As snow fell over Carleton University, Rooster’s Coffeehouse was bright and defiant for the fourth annual Rainbow Exhibit organized by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC).
The Friday event drew dozens of students for a night of viewing art, poetry and performances by 2SLGBTQIA+ creators. In turn, co-ordinators said a vibrant sanctuary and sense of belonging was cultivated for the queer community and its allies, in line with the exhibit’s theme of “nurture,” at a time when it’s needed most.
“I was considering the scary political climate – what we see that happens in Canada and America that affects the trans community,” Jocelyn Deng, the GSRC’s administrative co-ordinator, said of choosing this year’s theme.
“We all know people who have been affected, and it’s scary because what affects trans people affects all of us, in addition to every other marginalized demographic.
“We all feel the impacts of it.”
Between performances, the Transgender Media Portal, created by Carleton film studies professor Laura Horak, presented its trans media history archive to the crowd.
The portal highlights trans and gender non-conforming creators, housing thousands of trans-made films, television shows and more, functioning similar to IMDb.
Symah Mbaga, a third-year journalism student and volunteer for the GSRC, performed her poem titled “Greatest Love Stories,” about how her platonic relationships have been some of the greatest connections throughout her life.
“Even though I don’t have romantic love in my life, I still have a lot of love in my life through my friends. To some people, it seems borderline romantic when I just love my friends so much that I will move heaven and earth for them,” Mbaga said.
Andy Zhuravel, a second-year health science student, contributed a double-sided painting to last year’s exhibit.
Their original piece was created with the exhibit’s theme of introspection in mind.
The front depicts a figure growing up with an anglerfish inside its light. On the back, someone is holding the anglerfish, with the painting’s title — “Grow up!!!” — in large blue letters overhead.
Zhuravel said the back represents someone having grown up to embrace their environment despite the darkness, as it remains a part of who they are regardless.
They decided to create a second iteration of the painting, titled, “Grow up PART 2,” which features an updated visual of someone holding an anglerfish, this time appearing to glow themselves.
The new painting is centred around growing, expressing oneself and bringing light to the world despite the darkness currently being seen within it.
“It’s a kind of great connecting point to nurturing your environment, even if it is dark outside and the world is kind of gloomy. There’s still community, there’s still love to be found everywhere, even in those darkest places,” Zhuravel said.
On the back of the artwork, the phrase “nurture ur love you are full of light!! keep shining keep growing” is painted in large blue letters.
Unlike previous years, this year’s exhibit was free to attend. Artwork, zines and colouring books were available for purchase, with proceeds going towards the GSRC’s trans affirming gear program.
Attendees were welcomed to participate in zine-making activities and colour pages printed from the colouring book, which featured Deng’s hand-drawn sketches of people within Carleton’s community.
“We must work to protect the transgender community, because trans rights are human rights,” Deng said in her opening speech to attendees.
“Freedom for them is freedom for all of us.”
Featured image by Zayn Daureeawoo/the Charlatan
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