MISFiT | Akeil Onwukwe-Adamson. Queer spaces beyond whiteness.
"We, as queer people, certainly need more representation within black music - showing us as we are, not as the butt of the joke."
This week, we look at queer spaces for Black, Brown, Asian, and minority ethnic individuals and communities; we speak to Akeil Onwukwe-Adamson, founder of Queer Bruk, we read about the remarkable life of Marsha P. Johnson, and we take a look at the queer coming-of-age story of Egyptian immigrants set against gang rivalries in Hackney.
MISFiT Profiles…
Akeil Onwukwe-Adamson
I never thought I’d say this, but I miss sweaty crowds and staggeringly overpriced vodka lime sodas. It may not be the focus of the coronavirus situation, and rightly so - but young people have felt the crappy knock-on effects of a lack of socialisation on our mental health. Bar that creepy guy at the bar telling you he exclusively dates Latino women, there’s not much we don’t miss about club nights right now.
Navigating the clubbing scene as a young queer individual is often met with difficulties though. Add some black, brown and minority ethnic spice into the mix and things only get more complicated.
Akeil is the founder of Queer Bruk, the queer club night for people of colour that offers some form of refuge from the difficulties facing QTIPOC on their nights out (Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Colour).
I was excited to chat to Akeil about his motivations behind starting the club night consisting mostly of dancehall and afrobeats (although, it did rub salt in the wound left from months of staying in on a Friday night) and to explore the intersection of being POC and queer.
In an article for Londonist, you mention that you created Queer Bruk because of a need for more spaces to celebrate queer people of colour. Can you tell me a little about the difficulties of being LGBTQIA+ and POC? How do these parts of your identity intersect and conflict, or work together?
The difficulty, for me, and many, has always been the feeling that my brownness and my queerness cannot co-exist. Rarely have I seen depictions of the two intertwined without it feeling like something negative. But, more than anything, I feel like aspects of my black upbringing cannot live within a queer space; like black music, food, dancing. These things are not part of the 'queer experience'. To truly feel like we belong we have to acknowledge both sectors of our identities - to be proud of what makes us black and brown, as well as what makes us queer.
In recent years, I've been introduced to amazing UK based organisations which highlight the struggles of the intersection of being queer and POC but also celebrate this identity, such as Pride of Arabia. How have you noticed the London queer scene open up for POC in recent years?
I've seen many QTIPOC people, platforms, and initiatives claim space for themselves. Realising that certain areas aren't for them, they've built environments for queer people of colour to feel like they have a place, and like they belong. It hasn't really been that the queer scene has opened up for POC, but it’s more that POC have forced it open, forced it to widen its parameters for marginalised people. We no longer accept that we have to be the minority in a room filled with white gay men, we no longer see a good night out as getting validation from straight white women - we are becoming creators of our own scene.
There has been a backlash from white communities of the idea of positive discrimination, where white people are excluded from something in order to platform POC voices instead. A lot of white people believe this to be contradictory in tackling prejudice and racism. Why do you think it's important to create safe spaces for POC who are LGBTQIA+ specifically?
I have had debates with people on whether excluding white people from safe spaces is something that should be done, and I really truly do see both sides of the coin. I, for Queer Bruk, will never exclude anyone from attending our events. But non-POC and non-queer people must understand that you're walking into a space that is neither for you or catered to you - YOU are the minority here, so act accordingly and respectfully.
It's so important to create these spaces because it is often incredibly hard for young, queer black and brown kids to meet each other and build relationships with people like them. This is incredibly hard for white gays to understand because they already have these spaces, they already see much more representation on TV and in film.
I recently listened to a New Yorker radio hour on queer liberation, where they discuss the topic of the black community boycotting Pride due to its becoming commercialised and appropriated by the white-middle-class. What are your views on the mainstream Pride movement?
I think Prides are important, but only if we acknowledge where they came from. Not even so much why (which is still important), because then we begin to understand that queer people of colour, namely trans women of colour, fought so hard for our liberation. They fought so hard to ensure that today we can go out and dance in the streets.
It’s true that Prides have now become kind of bastardised by brands and companies, and have also been taken over by white people - this is why us little POC queers are laying the foundations to create something bigger than we can imagine. Imagine we had several events like UK Black Pride - it would be incredible.
POC communities, especially our older generations, can be contentious and even dangerous spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Most recently, the imprisonment, torture, and subsequent suicide of Egyptian, Sarah Hegazi, comes to mind. What can POC communities do moving forward in order to support their queer and LGBTQIA+ peers?
My biggest fear for my platform and myself is the creation of the narrative that homophobia is a black issue because it is not. It is in every culture. But, having said that, you're right, more needs to be done from POC in understanding and showing support. This is why QTIPOC nights such as Queer Bruk are vital; creating a space where everyone can collectively come together and just vibe over a common interest, something we all share as people of colour.
