The Tender Queers
We're a group of various artists in the Southern California region (and other places, connected by the magic of internet), come together to form a supportive community in which we can practice our creative skills and share our experiences as queer individuals.
The word queer has meant odd, different, not of the norm. In the past it has been used as a derogatory term as slang for gay people. It has since been reclaimed as an umbrella term for the LGBTQ+ community, and for those of non-normative sexualities and gender identities. Anyone who does not fit the standard mold of heteronormative society may use the term to describe themselves.
Queer individuals have long occupied the space of 'the outsider,' considered a minority and abnormality of society. This parallels the experience of artists as well, who naturally tend to exist outside of the majority, on the outskirts of communities, exploring new and different methods of working and communicating with the world at large. Artists have long carried the tradition of acting as pioneers of communication and social progress. As such, queer artists are dually synonymous with this concept of 'the outsider. We exist between and outside of borders; blurring them, breaking them down. Queer artists have the unique challenge of creating new worlds; carving out new revolutionary spaces in which we have the freedom to be our true selves with all the hues of our character.
The word queer has meant odd, different, not of the norm. In the past it has been used as a derogatory term as slang for gay people. It has since been reclaimed as an umbrella term for the LGBTQ+ community, and for those of non-normative sexualities and gender identities. Anyone who does not fit the standard mold of heteronormative society may use the term to describe themselves.
Queer individuals have long occupied the space of 'the outsider,' considered a minority and abnormality of society. This parallels the experience of artists as well, who naturally tend to exist outside of the majority, on the outskirts of communities, exploring new and different methods of working and communicating with the world at large. Artists have long carried the tradition of acting as pioneers of communication and social progress. As such, queer artists are dually synonymous with this concept of 'the outsider. We exist between and outside of borders; blurring them, breaking them down. Queer artists have the unique challenge of creating new worlds; carving out new revolutionary spaces in which we have the freedom to be our true selves with all the hues of our character.