre inspired artist Braden Scheck.

When: June 20–July 8, Wednesday–Saturday from 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. 

Where: The James Black Gallery (144 E 6th Avenue)

 

Vanishing Act

Vanishing Act is a curated visual art exhibition featuring almost 20 artists from the global queer community! It’s mainly focused on the Global South and its diasporas. The exhibition fits extremely well with the theme of Hauntings, as the curators ask the audience to “face our own Frankensteins.” It also fits well with Vancouver, our very diverse and talented city. Plan your visit for July 2 if you want to tag along on a guided tour by the exhibit’s curator, Adwait Singh, and creative director, SD Holman.

When: June 18–July 8, Wednesday–Saturday 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Where: Sun Wah Centre (268 Keefer Street, third and fourth floors)

Curator Tour: July 2, 3:00 p.m. and reception at 5:00 p.m. 

 

Queerotica 

Queerotica brings you a night of literacy and is the perfect event for you bookish types out there. You’ll be enjoying readings from local writers who will challenge how BIPOC queer bodies are fetishized, projected, and eroticized. It will also explore the effects of masking or revealing one’s true self under colonialist supremacy. This event is sure to stand out with its focus on harrowing realities felt throughout the BIPOC queer community. 

When: July 6, 7:00 p.m. (door opens at 6:30 p.m.) 

Where: Sun Wah Centre (268 Keefer Street, Rooftop)

 

Glitter is Forever 

This rooftop party is the festival’s closing event, and not one to miss! I imagine there will be loads of glitter — and what better way to end the QAF. You’ll be able to see the art that’s been displayed throughout the festival as you make your way up to the party that will be featuring music and drag performances. Members of the Vancouver-based Asian drag family, House of Rice, will be performing, including the drag mother herself, Shay Dior. See you there!

When: July 8, 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.)

Where: Sun Wah Centre (268 Keefer Street, Rooftop)

 

Tickets are purchased for each individual event with the ones mentioned being by donation or included in the festival all-access pass (priced at $69). You can find the link to their Eventbrite page for tickets on their website.

Horoscopes: June 27–July 3

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Peak Web
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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Max Lorette, Peak Associate and Local Mystic

Aries: 

Has the stress of exams got you down, Aries? Do you feel stuck and exhausted? The stars have told me that you are overdue for a natural shower in the rain. Like Poet Laureate Natasha Bedingfield said, “Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you.” Just make sure you wear a coat. Whatever you do, don’t blame me if you catch a cold.

 

Taurus:

Taurus, when your friends are asking how you’re doing, I promise that they genuinely wish to know. There’s no need to lie and tell them that you’re fine. Next time, instead of your cookie-cutter response, simply scream at the top of your lungs into the phone. That will certainly get the message across.

 

Gemini:

Gemini, how has your sleep schedule been lately? The stars have been worrying that you’ve been wearing yourself down too thin. While the best solution would be to get to bed early, we all know how highly unrealistic that notion is. Instead, try micro-dosing on sleep by just taking slower blinks. I’m no expert, but isn’t that just basically a mini nap?

 

 

Cancer: 

Something (the stars) tells me you haven’t taken the time for a mental break in a while. Hit two birds with two stones and begin hydrating yourself to no end. I’m talking about getting one of those comically large bottles of water. You know the ones. Not only will you assist the proper function of your organs, but you can give your mind a quick rest while you stare off into space during your 5th pee-break of the day.

 

Leo: 

Now, we both know that you hold a certain flair for the dramatics, so next time you feel a little bit too stressed out my best suggestion would be to fake your own death. Show up to your funeral in a clever disguise and watch on like the Petty Patty you are. Once you reveal yourself to be alive, I’m pretty sure that everyone will be so overjoyed that you won’t have to hand in that assignment you were dreading. 

 

Virgo: 

If things have felt too overwhelming lately, the stars have suggested putting on some rain sounds. They have advised you to imagine yourself as a tiny little frog on a lily pad. Things are always less stressful if you’re just a little slimy guy on a lily pad. Maybe try eating a fly or two while you’re at it!

 

Libra: 

Have you felt out of balance lately? Have you been feeling generally off? The stars have informed me that you’ve been carrying your book bag on your right side for far too long. Switch that bag to the other shoulder and injure it too so it doesn’t feel left out.

 

Scorpio: 

Next time you’re feeling low on energy, the stars advise that you appreciate the little things in life. Give a hug to your shortest friend. Buy some of those erasers shaped like little versions of food. Give a kiss to a bug. Research bacteria. Either way, it’ll take your mind off of the constant gears winding in your head.

 

Sagittarius: 

Have you ever heard some WASP woman talking about how good yoga is physically and mentally? Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve made it a habit to never listen to a Karen. Even if they possess a shred of truth, I advise you to do the complete opposite. Instead of yoga, try lying in bed for a few days. Soon, you and the mattress will become one. 

 

Capricorn: 

As much as I respect the hustle, the idea of working yourself to the bone simply isn’t sustainable, my dearest Capricorn. The stars and I are literally begging you to take a singular day off. Do not run any errands. Do not hang out with friends. Simply allow yourself to exist. Don’t try to weasel yourself out of this one, Capricorn! It’s called tough love for a reason. 

 

Aquarius:

I think one time I read in a self-care article that keeping a journal is a useful tactic. Vent out all your feelings into the pages of your new moleskin! Reveal all your life’s secrets! Next, leave it out in the open so that I can steal-BORROW it. Don’t forget to add in your credit card number and your CVN.

 

Pisces: 

When was the last time you went to the aquarium? Middle school? Elementary school? The stars have informed me that looking at some swimming little fishies is exactly what you need to calm down. Rejoin your brethren and take a big dunk into the tank with the fellow aquatic sea life. Or, maybe just get an overpriced hat from the gift shop. That works too.

 

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society