Cyborg Manifesto

(From the files of the Museo del Barrio in New York City, courtesy of intern extraordinaire Carolyn Chin Choy! Wow is all I can say. . .)

I am blown away by the resurgence of the past. . . because Guillermo Gómez-Peña has been there since 1992, my 500th year anniversary of being a cyborg in love (with Roberto Sifuentes, of course). . .

I remember this Saturday afternoon quite distinctly. I met the Village Voice film critic C. Carr at the exhibit. We spoke of, oh, I don't know what. . . the Anthology Film Archives? Paris Is Burning? Mexican performance art?

I love how I fall into performative trances with Guillermo. I love that this one was documented, lost and found (like I am found and lost again). Muy poético, un círculo à la Mircea Eliade, por no decir Richard Brautigan. I love how Carolyn (who was my Spanish student at Fordham, Lincoln Center campus) found this and found me on Facebook!

I love it. I love it. I. . . siento. (¡Viva la Pocha Nostra!)

Michigan Latina/o Studies Silver Symposium, Oct 29-31

You're Invited!
Latina/o Studies Silver Symposium

Past, Present, and Future of the Discipline
Latina and Latino Studies Program in the Program in American Culture
University of Michigan

Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ann Arbor, MI

Thursday, October 29
Location: 1014 Tisch Hall

4:00 - 5:15pm
Welcome by Dean Terrence McDonald with Address by George J. Sánchez and Ruth Behar

Friday, October 30
Michigan League

9 – 10:30
Mundo de los Recuerdos: Exploring the History of Michigan’s Latina/o Studies Program
Panel: John Chávez, Hector Delgado, Silvia Pedraza, Margarita De la Vega-Hurtado, Eliana Moya Raggio

10:45 – 12:15pm
Where is the Latino Past in the Future?: Trends in Latino/a History and Historiography
Panel: Natalia Molina, Adrián Burgos, Jr., Daniel Ramírez, Pablo Mitchell

1:15 – 2:45
Latino USA?: Politics, Populations, and the Face of the Nation
Panel: Fernando Guerra, Neil Foley, Rodolfo Rosales, Frances Aparicio

3:00 – 4:30
Give Me that Latin Beat: Latinos Make Culture
Panel: Colin Gunckel, Anthony Macías, Yeidy Rivero, Margarita De la Vega-Hurtado

4:30 – 6:00
New Latino/a Histories: Graduate Student Panel
Panel: Aaron Cavin, Christina Abreu, Emma Amador, Isabela Quintana

7:15 – 9:00 pm
Current Films on Latino Issues with Stephanie Alvarez
Location: UMMA

Saturday, October 31:
Michigan League

9 – 10:30
Consuming Latinos: Trends in Latino Cultural Studies
Panel: Lucía Suárez, Jillian Baez, Amy Sara Carroll, Stephanie Alvarez

10:45 – 12:15pm
Sexing it Up: New Approaches to Latino Sexualities
Panel: Jossianna Arroyo, Larry La Fountain, Danny Méndez

1:15 – 2:45
Social Science, Migration, and Latino Lives: Graduate Student Panel
Panel: Kristine Molina, Erik Morales, Sandra Gutierrez

3:00 – 4:30
Taking it to the Streets: Bridging the Gap Between the Academy and the Community
Panel: Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Rosa Rosales, Catherine Benamou, Silvia Pedraza

6:15 – 7:00
Address by Ruth Behar to Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center
Location: Palmer Commons

For more information, contact Anthony Mora (apmora@umich.edu) .

Erika Lopez!!!!! Video of The Welfare Queen!!!

This is awesome!

Queer Ricans in Ann Arbor! Wednesday, Oct 7 at 7 pm

Hope you can join us for this fun event!

SH\aut\ Cabaret and Gallery
325 Braun Court
Across from the \aut\ Bar
Ann Arbor, Michigan
734-663-0036

Event sponsored by Common Language Bookstore
http://glbtbooks.com/

Queer Ricans in the Bronx! Thursday Oct 22, 8 pm

Thursday, October 22,
2009
at 8pm
Admission: Free
Barrier-Breaking Boricuas
QUEER RICANS
Scholar and cultural warrior
Lawrence La Fountain-
Stokes discusses his new
book, Queer Ricans: Cultures
and Sexualities in the
Diaspora, and shares the
work of his subjects
including choreographer
Arthur Aviles, visual artist
Erika Lopez and writer
Manuel Ramos Otero and
many other groundbreaking
queer Puerto Ricans.
Followed by a book signing.

