JAC Stringer, (AKA Midwest GenderQueer), your Accessibility and Awareness Chair here. All of us here at Femme Con have been busy bees, working hard to create the most accessible, inclusive place we can for all femmes and friends. There are so many things to be done; coordinating ASL interpreters, checking venues, establishing gender-safe spaces [...]]]> Hi  Everyone!

JAC Stringer, (AKA Midwest GenderQueer), your Accessibility and Awareness Chair here. All of us here at Femme Con have been busy bees, working hard to create the most accessible, inclusive place we can for all femmes and friends. There are so many things to be done; coordinating ASL interpreters, checking venues, establishing gender-safe spaces like bathrooms, creating financial scholarships, and having lots of discussions about language, privilege, and identities – and that is just a few of the many responsibilities of the Accessibility and Awareness Committee! We are all set and ready with our financial aid form, and are currently working on more ways to help femmes get here. Soon we will have more details up about other accessibility concerns including all-gender bathrooms, scent-aware info, and near-by restaurants for all kinds of diets.

Accessibility Activism can be a tough area to work in because firstly, we don’t live in a society that promotes accessibility and values difference. That is why the Femme Collective strives to create new kinds of spaces at Femme Con; carving out a place in the world were we are all included and recognized. We are such a vast and intersectional community, and I think that is what makes my job here at Femme Con so great! When you are working in Accessibility Activism, you can’t help but learn through doing. No two femmes are exactly a like. We are all so different, whether it be what we look like, where we live, how old we are, our physical or mental abilities, how much money we have, right down to how we experience being femme. But we are drawn together by the fact that we are all femmes.  Even within the Femme Collective, there are many different types of femmes and our different ideas, different identities, different experiences, make us stronger. It is only by knowing each other, and supporting each other, that we can build a community where we all feel safe.

More news to come as we continue to hammer out the details. If you feel the need for support in some way, either through financial means or because you have an accessibility concern, don’t forget you can always drop me a line: access [at] femme2012 [dot] com. So many exciting bits have been coming together to make this conference; I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. See ya there!

A few days later, [...]]]> Hi Femmes! Allison (Cherry Poppins) here. Recently, I posted on my own blog about femme visibility. I had kind of worried that we we would all be tired of discussing visibility. Not so much. That post got more hits than any of my posts to date.

A few days later, I found an article in my Facebook feed, “No Queer Girls are Queerer Than Others,” by Jeannette Young, writing for The Link in Canada. Surprise! All about femme visibility.

Choice quote: “Creating a space where femme/inine-identified queer people of all genders can come together to share insights, resources, and experiences is important in building solidarity among femmes. With a strong femme community we can mark our presence as an integral part of the Montreal queer community.”

Yes. Yes! This is exactly why working on the Femme Conference is so important to me. Building femme community is a crucial part of visibility, so that we can find each other, learn from each other, take care of each other, and survive together. <3

Krista: Femme Community Building – I have spent the past seven years as a steering committee [...]]]> jen and Krista, your Femme Conference 2012 Co-chairs here. We are overflowing with excitement for this year’s Femme Conference and can’t help but share. We’ve managed somehow to pare it down to 12 reasons why we’re excited about Femme2012.

Krista: Femme Community Building – I have spent the past seven years as a steering committee member of the Femme Conference.  I have never lived in a home for that long.  I have never held a job for that long.  In fact, I can’t think of a single other thing in my life that I have been involved in for so long. How has this conference been that “thing” that I have stayed committed to for that long?  Well, for me, it is pretty simple…it is because I am a believer in the power that the Femme Conference has to help build Femme Community.  I have seen the ways that the conference has brought Femmes from around the world together, across many differences, into a non-competitive space that is meant to at once celebrate who they are as femmes, and challenge them actively participate to build a more socially just world for all.  In short, on more than one occasion, I have left FemmeCon thinking that my life was saved.  So many of my dearest friends are people that I have met through organizing and participating in this conference and all the time I am privy to hearing similar stories. Whether this will be your first Femme Conference or your fourth, I hope that you too will experience the profound community building experience that participating in this conference can provide.

jen: Yes! The conference does somehow feel almost magical to me – both the weekend itself and the amazing things that spring forth for and from the conference. One of those things for me was the Femme Week of Action. It’s true; I can’t stop talking about it, but I am still, nearly four months later, in awe. For those of you who may have missed the week here is the basic rundown:  in January, we invited self-defined queer folks on femme/inine spectrums to get together during the week of Jan 15th -21st to share and generate ideas; spark conversations; build alliances; celebrate each other; have fun — and instigate the launch of the Calls for Proposals for FemmeCon. Our Media chair, Damien Luxe, spearheaded the effort in collaboration with the Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow and a dozen of the Beyond Visibility NYC event organizers. Eight cities across North America participated with events ranging from evening performances to multi-day events.

In Chicago, we hosted an event (a makeup and accessories swap) in conjunction with the week. Even our small event built community (at least I came away with new friends!), created awareness about the conference, and strengthened existing relationships (thanks again for co-hosting Phi Delta Femme sisters, Amy Nicole Miller and Coya Paz!).

