On March 3rd to 5th the second Annual Queer Collusions Conference will be held at Sadleir House. Last year, the first Queer Coll(i/u)sions Conference was able to gather together over 200 attendees. The dynamic initiative was co-founded by Cait Jones and Derek Newman-Stille.

Newman-Stille tells Arthur what Queer Coll(i/u)sions aims to explore: “In order to give voice to the multiplicity of queer identities, we have arranged to have a conference on the collision and collusion of queer identities—the ways that our diverse identities and perspectives collide together and generate new possibilities. This will be the second year for the Queer Coll(i/u)sions Conference and it feels like it is even more important to have these conversations this year and come together collectively to talk about and think through new possibilities. The Queer Coll(i/u)sions Conference not only brings together a multitude of different people with different gender and sexual identities, it also brings together people involved in different forms of expression: activists, artists, authors, and academics, since there are multiple ways of expressing perspectives on Queerness.”

The conference explores the multiplicity of queer identities. Artists, activists, authors, academics, and others interested in collectively exploring the multiplicity of queer identities will be getting together for another lively conference this weekend.

“Despite the fact that our film, television, and literature often tries to present us with a monolithic form of queerness—one, singular image of what it means to be Queer—Queerness exists in multiplicity,” Newman-Stille says. “Queerness, like any identity, is locked into power positions and perhaps that is why our media tends to portray queerness associated with its most hegemonically unrisky form of portrayal—as the gay, white, able-bodied, cis-gendered, non-asexual male. Speaking out can be a way of empowering us, and we can make changes to resist the singular image of Queerness and respond collectively to the images that are projected about Queerness.”

By allowing for different modalities of expression and examination, this year the conference hopes to provide a space for the collision of different queer discourses and push the boundaries of the traditional conference. To achieve the conference’s aim to “collude with one another, to form a rich polyphony of voices to collide with those normative ideas and constructions,” submissions of papers urging people to say something on the ideas constructed as the status quo, challenging the boundaries of tradition itself and providing a new dialogic space for interrogating ideas were requested.

Queer discourse stipulates a rich space of collisions between different ideas, perspectives, thoughts, and bodies and this is why it is important to get together in these kind of events to just talk and listen. It also provides opportunities for collusion,

collaboration, and cooperation.

This weekend there will be art shows going on at Hobbs Memorial Library and the Senior Common Room such as Shan Culkeen’s art show “Lino-cuts About Clinical Intimacy and Closeting”, Ronnie Ritchie’s “GQutie” sketches and Derek Newman-Stille’s “Enchantments: Fairy Tale Art” exhibit. The conference also has an Only Quiet Space located in Room 301 throughout the events.

The conference will include several workshops on topics ranging from learning some American Sign Language signs for queer identities and sexualities, a workshop on sexuality in the classroom, and a workshop on performance and drama.

Registration is not required for this event however it is appreciated as it gives an idea of attendance numbers ahead of time plus you’ll get a pre-printed name badge if you register.

There is no cost to attend this event and you can contact them at queercollisions@gmail.com or http://fellows.sadleirhouse.ca/queercollisions/.

Queer Coll(u/i)sions seeks to create a safe space for all participants.