12 Rules of Resistance party celebrates LGBTQ community
There are those who confuse kindness for weakness, while predictions of doom are hardly exclusive to any political breed.
University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson — currently on tour with his postmodernism/Marxism-denouncing, Bible-citing self-help book, 12 Rules for Life — has, with some alarm, famously refused to use pronouns by which some nongender binary people prefer to be referred.
Perhaps that gesture may not seem like a big deal to you, but it exists in an environment where I can’t easily recall headlines where groups of trans kids bully cisgendered children into shame or suicide or, you know, kill them. Feel free to cry “false equivalency” here — keeping in mind Peterson compares an environment of potentially having to use certain words with the rise of historical authoritarian states.
This specifically brings us to the rock and roll dance party put on by Progress Alberta at La Cité francophone on Feb. 11, the same night as Peterson’s Edmonton event. It’s intended to be a joyful celebration of our local LGBTQ community.
Satirically called Free Expression Party: 12 Rules of Resistance, the event features one of the city’s most energetic singers, Cassia Hardy of the band WARES.
“Much to my displeasure, and others, he’s one of the most talked about intellectuals in Canada right now,” Hardy says. “The fact of the matter is he’s coming. What else can we do but organize our own event?
“We’re going to unite on our end and hope that the people who hear this who aren’t already part of the community are coming out.
“Ideally, I want other trans folks like myself to feel super welcome at this event.”
She notes it’s personal: “One of the goals of the alt-right is to move the window of reasonable topics of discussion so far to the right that we as queer and trans people are constantly put on the defensive and resorting to survival tactics. We’re constantly trying to justify our existence.
“I’m not really sure how to move it back. All I can really do is stand up for who I am with my songs and my voice and say I strongly disagree with this man. I disagree with my whole body.”
WARES is currently recording a new single at Edmontone Studio, and is doing a month-long DJ residency at Empress Ale House every Saturday night in February. Holly Greaves drums and Matthew Gooding play bass in the band.
Starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, the
12 Rules of Resistance party will have a comedy set, and after Hardy plays, Hood Joplin will be DJing: “She’ll get everybody dancing, ending the night on an overall positive note.”
Progress Alberta field organizer Batul Gulamhusein notes, at its core: “The point of the party isn’t Peterson — the point is that queer and trans people, racialized people, they’re a really, really integral part of the community. They’re people that we love and care about.
“We’re here, we’re living and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Tickets to the all-ages event are on eventbrite.ca — pay what you can.
STRIKER GETS JUNO NOD
Horns up and huge congrats to Edmonton metal band Striker, which has been nominated for a Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year Juno Award.
Guitarist Timothy Brown noted in a news release Wednesday morning: “We were beyond happy to wake up to the news today that we were nominated. We’re finishing up mixing for the next album as a Juno nomination comes in for the last. Thanks to everyone out there for all the support. It’s been an incredible year and it just keeps getting better.”
The local shred masters are up for their 2017 self-titled album, the band’s fifth after touring Europe and the U.S. Last year, the band won a Western Canadian Music Award, an Edmonton Music Award and the Edmonton Music Prize for 2016.
The Junos will be held in Vancouver on March 25.