Hundreds attend second national BUTCH Voices conference

This review was written by Nicole Jones.
Appeared originally: Oakland North

…Oakland continues to be a prime location to host the national BUTCH Voices conference. At Thursday night’s opening celebration, Oakland City Councilmember at Large Rebecca Kaplan addressed the conference goers. “As the only butch in the local government,” she said, “I gotta say it is so awesome to be in a room of badass butches and allies.”

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Official BUTCH Voices After Parties

BUTCH Voices is proud to provide you with good energy, and some dance music to wind down with. These events bring out a wide spectrum of the beautiful and amazing people who make up our local LGBTQQI communities here in Oakland.

BUTCH Appreciation in Downtown Oakland

The first night of the BUTCH Voices 2011 Conference was a smashing success.

Rebecca Kaplan gave the BUTCH Voices team another document acknowledging the tireless work it takes to put on an event like this. Dominicka Bednarska drew people in with her narratives. Her stories depicted a kind of love and appreciation she’s had for BUTCH partners who, it could be implied, were of varied gender identities. Jurni Rayne sang songs that had the crowd snapping together in unison, and inspired the casual observation and one of many compliment she didn’t get to hear “Man, she’s got a voice on her.” Tehea Robie encouraged us to all remember our critical thinking caps, and to be mindful of the intentionality with which the folks in our communities represent their butchness or masculinities. Wicked came through and tied some audience members up with a little bit of Burlesque.

The second night no less enthralling. Our film screening packed the house at Humanist Hall, as did our Brown Boi Project allies who launched their health guide at Hibiscus. So many folks came out on a Friday evening and we hope many more come out on Saturday.

Here are a few incentives

Good VIBRATIONS
If you came by to register you should have picked up a 10% off discount card.

Feelmore 510 (10% discount with your BUTCH Voices Badge) Fri Aug 19 & Sat Aug 20
When you present your BUTCH Voices badge at Feelmore 510 recieve a 10% discount on your purchase Friday & Saturday

Cafe Gabriela (5% discount with your BUTCH Voices Badge) Fri Aug 19 & Sat Aug 20
As a BUTCH Voices attendee you will receive 5% discount on any purchase at Cafe Gabriella when you show your BUTCH Voices badge.

Femmes of Color BBQ (Saturday Aug 20 5-6:30pm)
Drop by Snow Park and spend your queer dollars with other members of our community. Join the Femmes of Color, and Allies for a Lakeside BBQ. $5-$7 Plates – Catered by Chikun

[Map Included After the Jump]

BUTCH Voices 2011 Networking Dinners

In 2009 BUTCH Voices organized networking dinners on Friday evening to help our attendees get to know each other outside of the context of the daytime conference sessions. We’re excited to invite you to join us again this year for these informal meet ups that will allow you to get to know some of your fellow attendees a little better.

If you haven’t yet gotten your tickets, please make sure to do so by registering here — and make sure to indicate whether or not you will join us for these delightful opportunities to mix and mingle with new friends.

For Immediate Release: Bridging Gender & Generations

Alice Y. Hom From the Release:

Commenting on BUTCH Voices conferences past and present, 2011 Conference Keynote Alice Y. Hom continues, last year, “I organized and presented a panel called, ‘Bromance, Kinship, and Mandates: Unveiling Taboo Topics’ with 5 other panelists who are AAPI queers of various gender identifications. … [This year,] I’m looking forward to [engaging] with butches of all stripes and people of various gender identifications. I want to have conversations, learn from others, struggle with ourselves & each other, and experience the thrill of seeing all of us basking in the beauty of love & community with all of our differences & contradictions.” Read more

BUTCH BnB: Host an Out of Towner

Are you a Local able to host one or more BUTCH Voices attendees as a guest in your home?

Post a listing on AirBnB today, for an out of towner looking for an affordable place to stay during the conference.

For some of our attendees – attending BUTCH Voices is can be difficult due to economic hardship, or as a function of those who live on a limited budget. As a way to offset these costs, we’ve put together a housing program with the help of a service called AirBnB.

AirBnB describes their offering as an opportunity to “… connect people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay. Guests can build real connections with their hosts, gain access to distinctive spaces, and immerse themselves in the culture of their destinations. ”

This year BUTCH Voices would like to like to extend our financial aid program to include the opportunity for Oakland’s Local residents to attend the conference in exchange for offering their extra space, and showing a little hospitality to an out of town guest.