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October 29, 2023
October 29, 2023
On October 29th, I had the pleasure of attending Trans Queer Youth collective's Halloween party for young adults (ages 17-24). This was my first in person event with TQYC, but I have attended their virtual events (Minecraft nights on Fridays, Candle nights on Saturdays, and Game nights on Sundays) before. The event lasted from 3pm-9pm, but I was only able to attend for the last 2 hours due to a prior commitment.
Prior to the event plans being finalized, I had written in the #suggestions-feedback channel of the TQYC Young Adults discord that I would love to attend in person events with the group, however, I worried I would be unable to unless covid mitigations were utilized and enforced. The group leaders happily took into account my suggestions and discussed these ideas with me further when I attended my first Candle Night. I expressed that I was surprised that they were so eager to accept my suggestions, as my experiences with other local organizations have been far from pleasant when requesting that events be made accessible. Upon hearing this, the leadership team member I had been speaking to expressed their anger and frustration that I had experienced that from other local organizations, and stated that they were committed to making sure that future events with TQYC were accessible for all, and that I deserved to be able to safely engage with others in a physical setting.
When the Halloween plans had been finalized, I was elated to find that TQYC really had taken my suggestions into consideration and were committed to creating a COVID safe event. Prior to attending the event, everyone was required to RSVP as well as show proof of a negative COVID-test result. At the event itself, everyone was required to wear a mask indoors at all times, and attendees were only allowed to remove their masks when outdoors.
The event was fairly well attended for being on the small side. When I arrived, I believe there were about 12 attendees in total, including myself. This made it incredibly easy to get familiar with members of TQYC who I hadn't previously met in any of the regular weekend virtual hangouts and allowed me to meet in person the TQYC members and leadership who I had had the pleasure of meeting online previously.
One of the leadership team members had brought their telescope and were excitedly showing me the moon and Jupiter's location in the sky, upon my arrival. They also pointed out Saturn to me and pointed their telescope at all of these celestial beauties for me and other party goers to feast their eyes on.
For the duration of the party, attendees could enjoy pizza, snacks, and drinks outdoors on the patio, stargazing through the telescope in the yard, and games indoors. At one point we attempted to make caramel apples, which were also enjoyed outdoors by attendees. Toward the end of the party, the leadership team remembered that there were cakes in the fridge, and so cake was brought out to be enjoyed by all. There were two cakes, one vanilla with buttercream frosting, and one chocolate, also with buttercream frosting. Both cakes had the cutest frosting decorations. I brought home a slice of chocolate cake and enjoyed the spoils of my long fun filled weekend from the comfort of my bed.
Before everyone left the party, we took photos together. I do wish that everyone would have remained masked for the photos, but many chose to remove their mask. On a related note, I wish that people would choose to remain masked for photo opportunities at any gathering, as there is absolutely no shame in wearing a mask, despite what much of our unmasked and uncaring society would prefer us to think, and because it would help to normalize masks in photos! I believe that wearing a mask should be done with pride, as it is the simplest show of one's care for themselves, their loved ones, and their community. Masks in photos are such a beautiful sight in this day and age, all things considered.
As I was leaving, one party goer approached me with a dragon skeleton Halloween decoration that he had wanted to take home, but was unable to. He offered me the dragon and told me that its name was Buttercream. I am excited to say that I am now the proud parent of a beautiful skeletal dragon named Buttercream.
Overall, I had a really wonderful experience, and I look forward to attending future events by TQYC given their committment to listening to their constituents as well as to event accessibility.
Image Description:
A poem written in black text on a white background.
The poem is titled, "Masking is the new queer flagging. Pass it on."
The poem reads: "My mask protects you. Your mask protects me. / It says, 'We're already missing half a damn generation of us.' / It is what harm reduction looks like. // Your mask tells me that we already share values. / It says, 'I want you to be safe. You belong here.' / It shows that you consider the way your actions impact others. // Your mask is a middle finger to the medical industrial complex. / It says, 'A condom or an N95 can't keep me from loving you.' / It is solidarity with vulnerable bodies. // Your mask tells me your are critical of the system. / It says, 'I will not serve your agenda at the expense of lives.' / It is a rejection of mass disablement and white supremacist eugenics. // Your mask tells me how you show up for others. / It says, 'I am in community with you.' / It is radical care shown to strangers. // My mask protects you. Your mask protects me. / It says, 'Your norms do not serve us.' / Our masks are queer as fuck."
Image Description:
The image is of a brown wooden table with two red apples, a small orange plastic pumpkin decoration, three jars of colorful sprinkles that have silly decorative lids, a black bag of orange colored potato chips, a stack of white napkins, a small pile of wooden skewers, and two cakes on it.
The cake on the left is vanilla flavored with buttercream frosting. The frosting is white, and the cake is decorated with colorful sprinkles around the base, and with colorful frosting around the perimeter of the top. Some of the colorful frosting is shaped into ghosts and pumpkins, and the rest of the decorative frosting are swirls.
The cake on the right is chocolate flavored with buttercream frosting. The frosting is brown, and the cake is decorated with sugar crystal sprinkles around the base, and with colorful frosting and chocolate on one half of the perimeter of the cake. The colorful frosting on the top of the cake is shaped into pumpkins and decorate swirls, and the cake has a chocolate eyeball and a chocolate tombstone. The cake also has chocolate drips on the same side of the cake that the frosting decorations are on.
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