TWO WEEKS ago Queer and Allied Activism (QuAA) held an event titled "Live Homosexual Acts" in the University Chapel as part of the biannual "Proud To Be Out" week celebrations. As the co-president of QuAA, I can shamelessly say that the event was a great success and I look forward to future productions and variations of it in the future.
QuAA's mission is to raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) issues and grievances through direct action and education. The initial idea for "Live Homosexual Acts" came about at one of our weekly meetings. Outreach ideas were being tossed around, and one student suggested we present a series of short skits with queer themes to the University and Charlottesville community. We all agreed this would be an excellent and engaging avenue for educating the community about LGBTQ concerns, particularly during the special week for LGBTQ individuals in November.
After much discussion, we decided to present monologues written by the University's very own students. Our purpose was to inform our fellow students and community that within the walls of the University, issues regarding sexual- and gender-identity, confusion and self-acceptance, and many other struggles had been overcome or are currently being dealt with. The voices and stories of LGBTQ students at the University are often overlooked and marginalized, but "Live Homosexual Acts" provided the time and space for these stories to finally be heard.
We came up with the title "Live Homosexual Acts" because that's what it would be: live acts about homosexual themes. We realize that the arrangement of those three words made some students uncomfortable. But we offer that nothing about the word "homosexual" means explicit sex. The idea that any organization would host an event promoting public sex is absurd, and the quickness of some individuals to assume so concerns me.
Seventeen stories were sent in to us by writers who we will respect as anonymous. We are inspired that our fellow students took the time and exhibited the courage necessary to put their reality to paper. We did not edit any of the monologues; the 10 actors and actresses -- who were all generous volunteers from the group Grounds for Discussion and QuAA -- were asked to perform the story true to the original form. Some of the writers boldly volunteered to read their own stories themselves, promising this event to be a phenomenal night of honesty and power.
And it truly was.
Queer and Allied Activism was neither condemning nor seeking reconciliation with any religious faith during the performance of "Live Homosexual Acts." The Chapel was chosen as our venue because it can seat 250 people (and in fact this was not enough, forcing people to stand in the back), it is a known and accessible location on Grounds, and it is freely rented for events. In my time at the University, I have attended rock concerts in the Chapel, a cappella concerts in the Chapel and Buddhist Meditation in the Chapel. I have not attended Washington Literary and Debating Meetings or various Greek initiation meetings, but these also occur in the Chapel. Simply said, the Chapel is a University, non-denominational space that is available to all students and CIOs who want to use it. The fact that students disapprove of our event being held in the Chapel because of the queer content is a concern that needs to be addressed by the entire University community.
"Live Homosexual Acts" was a success on many levels. First and foremost, it provided queer individuals the opportunity to write their stories and have them heard by 250 queer and allied members of the University and Charlottesville community. This is an uncommon event -- not only because the opportunity to hold the attention of 250 people is rare, but also because these were stories about a marginalized group of people that lack attention in mainstream affairs.
Secondly, the performance provided the viewers -- whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight -- a chance to learn from their peers at the University. Sharing experiences is one of the most valuable methods to develop and grow; Live Homosexual Acts sparked needed dialogue among attendees about personal encounters with the themes presented. Our aim was for these dialogues to continue within attendees' individual communities in the University and Charlottesville community.
And finally, and most importantly, the event positively asserted the queer community's presence at the University of Virginia. Queer members of the University community felt proud and empowered right alongside and with their allied supporters. I hope all the attendees felt as affirmed as I did when the event came to a close, and I hope we can all look forward to it happening again in the future.
Stephen Leonelli is a third-year in the College of Arts & Sciences and co-president of Queer & Allied Activism.
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