Dozens of students gathered in Rooster’s Coffeehouse at Carleton University for the second annual Rainbow Exhibit organized by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC) on Dec. 8.
Using the theme “interconnected” as inspiration, student artists explored how 2SLGBTQ+ people are connected to one another and to other communities.
“In the community, we’re all connected. Not just by identity, but by experiences and the relationships we form with each other that go beyond our own sexuality or gender, and become more broadly part of making formative experiences together,” Gabbie Cruz, the GSRC programming co-ordinator, said.
They said they wanted to recognize intersectionality and explore the ways in which “queerness is interconnected with so many different walks of life.”
Val Hussain, the GSRC administrative co-ordinator, added interacting with various communities allows the queer community to form deeper connections.
“It just adds to your perspective and your world experience,” they said.
Artist, Karina Leclair shared several artworks at the exhibit, including a scrapbook, poems and a dance.
In her scrapbook, she said she included little moments of queer joy. The first six pages correspond to different colours of the rainbow and are each connected to themes, with red representing rage and orange representing afterglows.
Leclair said she finds queer joy in embracing her identity and finding the confidence to be herself. She said being herself can be uncomfortable in less accepting spaces, but that discomfort is worth it.
“I think a philosophy of being a queer person is also breaking the rules and just being who you want to be. So the more we continue to do that, the more joyful life can be even though it’s challenging,” Leclair said.
She said the philosophy of breaking rules is reflected in her art. For example, her scrapbook mixes digital and physical collages. She also digitized, edited and re-printed her physical art for the scrapbook, which, according to Leclair, is typically frowned upon in the art world.
Alex Kluke, a second-year psychology student, performed a cover of the song “We’re The Same” by Sasha Allen at the event.
He said the song counters transphobic rhetoric that posits future archaeologists will know a trans person’s “real” gender based on their bones. The song asserts that in the future, academics won’t judge trans people for being themselves and will consider transphobic people to be on the wrong side of history.
Kluke said queer joy is an act of resistance against the oppression 2SLGBTQ+ people face.
“Our battle to be accepted in society or to find love and hope within each other isn’t just about going to protests, isn’t just about changing your pronouns [and] isn’t just about responding to hate comments online. It’s also about finding joy,” he said.
Artist Linda Berry, a third-year human rights and social justice student, shared a painting at the exhibit. Depicting a colorful tree with swirling roots, she said the painting represents change, community and love.
“This painting was done in a transitionary period of my life and it represents change and growth, and how things are always changing, both good and bad. Everything is temporary. Growth in life and the light that comes with that,” she said.
To recognize their last year at Carleton and the GSRC, Cruz shared three poems, including one titled “My Pride Pin Is Asking Me For A Divorce.”
In the poem, Cruz humorously wonders if their rainbow pin feels overworked and wants a divorce after they used the pin as a coming-out tool.
Part of Cruz’s poem read, “I fit into your sunrise skies, your forever hills, the enamel sea and your violent rumbling. And I know you’re always mumbling about the day you’ll fall from denim clouds ‘cause all I’d be able to do is speak for myself.”
“At some point, I stopped coming out to people and let it speak for myself … and I thought it was funny if my pride pin was doing all the heavy labour [of coming out], which it was,” Cruz said.
The event raised a total of $106 for the GSRC’s gender-affirming gear program.
The program allows students to purchase gender-affirming products like chest binders, clothing and prosthetics with a sliding scale price system where students pay what they can afford.
Hussain said gender-affirming gear can be expensive and therefore inaccessible to many trans people, especially students.
The GSRC is fundraising for the program through Carleton University’s Future Funder micro-funding site. Donations can be made here.
Featured image by Kyra Vellinga/the Charlatan.
