1
QOZY QUEER BONANZA EVENT ZINE Created by: the Event Planning Committee Formatted by: Elijah Garrard
2
Day 1 Event Schedule: Saturday, December 5th (in PST)
1:00pm: Introductions on Zoom
1:30pm: Minecraft Server Opens
1:30pm: Zine Coloring Contest Starts on Discord
2:30pm: Guest Speaker Marsha Botzer
3:30pm: Short LGTBQ Trivia Game with Prize
4:00pm: Open Mic on Zoom
4:30pm: Game Hour
4:45pm: Art Contest Judging Begins
5:00pm: Art Contest Winner Announce on Discord
5:30pm: Event Reflections on Zoom
6:00pm: Event Ends
3
● Speaker Introductions - 2 ● Event Planning Committee Leaders and Members - 3 ● Arts, Crafts, and Activities ○ Pinecone Succulent Craft - 4 ○ Queer Icons Playlist - 5 ○ Coloring Contest Rules - 6 ○ Coloring Page for Coloring Contest - 7 ○ Word Search - 8 ● Inspirational Pieces on LGBTQ+ icons ○ Willow Smith - 9 ○ Queer Icon Portraits - 10 ○ Janet Mock - 11 ● Recipes ○ Oven Smores - 13 ○ Instant Hot Cocoa - 14 ○ Cranberry Skillet Cake - 15 ○ Spiced Pumpkin Pie - 16 ● Speaker Notes Section - 18 ● Concluding Thoughts - 20
4
Here’s a little bit about our brilliant speakers! To learn more, come to their speaking events. (See the event website for the Zoom links).
Raven Two Feathers (he/they):
Bio: Raven Two Feathers is a Two Spirit, Emmy award winning filmmaker. Being intertribal only encourages exploration of indigenous roots, wherever they go. They recently graduated magna cum laude from Santa Fe University of Art & Design with a BFA in Film Production. They produce and direct film and other media projects, working with a naturally diverse cast and crew along the way. They also enjoy hand drumming, playing video games, and paddling. He has had past experiences with Lambert House and says going to Pink Prom back in high school showed them the comfort of being accepted as who they were and they’re excited to return to share my experiences of growing into and realizing who he is in a bid to help others find their path.
Speaking at: 2:30-3:30 PM on Sunday, December 6th, 2020
Marsha Botzer (she/her/hers):
Bio: Ms. Botzer is a longtime pioneer in transgender activism who founded the Ingersoll Gender Center in Seattle, which has held weekly support groups for 41 years. She has been on the board of several local LGBTQ advocacy organizations, even Lambert House! She has been a co-chair for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and for the Obama Pride Campaign. (Source: The Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project website). She completed her transition in a time when it was a stigmatized topic and a dangerous action. I (David) was lucky enough to hear Ms. Botzer speak at a virtual event at my university’s Gender Justice Center. She spoke about her personal stories, the Ingersoll Gender Center from the time when the support groups met in the library to what it is now, and the similarities and differences between transgender activism in its early years and now. (Fun fact: She named the Ingersoll Gender Center after one of her professors).
Speaking at: 2:30-3:30 PM on Saturday, December 5th, 2020
5
Renee Infelise (she/her/hers) - Committee Leader
Brandon Knox (he/him/his) - Committee Leader, Lambert House Program Director
Elle H. (they/them/their) - Youth Member
Koschei (he/him/his) - Youth Member
Angela G. (they/them/their) - Youth Member: “Hello! I’m a queer Filipino student and artist in Seattle grateful to be volunteering with the Lambert house in planning the virtual event! I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in environmental studies but when I’m not around soil or water I’m passionate about culture and dance/music/art of all styles. I hope everyone has a fun experience!”
Felix A. (he/him/his) - Youth Member: “Hi! I’ve had a really great time on this committee helping plan the virtual event and drawing a few portraits for this zine. I love art (especially theatre), but I’m actually majoring in Adventure/Outdoor Management at uni and love spending time outside. I’m really grateful for having the chance to be a part of this planning committee, and I hope everyone has a great time!”
