Composing Cultures: Queer Women Writers Speak About Diversity

Composing Cultures: Queer Women Writers Speak About Diversity

The San Francisco LGBT Community Center’s Latino Forum presents a panel discussion featuring queer women writers and journalists on Wednesday July 26th, 2006, 6pm – 8pm at The Center. Panelists will share pieces of their work and their personal stories. They will also take questions from community members during a brief Q&A session.

Featured Panelists include:

Kebo Drew, award-winning poet, dancer, and writer whose focus is the African Diaspora in the Americas. Kebo has co-presented workshops about art & activism and she developed the workshop "Rhythm & Resistance: Art IS Social Justice (Activism for Communities of Color)" at the 2005 Creating Change Conference.

Meliza Bañales is the author of Girl with the Glass Throat, and she is also the first Latina on the west coast to win a poetry slam championship --- the 2002 Oakland Grand Slam.

Cindy Emch is a published poet and queer community builder. Her poetry has been published in Lodestar Quarterly and she is the founder, co-host and curator of Queer Open Mic, an open mic dedicated to giving people a safe space to share art.

Hailing from Los Angeles, Irina Contreras is a visual artist, writer and all-around shitstarter. She is currently acting as this year’s Editor in Chief for LOUDmouth Magazine, as well as having wrote for Clamor Magazine, various websites, and zines.

“Composing Cultures offers our community a great opportunity to continue this important and vital dialogue.” said Roberto Ordeñana, director of community programs for The Center. “This presentation also serves as a great springboard, as The Center’s Latino Forum tackles issues of immigration and marriage equality later this year.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.sfcenter.org or contact The Center’s Latino Forum at latinoforum@yahoo.com.

About The Center’s Latino Forum:
The Center’s Latino Forum is an all-volunteer group of community members who strive to provide a platform for the Latino/a LGBT Community. Rooted in its Latino/a heritage and queer pride, the group works to foster unity and advancement through educational, cultural, social, political, and leadership development activities.

About the San Francisco LGBT Community Center:
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center, formed in 1993, is the nexus of the LGBT community in the Bay Area, offering facilities, a central location in San Francisco and vibrant programs in arts and culture, health and wellness, community and policy initiatives and economic development in all parts of our community. The Center serves over 9,000 visitors and hosts more than 400 events each month. Visit The Center at www.sfcenter.org for a full schedule.