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Jaqi Sparro - Ships In The Night full set

Last weekend, Jaqi Sparro played a queer party in SF, Ships In The Night, while I photographed the event (photos up soon!). Tag teaming, we tried to hype the night starting with her opening set. There was a surprisingly good turn out for 9:30pm, and a ton of people came up to me to give her props during the set. Later in the evening, I led my second roof-top twerkshop in the “vip” area of the 2 story venue. The amount of trap and twerk pyramids hitting this oakland party got the babes hype.

Take a listen and download the set, SO DANK.

We hope to throw down more Browntourage love at our sisters’ events all across the bay <3

02

Apr. '13

browntourage:

Browntourage presents: BORNTORAGE VOL. I

We officially have a mixtape series launched by our good friend, J^qi Sp^rro! The levels on this mix are literally off the charts and showcase what we love about Sp^rro’s eclectic aesthetic— hard, edgy, subtle transitions, and interplay with refined minimal beats. We enter the trap, graduate to the VIP lounge, take a trip down memory lane and exit through the cloud rap. You are now trapt in the House of Sp^rro, and you ain’t even mad.

Give the set some love and look out for big things from J^qi Sp^rro by way of an EP and collaborative art projects with us.

16

Mar. '13

kelseymmiddlebrook:

“A Women’s Charm is Fifty Percent and Illusion,” 2013. Acrylic on velvet with gold frame.

NEW TO KONVERSATION:

Equinox ft. Yetunde Olagbaju

March 20th marks this year’s equinox, the day where the sun lights exactly half the earth and teeters the cusp of Picses and Aries. In 2597 it will be the Age of Aquarius. March 20th is also annual Storytelling Day — the theme this year was Fate and Fortune. In reflection of these facts, we are happy to present Yetunde’s work alongside our own in Konversation.

Currently Yetunde is working on a project called the “AUTHENTICITY PROJECT” that explores the authenticity of emotions and the trauma that happens in everyday life.

“One thing I’m working on is getting audio clips of people dealing with or narrating instances of trauma/emotion for an audio/photo installation project I’m working on — exploring the way we process and cope with sadness and how technology has made it easier for us to empathize/connect with others but, in the same breath, has made us unable to handle raw emotions with ease and quick to question authenticity of negative emotions.

To me, and quite possibly many others, the expression of emotions (i.e., sadness, loss, grief, fear, loneliness, happiness, contentment, joy, pride) has within the last decade been met with skepticism and doubt. I attribute this to the ease with which one can connect with others via social networks and technological advances.

With this project I hope to explore how sound, story telling, placement in our respective timelines, and authenticity come to play in how we empathize and address each others’ fragility and fortitude.”

If you would like to contribute please contact: olagbajuy [at] gmail.com

#FF- we love Yetunde’s drag and creative work @ oknoyes.tumblr.com

22

Feb. '13

browntourage:

LOL YUP, it HAD to happen: People in Harlem SCHOOOOOOL the Harlem Shake.

I love this video! Finally people putting in to words like “HI LET ME USE SOMETHING FROM YOUR CULTURE FOR JOKES AND PAGEHITS AND COMPLETELY STRIP IT OF SWAG AND RESPECT CUZ I REALLY NEED TO MAKE THIS EDM SONG/PARODY VIDEO FOR PEOPLE WHO ONLY KNOW TRAP AS A DANCE CLUB.”

p.s. they touch on the way I feel about all appropriation in high fashion or music from minority or underground cultures AKA “the white man paid offa alla that”

p.p.s. I can’t find the Azealia Banks remake of the Harlem Shake! Holler at her reclaiming- but its very hot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IGH2HEgWppc

06

Feb. '13

"Browntourage" knows what's up! Follow them!

10

Jan. '13

I am not Haraam: Queer Muslim Masterpost

strawberreli:

This post pretty much came about because I was asked if I had resources for Muslims who were discovering or newly coming to terms with their sexuality. I didn’t, and the poor advice I had to offer was … poor. So, I pulled up a few of the blogs I followed that are targeted…

11

Jan. '12

Queer as a tool of colonial oppression/FUCK Israel’s gay rights PR

All right, my life in SF’s Castro hit a brick wall for me today in the form of Israeli gay rights propaganda.

I recently read the essay, “Queer” As A Tool Of Colonial Oppression: The Case Of Israel/palestine, by Blair Kuntz. Please read it!

FIRST AND FOREMOST, to preface my thoughts which are manically listed out below, Israel is not gay friendly! The city of Tel Aviv has a couple gay clubs. Israel is much larger than Tel Aviv. And even those clubs are only open at night. So what Israel should be saying is that it is a gay oasis at night, and if you’re saying it’s okay to be out and about at night, you might as well be saying it’s okay to be out and about in a closet.

1) Palestine is not queer-friendly: “You sexual identity develops at the expense of you Palestinian identity.”
http://youtu.be/3BwjQr8v2FY

2) Tel Aviv is spending millions marketing itself as queer-friendly: “Tel Aviv has always been known as a gay-friendly place”
Israel’s gay PR campaign

3) Gay Palestinians fear Islam and believe they must escape their culture: “Islam denounces homosexuality as a sin, and many Palestinians deny it exists in their midst. Israel, which decriminalized sodomy in 1987, is considered among the more liberal of societies when it comes to gay rights.”
http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/palestine/psnews003.htm
‎”At the bath houses of Tel Aviv, “Rani” finds anonymity and sometimes a free buffet. And there is always the chance of meeting an Israeli or a rich tourist who will offer his hotel room for a few nights, no questions asked.”

4) Queers who do not support Israel are antagonized by the Queer community:
http://www.queerty.com/if-youre-gay-and-support-palestine-you-also-hate-jews-20090929/
And yes, I am insinuating that porn stars delineate the one-track mind of the Israeli queer-dom, since for the majority of Arab queers, internet porn is the key that unlocks their sexuality. Queer Arabs must learn how to be gay alongside Israeli propaganda, a fault that can be attributed to, if not undermines, Islam’s homophobia.

4.5) That said, even though queers may attempt to denounce Israel, that doesn’t change that it is on their own terms, and not coming from the Palestinian community, which only furthers disregard for Palestinians appreciation of their queer brethren, whether or not it is sincere. http://www.queerty.com/wait-so-palestine-is-gay-friendlier-than-israel-now-20091012/

5) To reiterate (2) from an individual pro-Israel perspective: “In Israel, gays live openly and happily in a free and liberal society.” Yes, so the marketing works.
http://zombietime.com/sf_rally_september_24_2005/queers_for_palestine/

6) Queers still stand in solidarity with Palestine, independent of religious affiliations: http://queersagainstapartheid.org/who/
Video: http://youtu.be/wNV6QkRtj3A (This was previously posted on my blog)

7) Israel has the queer world in an iron cage full of self-righteous rationalizations to overlook Palestinian suffering because we are supposed to be gay-hating savages. However, the walls that Israel put up did not count on a population of Palestinians that are also queer. Queer Palestinians exist. So please take one step back from supporting Israel on the grounds of “Israel is a gay oasis in a sea of ignorance.”

So my gay-pali-comic-nerd-food-art blog is over, but PLEASE do not stop researching Palestinian rights!

On that note, good bye! =^.^=

07

Jan. '12

For my final post on this blog, I have decided to advertise my incredibly talented friend’s new song. Her voice is majestic, and I love the lyrics. The other musicians are also very talented. I hope you all give her video a few minutes of your time because I absolutely love it!

Good bye, tumblr!