Georgia D.(she/they) - Youth Member: “Hello! I am an indigenous queer high school student and I enjoy making music and taking photos. I have always been immersed in activism and realized I was queer at a young age, so when I moved to Seattle I was excited to get involved with Lambert House! My part in this event was largely working on the zine in the Communications subcommittee and coordinating with one of the speakers to get them on board.”
Robin (she/her/hers) - Youth Member: “Hi! I developed some of the recipes and helped with planning the zine! I am a thoroughly queer high school student and I love music! I play a bunch of instruments and I'm on a quest to write the perfect love song! I also love cooking and baking, and I am looking forward to winter when I can wear a massive coat everywhere! I am super thankful to be working with Lambert House to help people have good experiences during this strange time.”
Jada (she/her/hers) - Youth Member: “Hiya! I drew the cover and back of the zine and some of the details here and there (looking at you, pinecone), and it’s been real fun working with the Lambert House. Being bisexual and from a small town, doing this has been a very rewarding experience!”
David S. (he/him/his) - Youth Member: “Hi everyone! I was on the Communications subcommittee for this event and worked on zine content and writing rules for various activities.
6
I’m a freshman in college studying Computer Science, and I regularly participate in Lambert House online groups. I’m glad that, by participating in this committee, I can give back a tiny bit of what Lambert House has given to me.”
Learn how to make a faux succulent, discover queer music, participate in the event coloring contest with a chance at winning gift cards, and keep yourself occupied with a word search.
Pinecone Succulent Craft If you, like us, are a connoisseur of the gay little plants known as succulents, you know how fun they are to take care of. If you don’t have a green thumb, this tutorial will show you how to make adorable faux succulents that will last all year long!
You will need: Pine Cones (all kinds work!!!) Acrylic Paint A Rugged Pair of Scissors Paintbrush
1. Go for a walk and find some pinecones near your house! If you’d prefer to stay in, craft stores and sites sell pinecones by the bag, just look at the floral section! 2. Using the scissors, cut the pinecone in half, or don’t. Many pinecones would be a little too big if they weren’t trimmed down a bit, but some pinecones are about the size of a grape, so use your best judgement. If you are going to cut them, try to cut them only once, as clean as you can. You can use the bottoms, they look like succulents too! 3. Paint. Use any colors you want, but if you want them to look like real succulents, paint once with a darker color, and highlight with a lighter color. Cool blues and greens are always a safe bet.
7
4. Show them off! They may look even more convincing if you place them in a miniature flower pot, but regardless of how you choose to display them, there is no doubt they will be fantastic.
Queer Icon Playlist
Scan the QR code below to access a Spotify playlist that’s full of music by queer icons, both lesser known and well known queer artists!
Make this playlist on your own platform:
1. Eugene by Arlo Parks 2. Francis Forever by Mitski 3. Graceland Too by Phoebe Bridgers 4. Wait a Minute! by WILLOW 5. I Don’t Have You In My Life by Black Belt Eagle Scout 6. Honey by Kehlani 7. they/them by atlas 8. White Knuckles by Maris 9. Bite The Hand by Boygenius 10. If Only by Raveena 11. Starman by David Bowie 12. Persephone by Sidney Gish 13. My Heart Is Buried In Venice by Ricky Montgomery 14. Manta Rays by Chloe Moriondo 15. Kiss by Pale Waves 16. Helen of Troy by Palmer St. Clair 17. Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae 18. U.N.I.T.Y. by Queen Latifah 19. Wake up Exhausted by Tegan and Sara
8
Coloring Contest Rules
To participate in our coloring contest, color in the line art on the next page however you want and submit according to these rules:
1. You may print out the zine and color in the line art using any kind of media (pastels, colored pencils, paint, etc.) or by coloring a digital copy using digital art. Feel free to also “color outside the lines” and add to the page however you like! 2. The contest will go from 1:30-4:45 PM on Saturday, December 5th, 2020. You may submit your art on Discord by 4:45 PM. 3. The categories for winners are: most creative, most skilled art. 4. Winners will be decided by event participants voting. Voting will start when all pieces have been submitted at 4:45 PM on Saturday, December 5th, 2020 and will end at 5:00 PM. Participants will vote for the winner in each category by reacting to the art submission with an emoji that corresponds to each category. 5. A gift card will be awarded to the winner of each category. The winners can provide their addresses by email to Brandon ([email protected]), who will allow each person to choose the gift card they want and send each person the gift card of their choice by mail.
