Ottawa — The Making of the Neoliberal Queer and the Apology from Above versus the Apology from Below

A talk and workshop with Gary Kinsman
Tuesday, September 25  7 PM – 9 PM

Venus Envy Ottawa 226 Bank Street, Ottawa.

Hosted by Venus Envy Ottawa

What was the Canadian war on queers?
-How did the neoliberal queer emerge?
-How were the demands for an apology from below for the anti-queer purge campaign turned into an apology from above?
-How can we continue to oppose homonationalism and fight for queer and trans liberation as part of a broader project of social transformation?

This participatory talk draws on work on the making of the neoliberal queer which provides a social basis for some queers (mostly cis white middle class gay men, but not only) to reconcile with neoliberal racialized capitalist relations and Canadian settler colonial state formation. This new class/race strata provides a basis for some queers who were constructed as ‘risks’ to the nation during the Canadian war on queers to become part of the ‘nation’ and to be deployed against the ‘national security risks’ of Indigenous land and water defenders, anti-tar sands and anti-pipeline activists, Muslim and Arab identified people, and others. In particular this talk will focus on the long history of queer resistance to the Canadian war on queers which produced the basis for an apology from below which was transformed by a number of social and state forces into an apology from above identified with the ‘nation’ and national security. The potential for continuing resistance to homonationalism and the neoliberal queer will be at the centre of the workshop.

Gary Kinsman is a queer liberation, AIDS, anti-poverty, anti-racist and anti-capitalist activist living on Indigenous land and standing in support of Indigenous struggles. He is currently involved in the AIDS Activist History Project and was involved in the We Demand an Apology Network. He is the author of The Regulation of Desire, co-author of The Canadian War on Queers and co-editor of We Still Demand! and Sociology for Changing the World. He is Professor Emeritus in Sociology, Laurentian University and his website is: http://radicalnoise.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/events/292903791301963/

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Access Info: Venus Envy is a physically accessible space. We have an automatic door, no steps and a gender inclusive bathroom big enough for most mobility devices.

We use foldable, plastic chairs for our workshops. We have three softer chairs that we’re happy to reserve if you get in touch with us before the workshop.

We do sell some scented products so we’re unfortunately not able to make this a scent-free space. However, we do ask that guests refrain from wearing strongly scented products.

We’re happy to book ASL interpretation for any of our workshops! Please get in touch with us in advance of the workshop if you would like us to book interpreters. At minimum, we will need one week’s notice, but the earlier you can make your request, the better.

Questions? Comments? Get in touch with us by phone at 613-789-4646 or by email at education@venusenvy.ca