Nowadays, with all of the constant shunning and intolerance, it’s hard for anyone to find their voice, let alone share that voice for an audience to hear. To fix this silent epidemic, Youth Speaks, in partnership with the 15th Annual Queer Arts Festival, is presenting Queeriosity.
The objective of Queeriosity is to offer a safe environment for LGBTQ youth to showcase their often unheard voices to open ears through spoken word. Since the introduction of Queeriosity in 1999, young people have shared their views on various topics that surface and demand attention in the LGBTQ community, from identity to acceptance. The showcase, which takes place on June 15 in San Francisco, will feature 15 to 20 performers; consisting of LGBTQ youth as well as allies and supporters. These poets will perform completely original piece that were written during an extensive and powerful workshop, hosted and instructed by experienced mentors.
Queeriosity, in a few words, is inspiring, innovative, and groundbreaking. It gives young people that are rarely heard an audience that cares, an audience that accepts, and an audience that wants to help them change the world’s view. And though it’s fairly new, Queeriosity has already grabbed the attention of listeners all over the bay area. It has been described as “a vehicle for an empowered, evolving cohort of LGBTQ youth.”
This year will mark Queeriosity’s 15th year of breaking the silence. A more in depth video with interviews with past poets can be seen below.
