The 5th Annual Queer West Arts Festival

Saluting Queer Youth in 2010

Less corporate! More grassroots. All Queer!

We're busy!

Festival run time dates will be announced soon

What Queer West Fest means to me.

Posted with permission. I think about Queer West Fest, a totally different image is there for me. It's the artists and political movers and shakers. The guys who sleep with other guys but don't have the polished image the east side (Church St.) wishes to maintain. It's the trans community who gets excluded, the Native community which is ignored from Pride. The women who sleep with women but don't have children, ride bikes or wear plaid. It's everyone who has ever been ignored, or put down, or felt they didn't even belong in a gay community of a large city (which is supposedly a community which embraces diversity? what). A community that embraces those which embrace each other, no matter who you are, or who you happen to go to bed with. Queer. Nick Watson Toronto Parkdale (Age group Generation-Y)

Picture Jaclyn Isen Queer West Board Member

Queer West Fest is doing Generation-Y in 2010

Press Release: Sunday March 7.

Jaclyn Alia Isen (Queer West Vice President / appointed Program Manager for Queer West Fest 2010)

Jaclyn has an M.A. Degree in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, and Honors BA, Science Biology and Women’s studies, University of Western Ontario. Graduating in 2008.

She has great deal of experience in developing community-based arts programming as the former Community Outreach and Programs Coordinator for Red Tent Sisters; a feminist bookstore and workshop space specializing in women’s sexual and reproductive needs.

She has worked as a volunteer with the Toronto International Film Festival and as a youth counselor at Camp Timberlane in Haliburton ON with young girls 13 and 14. Jaclyn has a passionate interest in and working knowledge of a wide range of themes, pertaining to gender and sexuality.

Isen is one of few young Women in Power in a leadership role, running a queer arts and cultural festival in the western hemisphere. Like many of Queer West's young volunteers, her work celebrates the valuable contributions young people make to communities throughout the City of Toronto and the important role young queer adults play as advocates, visionaries, and agents of social change.

We are increasing the visibility, awareness and inclusion of queer youth and young adults through our shOUT program that started in February 2010. The Forgotten Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Intersexed, Queer, Questioning and Two-Spirited (LGBTTIQQ2) youth population and their friends and allies residing in West-Central Toronto. (That include but not are not limited to College St. West (Little ltaly/Palmerston), Dundas St. West (Brockton, Little Portugal. Kensington Market) and Queen St. West (Roncesvalles, Parkdale, Trinity-Bellwood’s).Who fall roughly within 18-27 years of age and who span a diverse spectrum of ethno cultural groups and socioeconomic statuses.

Queer West Fest maintains an attitude of openness and inclusivity in which all interested participants are welcome. The ShOUT Beehive Youth Committee has many collaboration events planned for you. A juried photo contest, overseen by professional photographers, ORAL-TRIX (Poetry Slam) with a queer twist, a Queer Youth Film Festival , the regularly monthly shOUT unconference (Topic TBA) and some other events. No Cyndi Lauper we can't afford her.

Contact Jaclyn Isen (Vice President and Youth Program Manager) if interesting in volunteering, joining Youth Beehive Collective or have a youth type event, you would like included this year's festival line-up. qwshout@gmail.com (shout.queerwest.org)

QueerWest.org is not-for-profit organization that hosts Queer West Fest, an annual festival held during the month of June in Toronto. Queer West exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Queer West Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2S communities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirited) Produced and organized by Gay West Community Network . Queer West Fest is the brainchild of Michel François Paré

Queer West was founded in 2000 and the annual festival is currently celebrating its 5th year, Queer West works across the arts community addressing social justice issues, the needs of marginalized groups, primarily LGBT and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic communities, and works to foster understanding amongst non-LGBT audiences. By creating environments where artists can explore queer culture and take risks, the festival cultivates creative synergies, thought-provoking displays, social commentary, and new possibilities for inhabiting sexuality and gender. Queer West Arts and Culture Festival questions and inspires, celebrates and expands the spectrum of queer expression.

Queer West Arts and Culture Festival is one of 4 Non Pride International Festivals in all of Canada, that showcase queer artists, cultural producers, and activists for queer and queer-friendly audiences. Queer West Arts and Culture Festival is creating awareness internationally about the contributions of queers to the art world and cultural life in Toronto and around the world.

Queer West Fest Toronto, is owned and managed, by Gay West Community Network. A not-for-profit corporation. # 1752698. P.O. Box 204 Stn. C. Toronto ON M6K 2A9.Queer West Toronto gaybourhoods (Map)

Showing Toronto pride in creating new & exciting gay and lesbian Queer Festivals

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