Bristol Queerants – Queer Consciousness-Raising
More details: https://www.instagram.com/p/CoXzqfDqain/
Consciousness-raising is a form of activism that came to prominence in the late 1960s through its use by second wave feminists in the US. It would often take the form of a group of 8-12 women meeting in living rooms and taking it in turns to discuss a range of topics. The aim was for those in the group to become aware of their shared experiences and develop an understanding of their oppression which, for some, might lead them into further activism. Parts of the Gay Liberation movement both in the US and the UK adopted the practice of consciousness-raising as part of their activism after the Stonewall riots and then during the AIDS crisis.
The practice came in for criticism as it was seen to be ‘navel-gazing’ and exclusionary by some and in the years that followed consciousness-raising has happened less widely. This Bristol Queerants session is an opportunity to explore whether there’s still a role for consciousness-raising in the queer community. In the age of social media is there a role for queer consciousness-raising or are we already woke enough? Could groups of queers coming together to share personal experiences help to develop tactics to respond to renewed threats such as rising transphobia? And does queer consciousness-raising have a role in building solidarity more broadly, for example with others in our local community or to discover responses to the “polycrisis” (cost of living crisis, Covid-19, war, climate change etc.)?
Come along to the next Bristol Queerants discussion on 9th March where we will talk about the history and practice of queer consciousness-raising. We will also spend half the session trying out consciousness-raising ourselves by splitting up into groups and having discussions. The event is open to all members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. The event is free to attend although we will take a collection for the cost of the room hire.
To help us manage numbers please email bristol_queerants@outlook.com to let us know if you plan to attend.