I don’t know if we’ll see a week of action in 2013, but I hope it takes on a life of its own – not just to raise awareness and support for the conference, but for the passion it incites and the community it builds. If you missed it, find out all the details here and here - you’ll come away full of organizing energy and conference excitement just from reading about it.

Okay, so that was only two; stay tuned for the other ten things we are oh-so-excited about!

In Femme Love and Solidarity,

Krista and jen

Femme2012 Conference Co-chairs

Ellie the film chair here.  :)   Thank you for amusing me with my cheesy title to this post!   But there is truth to it!   I have been getting reports from Femmes all over North America making films for yes — our very own FEMME Film Festival featured FEMME 2012! [...]]]> Hi everybody!

Ellie the film chair here.  :)   Thank you for amusing me with my cheesy title to this post!   But there is truth to it!   I have been getting reports from Femmes all over North America making films for yes — our very own FEMME Film Festival featured FEMME 2012!   In fact, this weekend a group of Femmes got together (with the leadership of Cherry Poppins) in San Francisco and made their own film!    It was a total blast and everybody really seemed to enjoy themselves!

So do you feel inspired yet?   I know I sure do!  Get your film on and tell us your story!!   There’s never a better time than now to become the Femme Filmmaker you always were!  If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at film [at] femme2012.com or reach me on Skype: elliebeth21

With femme love and so much excitement!!!

Ellie

Pratibha Parmar and Nomy Lamm!! 

Learn more about them here, and look forward to interviews with them on our blog over the next few months. Early registration is still in effect, so register now and come see them [...]]]> The 2012 Femme Conference is so proud to announce this year’s Keynote Speakers:

Pratibha Parmar and Nomy Lamm!! 

Learn more about them here, and look forward to interviews with them on our blog over the next few months. Early registration is still in effect, so register now and come see them speak in August!

I [...]]]> Hi Everyone, it’s Jade from Programming posting again for a friend. Her name is Caitlin Rose Sweet, and she has a rad idea for a collaborative piece for the art show. Send her your leopard print cast offs! The deadline to submit to this particular project (and not the artshow itself is JULY 1ST)

I laid in bed with a lover trying to remember all the pieces of leopard print clothing I own, jeans, pants, skirts, blouses, long dresses, short dresses, bras, panties, leggings, socks, heels, etc. I couldn’t remember them all. Later that day, my housemate comes bouncing through the living room with two layers of leopard print looking hella good. Its clear to me that femmes (granted not all femmes) have a thing for this big cat look. I see it on my body, my friends, my lovers, and all over my community. Anything with those spots catches my eye and I want want want it. I feel sexy, fierce, embodied, hot as hell, and at home when I am decked out head to toe in leopard print. As a textile artist I am constantly thinking about how clothes, prints, and patterns effect us, change us, and represent us. As queers we are constantly flashing our gender and sexuality through our fashion. Fashion and femme presentation changes from micro community to micro community and are deeply rooted in our individualism, race, class, and culture. The rise queer fashion blogs and social networking as provided some much fashion sharing and its clear femmes are loving leopard print. Why? And what are we saying with this print?

Leopard print signifies royalty, wealth, power, animal sexuality, femininity, glamour, and social status. No wonder we love it. But how did this print come to be all of this? There is no way to separate this print from the animal and land it comes from. Africa. The kings and queens of the Zulu nation and other African people have been wearing the hides of leopards to denote their status and power. When the Europeans came for conquest and conquer, leopard skins and their meaning was stolen and appropriated. FUCK. Like many of our fashions and traditions, leopard print has a charged and complicated history. But still I/you/we wear this all over our precious bodies. This piece is not about saying no, or shaming but just stating the fact that we can’t escape the racist roots of this exotic print and textile. How leopard looks like and what it says, changes from body to body that carries it into the public sphere. My white skin wears it differently than femmes of color. But we all wearing it. This piece is about exploring and sharing our love of fashion, fierce sexuality, bold self love, and the complication of radical femme identity in a fucked up world.

I am calling on you my fellow femmes to share some leopard print with me. A main component of my art praxis is audience participation, mainly collecting textiles from my community to make art about us and the clothes on our backs. I need your leopard print scraps! Send me that blouse with the stubborn stain down the front, your worn out sheets, trimmings from the dress that had to be shorter to show off those sexy legs, scarves that have gone forgotten at bottom of the hat box, that awkward number from the free box you have never altered, anything with some big cat love on it. I will transform it into a beautiful layered wall hanging piece for the Femme Conference Putting the Pieces Together 2012. I will also list all the femmes who donated to this project.

Much love,

Caitlin Rose

caitlinrosesweet.tumblr.com

monsterandmaker@gmail.com

2026 Woolsey St

Berkeley, Ca 94703

DEADLINE JULY 1ST

My name is Jade Fair, and I’m on the Programming Committee.  We have received some amazing art submissions this year and I am so happy to have the pleasure of getting to curate the Femme Art Show!

