We are delighted to issue an open call for a special event on Queerness & SF to be held online on Saturday, 3 July. The goal of the event is to celebrate queer voices in a thoughtful and joyous way, while also meaningfully engaging in ways that such voices can be highlighted even further. (Please note that we understand that there may be individual reservations against the use of the word “queer” but we view it as an empowering umbrella term that is a reclamation and defiant statement of our existence.)

As part of the event, we will be hosting a roundtable featuring community organisers and activists Tolu Ajayi, Zane Robinson and Ibtisam Ahmed discussing the power, politics and problems of queer superhero representation. Additionally, we would love to showcase work that speaks to the event theme in the broadest sense as a true celebration of queer voices. We are open to contributions in any format that can be accessed virtually. We welcome a variety of performance pieces, artwork, readings, creative writing, community interventions/conversations, academic presentations, or something altogether unexpected and joyfully different. Please do feel free to bring something that is still a work in progress; we aim to use the day to nurture new ideas as much as celebrating existing ones.

We are able to offer slots of either 15 minutes or 30 minutes, with a preference that the longer slots include a form of interaction with the audience (such as a Q&A). Just email us at lsfrcmail@gmail.com by midnight on 16 June with a proposed title, the required time for your slot as well as any scheduling preferences. If possible, please include a brief description of what you want to do, but do not worry about sending in a formal abstract or pitch. We will get back to you within a week with a confirmation email and a proposed schedule. Please direct any queries to the same email address.