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COMMUNITY & SOLIDARITY STATEMENTS

Queer Women of Color Community Statement

QWOCMAP prioritizes queer women of color in our work, including our Filmmaker Training Program and our annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival. We serve this community first and foremost and honor its dynamism and constant growth. We recognize the important role our allies play in supporting our community and in celebrating the incredible work of our QWOCMAP Filmmakers. We welcome our supporters to attend all events and screenings during our Queer Women of Color Film Festival.

If you are a queer woman of color, we kindly ask that you prioritize yourself by arriving to Film Festival events early. Our highly popular and free screenings usually fill to capacity, in which case we must turn away those who arrive late. We strictly adhere to our first-come-first-serve policy as a fair and equal system of admission, and we strictly observe the Brava Theater Center’s fire safety codes so that we can all enjoy this fine venue.

Our greatest desire is to see you at the Film Festival, after all, YOU are what QWOCMAP’s programming is all about! Please value your own time and get to the theater early. These sexy, kick-ass films are truly worth it.

Solidarity Statement: Transgender & Gender Queer Communities of Color
QWOCMAP stands in solidarity with transgender, gender queer, two-spirit, gender nonconforming, intersex and queer people of color. We are resolute in our commitment to all members of our multi-faceted, vibrant communities in fighting oppression through art and activism. We are dedicated to the creation, exhibition and distribution of films that explore the dynamic experiences of all gender identities and gender expressions. We work in collaboration to face common challenges and collectively honor all of the groundbreaking artistic, cultural, spiritual, and political work that continues to expand and influence radical change and social justice.

Transgender, genderqueer, two-spirit, gender nonconforming and intersex queer people of color are welcome and included in our Filmmaker Training Program. In 2005, we conducted a Filmmaker Training Program workshop specifically dedicated to queer people of color on the Butch-FTM spectrum and we showcased these films at our Queer Women of Color Film Festival. In Fall 2010, we offered a workshop focused on Gender & Gender identity and Sex, Sexism & Sexuality.

QWOCMAP’s community of Filmmakers, Board, Staff, Volunteers and Community Partners relies on the leadership of gender non-conforming, genderqueer and transgender people of color just as our social justice movements need the voices and visions of our sisters, brothers and sibsters. We are committed to forging partnerships in the spirit of community growth, cross-pollination and social justice.

Environmental Justice

We intimately understand that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of environmental pollution and injustice.

As the Queer Women of Color Film Festival grows, we continue our steadfast commitment to sustainable and earth-friendly practices by recycling and composting for all of our events. Our goal is zero waste. We encourage the use of refillable water bottles, and provide a water station to fill them. We offer composting, recycling and trash stations. We provide compostable cups, utensils, plates and napkins. For the past three years, we have maintained an average of 97% diversion rate. Please help us uphold our commitment to a sustainable and healthy environment by following disposal protocols at Film Festival events.

Delicious Heritages

We believe that food nourishes both the body and the soul. In celebration of the vital role that food plays in our communities, cultures, and histories, we offer a free reception of delectable delights before each screening. We honor the sacredness of food at our events and screenings by paying special attention to food quality and collaborating with supportive local vendors who donate to our Queer Women of Color Film Festival. We provide as great of a variety as we can, including vegetarian, vegan and wheat-free options whenever possible. Throughout history, our communities have developed recipes using a variety of ingredients to create dishes that would sustain us. We acknowledge the history of these foods, and though we may substitute components that are now deemed "healthier", we accept our traditional foods as vital to our cultural heritage and memories.

Bodies

We honor bodies of all shapes, sizes and abilities and work diligently to accommodate the diverse and significant needs that exist in our communities. We value healing, health and wellness in our communities. QWOCMAP strives to create vibrant, multi-faceted and inclusive events. As we cannot anticipate all needs, we encourage audience and community members to contact us at least two weeks in advance of any particular event with specific requests for accommodations. We will do all that we can to create welcoming, respectful and fantastic spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Healthy At Every Size

Human bodies can be healthy at every size. QWOCMAP focuses on the overall well-being of our community and knows that good health is achieved independent of size. Therefore, we think about pleasurable activities, self-acceptance of our abilities and beauty, and eating food that is good for us and good to us.

Disability Justice

The QWOCMAP community encompasses people with disabilities and chronic illnesses among our Staff, Board, Festival Team, volunteers, Community Partners and Filmmakers. We acknowledge that ending ableism and striving for disability justice is an ongoing process.

We provide seating for those who need to sit rather than stand for long periods or need to be seated inside. If this is you, please roll/walk to the front doors and speak with Security.

We respect community members who are environmentally at-risk and sensitive to strong chemicals and scents by using earth-friendly cleaning supplies and avoiding strong fragrances. Please help us by avoiding scented-products (perfumes, fragranced body products) and leaving your pets (except service animals) at home. For those who, like us, have severe sensitivities, we have a scent-free section in our theater. Those with service animals will be seated in a different section, so as not to cause allergic reactions in others.

Currently, QWOCMAP is hard at work to find funding so that we can caption our films for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. When we do this, we will provide ASL interpretation for all of our opening remarks and Q&A sessions. Please bear with us as we work on bringing the films to you!



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