Queer Monologues reach large crowd
Students and community members performed in the Pride Month event.
Published April 26, 2005
A diverse crowd of more than 400 shuffled into Conservation Auditorium on Friday night while 26 performers awaited their chance to steal the spotlight and share a unique perspective on often socially taboo topics at the second annual Queer Monologues.
The event aimed to challenge stereotypes and encourage new perspectives. In his original monologue, "The Whore," Four Front Chairman Jesse Berrios said he hoped to break the stigmas surrounding people who engage in voluntary prostitution by creating a character that exemplifies the humanity of prostitutes.
"I wanted to give an a-stereotypical portrayal of a social outcast, and turn social order on its head," Berrios said. "I wanted to show the character positively and a-stereotypically so that the audience could identify with him."
Berrios said he was pleased with the audience response.
"The audience really enjoyed it," he said. "I am really proud of how it came out. The audience was with me the entire time, laughing, responding."
Triangle Coalition President Dustin Hampton returned to the stage for his second year in the Queer Monologues in a piece written by fellow cast member Ian Thomas, which addressed legal privileges denied to homosexuals in civil unions, including tax cuts and the right to spousal visits in the hospital.
At the suggestion of Queer Monologues organizer John Doerflinger, Hampton took this monologue in a new direction by performing in drag as Miranda L'amor. While adding humor to the monologue, Hampton said his drag persona made the piece more interesting.
"Not everyone in the audience had seen a drag queen before," Hampton said. "It may have been confusing, because they are used to thinking in gender binaries, but this piece may have expanded their minds to explore the idea of gender, that it is more fluid than people think."
Doerflinger said one of the most devastating resistances facing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is a lack of communication and understanding.
"Everyone's talking about the queer community, but very few people are talking to the queer community," Doerflinger, an employee of The Maneater, said. "Everyone is talking about us in the news but not listening to what we have to say."
Thomas said some people are set in their ways and don't listen to the LGBT community.
"There's a lot of suffering that people don't hear, so there's no chance for empathy for those that are adamantly against it," Thomas said. "It's really sad that they won't get a new perspective."
Although monologues presented controversial tones and conflicting perspectives divided the audience, the evening's closer, "Our Revolution Will Destroy You," was meant to restore a sense of unity to the room.
"I wanted to re-emphasize that fighting back is not useless," Doerflinger said. "I wanted to get people fired up and wanting to change shit, and from what I hear, I was successful."
Doerflinger encouraged the members of the community to open their ears and minds to the monologues' message.
"You're not going to lose those reservations until you take them head on," he said. "You can't get over that until you start talking about it, and that's what this entire show is about. It's about talking about it rather than tip-toeing around it."