We, as queer people, also certainly need more representation within black music - showing us as we are, not as the butt of the joke.
Follow Akeil on Instagram @akeiloa
And stay up to date with Queer Bruk @queerbruk.
Watch
My Brother The Devil
What | Two brothers, Mo and Rashid, from a modest Egyptian-immigrant family navigate their coming of age against gang rivalries and coming to terms with sexuality.
The extremely dangerous existences of many Arab LGBTQ+ individuals within their own communities, such as the recent torture and suicide of Sarah Hegazi, is a topic we rarely want to touch on due to its sensitive nature, but igniting the dialogue is vital if we are to make any attempt at preventing attacks and ostracisation.
Now, I’ve included this story because it’s not immediately a queer one, but the story is nuanced and deeply human, I find that the queer elements become less trivialised. But if you’re looking for something a bit more on the nose in terms of education and insight, I’ve included another pick below.
Who | Directed by Sally El-Hossaini in 2012, her debut film using mostly non-professional actors picked up significant praise during its film festival circuit, including a BIFA award.
If you… are looking for a story that's rarely told, or you enjoy the ‘hidden gems’ category on Netflix.
Watch here with a 7-day free trial of the BFI Player on Amazon Prime (A free trial! There’s really no excuse).
Alternative pick (doubly whammy, lucky you…)
Disclosure
“According to a study from GLAAD, over 80% of Americans don't personally know someone who's transgender. That means most people learn about trans people from the ways they're depicted in movies and TV.”
What | A talking head documentary with incisive explorations of the representation of trans communities in mainstream media and the ways in which trans life has shaped parts of American media-culture.
Who | Directed by Sam Feder earlier this year, the documentary includes interviews with notable faces such as Laverne Cox of Orange Is The New Black, and Jamie Clayton of Sense8.
If you… are interested in the creation of film culture and the history of trans representation in entertainment, whilst learning about the demonisation of marginal groups on screen.
Watch here on Netflix.
Read
Marsha P. Johnson’s obituary
“I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen”.
Image by Randy Wicker from The New York Times
What | A thorough exploration of the life of Marsha P. Johnson within The New York Times’ Overlooked section; a dedication to obituaries of figures who, until recently, had been overlooked by mainstream publications;
“Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. Now, we’re adding the stories of other remarkable people.” It’s a brilliant section to explore filled with the forgotten treasures of humanity, mostly women.
Who | If you haven’t already heard of Marsha P. Johnson, now’s your chance to brush up on some very necessary history. Johnson was at the helm of the gay liberation activist following the Stonewall raids of 1969, essentially spearheading the Pride movement alongside her friend, Sylvia Rivera. The piece is written by Sewell Chan.
If you… enjoy easy-to-read long-form pieces and are looking to brush up on side-lined history.
Read the article here.
If you’re feeling super nerdy this week, and if you’re able to get your hands on it, I highly recommend Rabih Alameddine’s Koolaids: The Art of War. It’s in my top 3 favourite books that I’ve read this year. I got it as an audiobook on Audible, which was quite the experience, but you can get it secondhand on Amazon (shipping from the US) or on your Kindle/as an e-Book. Granted, it’s a bit of a challenge to attain this book, but if you do, it will stay with you for life.
Do
Follow these great accounts!
@blkoutuk @ukblackpride
Both these accounts, the former in its earlier days, and the latter, a well-established platform, celebrate the Black LGBTQ+ community.
UK Black Pride is an organisation, the largest of its kind in Europe, who produce an annual celebration during Pride month and activities year-round, and encourage inclusion from people of African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent.
BlackOut UK is a non-profit social enterprise made by and for Black queer men. They seek to encourage and support spaces for their community.
@sayitloudclub
Say It Loud is a charity organisation and community of LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. They share ways to help the community and offer insight into queer refugee experiences.
@glamrou
A wonderful human with a fascinating story; from Eton to Muslim drag to writing screenplays for TV, Amrou Al-Kadhi is someone you want to have on your cultural radar. He’s also just released a new memoir, Life As a Unicorn: a Journey from Shame to Pride and Everything in Between.
@ahmedeldin
Ahmed is by far one of my favourite journalists, and he should be one of yours too. He prides himself on “shifting perceptions away from dogma & division towards compassion & connection”. Also, he’s got a great dog who’s a constant feature on his feed.
If you enjoyed this week’s letter, please share it!
Or, if you thought it was shit, tell me why! I’m just starting out so feedback is really helpful :)
Thanks to Finn Turbitt-Lewis for this week’s NYT Read pick.