Queers R’ Us – Oakland Butch Voices Fundraiser
Enjoy a night full of community performance. Queers R’ Us will be featuring queer arts ranging from Poetry, to Live Music to the Ancient Art of Drag. We are also auctioning off some of the finest Queers in the Bay. Both our performers and auctionees have donated their talent and time for a great cause. Please join us and help raise funds for the much needed Butch Voices 2009 Conference.
Queers R’ Us – Butch Voices 2009 Conference Fundraiser
Velvet – Oakland
Friday, June 12, 2009 8pm
3411 MacArthur Blvd
Oakland, CA 94602
To download a flyer for this event, click here: Oakland Fundraiser Flyer
Performers
Identity Tee Bee Dee is a gender queer writer, performer, professor, humorist, blogger, male tomboy and all-purpose muse. He is at work on a book called “Compulsory Masculinity.”
Outmusic Awardee Irina Rivkin layers poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument. Her songs are like sand sculptures – and after each song she erases it all and creates a new one. www.myspace.com/irinarivkin
ButchTap, brought to you by the creative forces behind ButchBallet, is a loose collective of Oakland based queer performance artists who have a passion for tap dancing, fabulous costumes and dance-offs. ButchTap includes current and former members of Queen Bees, Disposable Boy Toys, Titland, Chicago Kings, Cuntry Kings, Citizen Kings, the Saucy Knickers, Trekking with the Stars, Bromantics, Freeplay Dance Crew & Hogwarts Express: The Musical. So, prepare yourself for a treat as these performance veterans explode into your hearts with the footloose and fancy-free percussion sounds so unique to tap dancing! ButchTap Performers: Jake Danger, Billy “The Poof” Elliot, Dirty D, Ricky T. Smiles, & Lance ArmStar
Heaven has been singing her entire life. She is currently working in the studio on an album to be released next year. Her style is a reflection of her influences, which are Pop, Soul and R&B, along with the music of her heritage, traditional Arabic music.
King McQueen started his drag career 2 years ago, although his passion started ten years ago when he entered his first drag bar. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mo, he was memorized by the glitter and lights. Wanting some of that hometown feel, King started the Royal Revue Cabaret in Oakland. His show features some of the most talented drag performers as well as providing a stage for local queer musicians. He lives by the motto: Community not Competition
Jen Cross is a femme dyke and a smut writer. Her work has appeared in a plethora anthologies, including, most recently, Visible: A Femmethology (vol.1), Tasting Her (Oral Sex Erotica), Best Sex Writing 2008, Nobody Passes, and lots more. Jen leads erotic writing workshops and workshops with sexual trauma survivors, and is, as you may have heard, a wholehearted believer in the transformative power of smut to release all our voices, butch and femme and otherwise…
Gwendolyn Bikis is the author of the novel Your Loving Arms, and the novella Cleo’s Gone, excerpts of which have appeared in The Best Lesbian Erotica, The Persistent Desire, and other anthologies. She has read and performed all over the country. She has lived in Oakland for over 20 years.
Rebecca Crump is a solo artist who occasionally collaborates with like-mind artists. She grew up in upstate New York singing with her family. She’s performed at events such as Sistahs Steppin’, East Bay, San Jose and Arcata Pride festivals. Rebecca belts out earthy protests songs. She loves it when the audience participates.
Auctionees
AJ is an 80’s Texas born lesbian. She loves all types of art, music, and food.
She’s really into design, particularly architecture and interior design. She’s open to having new experience and knows how to live life to the fullest.
Quote: “My favorite food right now is Thai food.”
ButchBoy is a chivalrous New Yorker who enjoys wining and dining a femme girl. He is sort of the LA Meets the Bay kind of GQ Guy. He loves to travel, driving manual shift sport cars, a good vodka, his dog and women. His passions are dancing and music.
Quote: “I am an “old school” Butch with a flair. What else would you like to know?”
Alicenne is a classy nature loving femme in stilettos. She’s into yoga, food, and the Saturday market. This vegetarian from New York is politically active and an organizer.
Quote: “I killed a black widow with the back of my cell phone while wearing flip flops.