We still have room for all of your beautiful creations, and have lots of exciting ideas [...]]]> Dearest Femmes!

My name is Jade Fair, and I’m on the Programming Committee.  We have received some amazing art submissions this year and I am so happy to have the pleasure of getting to curate the Femme Art Show!

We still have room for all of your beautiful creations, and have lots of exciting ideas for the space the art show is in this year. We want the art show to be a space where all femmes who are of the artistic persuasion  to feel comfortable showing their work, be it a really clever doodle or a piece that’s part of your MFA thesis. You can submit all of your creative brilliance via the submission form here: http://www.femme2012.com/home/participate/call-for-submissions/art-submission-form/. Any further questions you can send to art@femme2012.com. Also please indicate when submitting via email if you’ll be bringing your art with you to the Conference, or if you are going to need to ship it and we will get that address to you.

In addition to the submissions that will be in the space, we will also have an art making station set up each day of the Conference, with a conceptual frame to get your ideas flowing that fits under our larger theme of Pulling The Pieces Together. Think of it as a live installation. I am personally really excited to make some art after being inspired by all of the performances, workshops, and wise words from our keynotes we’ll get to experience!

Remember, the deadline is April 15th, so get those submissions in order ASAP!

Your brilliance knows no bounds, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of you all.

Love and solidarity,

Jade

WCT: Why do you feel it is so vital for the femme community to utilize the tools and resources available to them?

Jennifer Valles: I think it [...]]]> Article & interview with co-chair jen valles on the herstory and current organizing of the Conference in the Windy City Times.

WCT: Why do you feel it is so vital for the femme community to utilize the tools and resources available to them?

Jennifer Valles: I think it is vital for people to do whatever it is they need to do for themselves. That doesn’t always mean that people have to utilize the tools and resources available to them, assuming there are any. I do think it’s vital to make sure that people have tools and resources available and have access to them if that’s what they want! That’s why I ultimately decided to help organize the conference and [the reason] I’ve stayed a part of it for so long. [The conference] is such an amazing resource and it is so important [that] it continues… [read more]

By now, you may have seen the call for submissions for workshops, panels, and presentations for the upcoming 2012 Femme Conference. We are getting some great submissions rolling in. Major love to those who have already sent in submissions!

We want many, many more so that we can have a JAM-PACKED conference schedule, [...]]]> Ferocious Femmes!

By now, you may have seen the call for submissions for workshops, panels, and presentations for the upcoming 2012 Femme Conference. We are getting some great submissions rolling in. Major love to those who have already sent in submissions!

We want many, many more so that we can have a JAM-PACKED conference schedule, overflowing from every direction with discussion, collaboration, analysis, exploration, bravery, love, tender moments, hard moments, amazing moments.

We want YOUR submissions. We want your thoughts. We want your beautiful face to be represented. We want that discussion you and your best femme friend keep having, blown up and out of the water and shared with the hundreds of other femmes who will be gathering in Baltimore this August.

If you don’t do so well with putting your thoughts into writing but you have a bangin’ idea for a workshop proposal, email us at programming@femme2012.com. You and I can make a date to go over your ideas on the phone, for example. I know the form is long, and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated.

How about ideas? If you’re like me, you have SO MANY ideas, and sometimes you need some nudges to get started. Here are a few ideas we came up with on the Programming committee:

*How policing and the prison industrial complex affect us as queer emmes
*Disability justice
*High-femme / Low-femme / All kinds of femme: What do these words mean and what are the implications in our communities?
*Honoring our femme ancestors: looking at our community ancestors and creating an art project together
*Mixed-race femme (in)visibility
*”Femme drama”: exploring femme/femme conflict and providing skills in navigating and healing from conflict within our communities
*Gender transitions in relationships
*Various issues around age: a workshop for femme youth (21 and younger); an intergenerational dialogue; a conversation on femmes and aging
*Digital storytelling workshop on femme experiences and femmephobia, racism, classism and sexism
*Community care and healing justice
*History of femme
*Femme on Femme sex / dating
*Conversations by and for trans femmes
*Capitalism + femme: working-class realness
*How does femme look in your town? Regional variations of Femme
*Femmes in the media
*Challenging consumption: how do we work it out?
*Fat and body politics
*That topic you and your friends can’t stop talking about

And of course, there are INFINITE possibilities for skillshares and hands-on demonstrations. Do you have a skill that could benefit and enrich your community? Please submit your idea! Here are some to get you thinking:
*Zine-making
*Bike repair
*Tools & home repair
*How to be a fragrance free femme
*Tech 101 and media arts: podcasts, blogging, social networking, digital storytelling
*Community organizing
*Journaling for healing
*Screenprinting
*Clothing alteration
*How to give a massage
*Making your own cosmetics / beauty products
*Communication / facilitation skills
*Meditation / yoga
*Graphic novel making
*Writing
*Nail art
*That cool thing you’re really good at

What ideas do YOU have?

Femme solidarity,

Cherry Poppins