9
10
Keep your brain in shape with a word search containing cozy, fall- and winter- themed words as well as some LGBTQ+ historical figures!
11
We’ve chosen two phenomenal LGBTQ+ icons to write short pieces about in the hopes that you would find their stories inspiring, find role models, and feel more confident about yourself as an LGBTQ+ youth. We hope that it will lift your spirits and bring you hope to read about Willow Smith and Janet Mock, as well as looking at portraits of other queer icons and guessing who they might be!
Willow Smith (by Georgia):
Today I will be talking about a personal favorite of mine, Willow Smith. They are a non-binary, bisexual, black musical artist who is mostly known for their songs “Whip My Hair” and “Wait A Minute”. They are 20 years old and the child of Will Smith, which is where most may know them from.
To start off, let’s talk about their music. They have released three solo albums and one with their significant other, Tyler Cole, by their band, The Anxiety. They make songs talking about social issues, love, exploring your identity, and so forth. Their music is mostly experimental pop and alternative R&B. They have made many collabs, some of which were with popular artists like Nicki Minaj and SZA - granted, this whole time Willow was quite young.
Willow has always been vocal about topics like equality, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, and mental health awareness, in person but mainly on their social media. They’ve always been very bold in their personality and appearance, some would say. Both Willow and Jaden, their brother, like to present gender non-conforming and push boundaries. They had always been “different” by societal standards and Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow’s mom, had recalled getting “mom-shamed” for letting her kids express themselves differently than most.
Willow has done quite a bit in their career despite the world not being built for people like them and should be proof to everyone that you can do it. Anyway, stream their music!!
12
Queer Icon Portraits: Can you guess who these three queer icons, depicted in these detailed portraits by Felix, are? (Answers are at the bottom of the Janet Mock piece).
13
Portrait by Felix
Janet Mock (by David):
In 2020, it’s high time for some happy news. How about the story of an inspirational Black transgender female role model? Look no further than Janet Mock. Mock is a prominent transgender activist and public figure. She has made history as the first transgender woman of color both to direct and write a TV show and to sign a deal to produce content for a major company (Alexander).
Mock finished her transition in college, and after receiving her master’s degree in journalism in 2006, she had been working for People Magazine. She gained notoriety when, in 2011, having heard about the high suicide rates for transgender youth, she shared her story publicly as encouragement. She also contributed a video to the It Gets Better project. In 2012, she started the #GirlsLikeUs movement to give a voice to transgender women. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Arcus Foundation, working as an LGBTQ rights advocate. Mock has also worked in many areas of media, including as a producer of the documentary The Trans List, at Entertainment Tonight, at Marie Claire (where her coming-out story was published), and even as a host at MSNBC (Alexander).
In 2014, she released her memoir Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, which received a lot of notoriety because it was the first autobiography written by a young transgender person. The book became a New York Times bestseller, and Mock was interviewed by Oprah and many others. In 2017, she wrote her second book Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me (Alexander). Mock gave a powerful speech at the first Women’s March in 2017 about how the women’s movement should be intersectional and that we should hold each other accountable. ““Our approach to freedom need not be identical, but it must be intersectional and inclusive. It must extend beyond ourselves” My liberation is directly … linked to the liberation of the undocumented trans Latina yearning for refuge” (Lambert).
14
So, on that note, it makes me feel hopeful that, throughout her years as an activist, Mock has been honored by women’s rights organizations such as the Ms. Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and Feminist Press. It makes me feel hopeful that she appeared in the “Power of Women” list in Variety Magazine, as well as many other lists of successful and influential people (Alexander).
