Serving Justice began with the video footage of Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium vs. the Ministry of Justice (tape 1; tape 2; tape 3). We came across this documentation of the court proceedings in the BC Gay and Lesbian Archives. We watched the footage and discussed the moments that stood out to us - instances where the rigid form and dry tone of the trial is exemplified or broken, or where humanity and passion shine through. We began to build characters and moments inspired by what we saw, pulling gestures and voices from the real-life judges and lawyers, lip-syncing their arguments, and re-enacting our favourite exchanges.
We presented this iteration of the work as a 10-minute performance in class at the SCA. A formal description follows:
The performance begins in a typically drab courtroom atmosphere. The performers are dressed in courtroom attire, carefully fashioned from the garbage bags and toilet paper — embracing the beauty of courtroom style via trashy, camp couture.
Audio excerpts from the recording of the trial overdub the performers as they embody the mannerisms of lawyers and judges. Our reenactment is piecemeal and chopped up, highlighting instances where the rigid form and dry tone of the trial is exemplified or broken, or where humanity and passion shine through — for instance, the stacking of books for an absurdly long period of time, or the reading of sexually explicit material as evidence.
Over the course of the performance, the form bursts open. The performers begin to invite moments of whimsy, humour, and hedonism through movement and object interventions. Porno magazines emerge from the stacks of paper; bananas and sex toys are placed in lawyer’s hands; the garbage bags are torn open to reveal lingerie and fun undergarments. The final image is debaucherous, joyful, and undone.
For the second iteration, we began the community engagement process that we had dreamed up. We went and visited Little Sister's and spoke with staff members there. They gave us a tour, and talked to us about the history of the shop and its place in the community today. We told them about our project, asked for their blessing in moving forward, and learned more about Little Sister's. Folks often come in asking about their history, and specifically the court case that we are researching. They have a handout they offer to curious customers, which is pictured above. The flyer includes a photograph from the 1980s, displaying the shop shelves which were mostly empty due to Canada Custom's seizures of so-called "obscene" material. After chatting for some time, we explored their book selection, and purchased materials to use in upcoming performances.
Following our visit, we returned to the studio and held an open rehearsal, where we re-staged elements from the initial re-enactment, did further materials research, and documented our ongoing process. Some friends came by to offer feedback.
We also documented a call with Canadian border security, during which we went through several automated directories and spoke to an agent, who redirected us to a commercial goods representative. He had a voice so clear that we thought he was an automated message. We asked him about erotic literature, pornography, and what constitutes obscene materials - and what authority the border security has to stop, seize, and destroy them. We were on hold for some time while he gathered his documents. He spoke legalese, cited specific bylaws relating to obscenity, and told us about the King's Warehouse, where confiscated goods are held.
We plan to carry this project forward to more community members, and perform multiple variations on this theme. We are hoping to host a participatory performance installation at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Alongside an invited audience, we will take over one of the VAG's heritage courtrooms, and embellish it with abundant debauchery. Stocked with queer-coded items, sexually explicit material, camp ephemera and pleasure technologies, the space will be transformed via the manipulation of such objects. Participants will be invited to join performers in these joyful transgressions. These interventions will culminate, and their remnants will buid a queer scenography on the courtroom floor.