BAAD!
Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance
841 Barretto Street, Bronx, NY 10474

Take #6 train to Hunts Point Avenue. Cross under
Bruckner Expwy to 1st block (Garrison Ave.).
Make right on Garrison and go 2 blocks to Barretto
Street. Make left on Barretto Street to
841 Barretto in the middle of the block, right hand side,
large warehouse, red door.

718-842-5223

www.BronxAcademyOfArtsAndDance.org

The Journey of Queer Ricans - Feast of Fun #1064

Every year thousands of Puerto Ricans emigrate from the the Island of Puerto Rico to other parts of the world in search of a better life. Their quest mirrors that of many queer folks who travel from their hometowns to other places to express their identity.

But with modern times, we see that this type of travel isn’t always a one way trip and now we see people are living the life they want in their hometown or anywhere they choose.

On today’s show we’re talking to the ever giddy and delightful Larry La Fountain-Stokes, professor of queer studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His new book Queer Ricans-Cultures and Sexualities in the Diaspora, explores the cultural expression of Puerto Rican queerness and how sexuality has shaped and defined the Puerto Rican experience in the United States.

In his book Larry examines the lives of queer artists of the 60s through the present day whose work is flavored by their Puerto Rican-ness, whether living on the island or in major urban Puerto Rican communities.

Listen as we discuss how Puerto Ricans’ love of the derriere has influenced American culture by giving the backside the respect and admiration it so greatly deserves.

Does gay American culture overly sexualize or fetishize Puerto Rican men? Is there anything wrong with that?

To listen go to: http://tinyurl.com/yeu8k7g

Feast of Fun Show #1064 - 09.28.09

http://www.feastoffools.net/gay-fun-show/2009/09/28/fof-1064-the-journey-of-queer-ricans-092809/

IRN-AFRICA Conference 2009: Genders and Sexualities in Africa

IRN-AFRICA Conference 2009:
Genders
 &
 Sexualities 
in 
Africa:
Opportunities 
and 
Challenges 
in 
the 
21st 
Century
Hosted by Empire State College, Central New York Center, Syracuse, NY, U.S.A.
October 1st through October 3rd, 2009


The International Resource Network in Africa (IRN-Africa) aims to link people doing research (both academic and community based) in areas related to gender and sexuality in Africa. We promote international communication and exchange through scholarship to expand knowledge building, foster comparative and collaborative projects among researchers, advance curricular and course development, and widen the availability of scholarly resources.


The IRN-Africa 2009 conference will bring together researchers, activists and thinkers whose intellectual work and political engagement are centered around issues of gender and sexuality, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered (LGBTQ) peoples in Africa and the Diaspora. The conference seeks to explore new opportunities arising from the internalization of research on sexualities in Africa, new challenges we are encountering in the 21st century, and new partnerships drawing from our diverse experiences in the Diaspora. Presenters include scholars, public intellectuals, and artists whose work defines new critical pathways to constructing a utilitarian and collective knowledge about sexuality, gender, society, and human agency.



The International Research Network in Africa (IRN-Africa) is funded by the Ford Foundation and works in partnership with Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York City University of New York (CUNY) in the United States of America. Empire State College (SUNY) is generously hosting the second meeting of IRN-Africa in Syracuse, NY, with paper presentations taking place Thursday, October 1st through Saturday, October 3rd. The conference is open to the public, and will include an art reception featuring Zanele Muholi’s photographic essay, “Faces & Phases, 2006-2009”, on Friday, October 2nd at 6:00pm. More info here.



Scholars will present papers as a panel within the following topical areas. (For a complete list of papers, please visit our website)

Women & Desire

Artistic Interventions: sexuality, art & media

Sexuality in Africa: Queer Methods

Sexuality & Human Rights

HIV/AIDS: culture and activism

Queering Religious Discourses

Queer Identities in Africa & the Diaspora

To register for the paper presentations please visit our website