In 2018, when she started writing scripts for the TV series POSE, she became the first transgender woman of color to write and direct a TV show. She also made a deal with Netflix to write content for their website, making her the first transgender woman of color to do so for a major company (Alexander). This year, she worked on the Netflix series Hollywood, in which she portrayed a Hollywood where queer people and people of color thrived (Drew).
Having had the honor to write about a queer icon for this zine, I was browsing the Internet for influential figures, and I came across Janet Mock’s name. And I remembered reading Redefining Realness in 2015, during my first few months of living as a boy. Before I transitioned, the media I consumed didn’t represent transgender people very well. On an old TV show I used to watch, trans women were treated as jokes. The word “transsexual” was said with disgust, and then the laugh track played. It was a stigmatized word. So, Janet Mock had been a great example of a successful openly transgender person, and I’m really glad she’s out there to be the same to the generation of transgender children after me.
Reading Mock’s story now, I admire her bravery for opening up about her transition, given America’s statistics on the murders of trans people every year. She could have continued living stealth, but she chose to come out for the representation that both my generation and that next generation of transgender children needed.
I am also reminded of the common experiences that unite people of different identities. In Redefining Realness, I remember Mock discussing how she moved around a lot as a kid, and so did I. She too had known at a young age that she was transgender (Drew). So, despite their transitions being in opposite directions, there can be a lot of shared experiences between transgender women and men – and within the broader LGBTQ community. Personally, these shared experiences help me to be a better women’s ally and bring me closer to the rest of my community.
Works Cited in MLA format
Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Janet Mock.” National Women's History Museum, 2019, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/janet-mock. Lambert, Michael. “Janet Mock Calls for Intersectional Resistance at Women's March.” Advocate, Advocate.com, 22 Jan. 2017, www.advocate.com/politics/2017/1/22/janet-mock-calls-intersectional-resistance-womens -march. Drew, Kimberly. “Janet Mock: Up-Front and Unafraid.” Marie Claire, Marie Claire, 11 Aug. 2020, www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a33503552/janet-mock-interview-2020/. (Answers for Queer Icon Portraits page: Top left: Billy Porter, top right: Ian Alexander, bottom: Alison Bechdel.)
15
Enjoy and savor these delectable, cozy, fall- and winter-themed recipes to keep you warm while you’re at home.
Oven S’mores As much as we would like to roast marshmallows over a roaring fire at home, we aren’t particularly interested in burning anything down. So, we’ve adapted this s’mores recipe for the home oven!
You will need:
● Graham crackers ● Marshmallows ● Chocolate ● Cookie sheet ● Parchment
1. Move the oven rack to the highest position it can go, and preheat your oven to 350 F, be sure to turn on the broiler. This is how we are going to achieve a glassy, brown marshmallow sans campfire. 2. On a cookie sheet, place a piece of parchment and lay down graham crackers, then chocolate, then marshmallow. The parchment isn’t necessary, but if you use some, you don’t have to clean the sheet tray after! Always a bonus. 3. Broil the marshmallows until browned to your liking. This could take 1-5 minutes depending on the strength of your oven’s broiler. For us, it took 2 minutes, but if you have a powerful oven, it may only take a few seconds. The key is to watch them like a hawk, you can even brown them with the oven door open if things are going a little quick. 4. Pull them from the oven, top with a second graham cracker, and enjoy!
16
Improved Instant Hot Cocoa
Instant hot cocoa mix is a marvel of modern food engineering, but we admit that it may come off a little bland. We can help with that! We put together some ideas to fancy up the bagged stuff. Get ready to cozy up with a mug of some insanely good hot cocoa better than you ever thought the instant stuff could be!
