a four-day celebration of queer culture
The LOUD & PROUD festival explores the way sexual minorities are represented on the French cultural scene and proposes to give back priority to bodies and identities that have been neglected and made invisible by the music industry, by programming a series of concerts and performances by queer artists over a period of four days. Between July 2 and 5, la Gaîté is proud to host its first festival of queer music and culture.
In American English, "queer" is an insult, a derogatory term that means strange, sketchy, freak, but also fag and dyke and the opposite of "straight," which refers to the heterosexual norm. In the 90s, sexual minorities reclaimed the insult and made it their own, using it to proudly refer to these marginal, different identities. Queer culture now refers to a distinct, politicized identity and provides a useful analysis through which to question gender, social and sexual norms, and the power relationships at work in society.
What is queer culture? Discourse and works that are humorous, powerful and beautiful and that question these norms and these power relationshihps. Productions that convey progressive and emancipating values that urgently need to be heard and defended in an age where principles of equality and solidarity are largely being jeopardised. The idea, in a way, is to give back to RuPaul what belongs to RuPaul, to share this queer culture, to celebrate it and showcase it in a relevant context rich with meaning that will help everybody better understand what this culture expresses.
also at:
Nantes / le Lieu Unique
July 3-4, 2015
Lyon / Le Sucre
July 3-4, 2015
