To change an attitude!

Was preforming at a school this week, ford kids aged 6-10, together with a friend. We have our group called "Flamma & Fjolla" (The Flame & The Queer) and preforme with fire, dance and jokes. My character, The Queer, always wears a Pride-hat, a skirt and make-up, and for this year also a wig, since we started the whole show by dancing to Loreen's "Euphoria" (the best song ever in Eurovision Song Contest). While dressing up we worked a lot with the make-up to make The Queer look as good as possible without without making too much out if it. Because The Queer's philosphy is to be whom ever you are and dress up how ever you want to. Just as long as you are comfortable with your self and can stand up for what you are doing. He is kind of sissy acting, but not in a bad way. He just likes to have fun! And we never tells that he is gay, but the kids nows it anyway, I guess, since he is dancing and says he is from the land of fabulous, wearing lipstick, make-up and a cute turquoise dance-skirt. And in the beginning I was wearing this wig, that made me look pretty good by the way, and the funny thing was when we entered the school yard with all the kids running around and we were fully dressed and in make-up, the first question from almost all the kids were: Who is SHE?, pointing at me. And I didn't wear any fake boobs more special attributes then just make-up, the wig and the little skirt. All ready there we had reached the effect we wanted, to neutralize the gender and sexuality. Then, in the dance, The Queer does such a "bad" preformance that The Flame takes of his wig, and all of a sudden he puts on a pride-hat! Just to show that he is queer and that the colours stands for pride, happiness and fun! The kids just loved the show, as usual, and loves The Flame & The Queer. Not to mention the teachers at the school. Even some parents enjoyed what we were doing and none didn't mind that we have that theme on the show! For me and my friend, who both are a part of the HBTQ-society, it is important that we can learn the kids that there is nothing wring with being yourself, as long as you stand up for whom you are and that you don't preach about it. They need to build their own opinion, but we think that we are able to change their attitude a little just by being our self on stage, and show them that there is nothing wrong for a guy to wear make-up and/or a wig, if he wants to. We all have a responsebility towards our kids and youths to make sure that they belive in them self and teach them about rights and wrongs. And I know that not everybody agrees with me that teaching kids that homosexuality is right, is a good thing, because who knows what ideas they might get from that! They might become gay them self! Well, let them! What's the big deal? As long as they are happy and proud of whom they are, just as The Flame & The Queer! And as long as we are porud of them! The even asked when they will meet us again... :)

Normativity.

Were at a conference last day that was about equality. How we all can get more equal in life, and also over the sexualities, genders, age, religion and so on. Very interesting when in between the sets while talking to some of the participants about being queer in todays society. Just for a start that queer was a new expression for them. It all started with a scene that showed a man and a woman having a child, and the fathers concern before the actual birth. He wanted to be involved and his wife said of course. And then, at the hospital, there was this nurse who just ignored him in one way or an other. That just got me upset, to start with. But after the scene I talked to the actors and then they asked me if I had any kids, and I said: No, and I never will. Then one of the actors at once thought that I was gay! Not that I just wasn't up to be a father or had any medical conditions or so. No, he just thought I was gay... That was kind of wierd to hear, but I guess we all have our way of thinking, and thank God for that! Then I just had to explain that I was queer, and of course the question came up: What do you mean by "Queer"? I eplained to them that I didn't want to put a title on my sexuality, that I fall in love with a personality rather then the sex. That is just something that I don't care about. And then they said that I ment I was bisexual, but no! Bisexuality is still a way to put a title on things, that you are both in to sex with the same and opposite gender as your self. That you might just fall in love with girls but can have sex with men. They thought about it for a while and it seemed that they understood what I ment. But to live as a HBTQ-person in todays society is still hard. We still fight against a lot of normativites. People are ment to be heterosexual. That's just the way life is... Why?! I am who I am and I am darn proud of my self! I will never care if people think that I am weird! I want to be weird! That's who I am. Never ever try to be some one else just because they say so.