1. Ditch the water. If you replace the water called for by the package with an equal quantity of milk, you will end up with a smooth and impossibly creamy cocoa. Milk substitutes are perfect for this application! Our favorites for cocoa are coconut milk, almond milk and oat milk. Heat half of the milk until barely steaming and pour in the packet. Letting the powder dissolve in just enough liquid and then pouring in the rest in after makes for a more intense final flavor. 2. Spice things up! This may seem a little obvious and simple, but we are talking about an obvious and simple recipe here, so get over it. Any wintertime spices would be delicious, but when we make our instant cocoa, we add a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, a quarter tablespoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Believe it or not, chocolate tastes really flat without at least a little salt, and most bagged mixes can be amped up a bit. 3. Add a pinch of instant coffee. It won’t make it taste like a mocha, the roasted flavors from the coffee will just augment and intensify the flavor of the chocolate. 4. Drink it out of a mug you like. A good mug is scientifically proven to make the cocoa-drinking experience more enjoyable, so go wild. If you want to go the route of marshmallows, go with the biggest ones you can find; they won’t melt before you can eat them.
17
Cranberry Skillet Cake
Ready to get cozy with a fruity baked good? Look no further than this recipe! My family made this around the beginning of November along with pumpkin pie: apples, walnuts, and cranberries in combination with pumpkin pie is a perfect medley of rich autumn flavors. And who doesn’t love Costco Connection Magazine? (Source: This image is a picture from Costco Connection Magazine, November 2020 issue.)
18
Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Enjoy this complex yet high-quality recipe from the New York Times: a spiced variation on a classic treat for getting into the fall and winter spirit!
(Source: All of the text in the recipe below is a direct quote from: New York Times Cooking: Spiced Pumpkin Pie, by Melissa Clark.)
YIELD 8 servings TIME 3 hours, plus chilling
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST:
1 ¼ cups/160 grams all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed
FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick
2 petals from a star-anise pod (not the whole pod)
1 whole clove
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
19
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 ¾ cups pumpkin or butternut squash purée (homemade or from a 15-ounce can)
¾ cup/165 grams dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
PREPARATION
1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until it is the size of peas. Drizzle in water until the dough comes together when squeezed. 2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Working a palm-size chunk at a time, use the heel of your hand to smear the dough across the work surface. Continue until all the dough has been smeared, then gather it all together, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; fold the edges over and crimp. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill for at least 30 minutes. 4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil and pie weights, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until pale golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. 5. Make the filling: In a medium pot, combine the cream, cinnamon stick, star anise petals, clove, fresh ginger, cardamom and peppercorns, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. 6. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, yolks, rum, ground ginger, salt and nutmeg. Pour into par-baked shell, transfer to a baking sheet, and bake until crust is golden and center is slightly jiggly, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
20
Feel free to use this blank space to jot down important points from the speaking events, creating a physical keepsake of your experience in hearing our phenomenal speakers.
21
22
The event planning committee gives our thanks to you, the participants, for being open to the somewhat-new experience of an online event in uncertain times. We give thanks to the speakers, who have kindly volunteered their time and shared their knowledge to educate and inspire this generation of LGBTQ+ youth. We give thanks to Renee and Brandon, who facilitated the committee meetings and put in much of their time to do an exceptional job at helping us execute our hopes and ideas for this event.
Everything that went into planning this event was a great experience: brainstorming, coming up with activity ideas, scheduling, zine-ing, writing about queer icons who meant something to us, and more. Not only did we practice keeping a commitment and our teamwork and communication skills, but we also became more confident in our own identities as LGBTQ+ youth through working with each other and making connections in the LGBTQ+ community. We dearly hope that we did something positive and affirming for other LGBTQ+ youth and that you gained the same sense of pride and confidence that we did, even if your family or social network are unsupportive. The fact that you made it through everything that happened in 2020 is a sign of your strength. Best wishes for 2021 and for a better future!
23
Day 2 Event Schedule: Sunday, December 6th, 2020 (in PST)
1:00pm: Introductions on Zoom
1:30pm: Minecraft Server Opens
1:30pm: Art Contest Starts on Discord
2:30pm: Guest Speaker Raven Two Feathers
3:30pm: Open Mic on Zoom
4:30pm: Big LGTBQ Trivia Game with Prize
4:45pm: Art Contest Judging Begins
5:00pm: Art Contest Winner Announce on Discord
5:30pm: Event Reflections on Zoom
6:00pm: Event Ends
24