International Drag King Community Extravaganza Heads to Tuscon

The 11th annual International Drag King Community Extravaganza (IDKE XI) will take place from October 21-25, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona.

IDKE is five days of drag king and gender performance culture, featuring workshops, performances, youth activities, an art & film festival and special keynote speaker Kate Bornstien.

The mission of IDKE is to bring together drag kings, queens, burlesque, and other types of gender performers (fans too) as a community to share ideas, techniques, and experiences in performance.

Schedule of events:

*Wed 10/21: 12-4 Art @ Dinnerware Gallery. 8pm BRU Kick Off Show @ The Surly Wench Pub.

*Thurs 10/22: 12-4 Art @ Dinnerware Gallery. 2-6 Films @The Screening Room. 6pm Art Reception@ Dinnerware Gallery. 8pm Meet & Greet @Hotel Congress. 11pm Optimist Dance Part @ Hotel Congress.

*Fri 10/23: 9-4 workshops @ Hotel Arizona. 12-4 Art @ Dinnerware Gallery.12-4 Films @The Screening Room. 430pm Youth Dragdom @ The Screening Room. 8pm Dragdom @ The Rialto Theater.

*Sat 10/24: 9-12 workshops @ Hotel Arizona. 12-2 keynote speaker Kate Bornstein. 12-4 Art @ Dinnerware Gallery. 2-6 Films @The Screening Room

8 pm Showcase @ The Fox Theatre. 11pm Showcase after party @ the Starlight Ballroom.

*Sun 10/25: 9-1pm Brunch @ The Tucson Museum of Art. 2-6pm Art @ Dinnerware Gallery. 2-6pm Films @The Screening Room.

Costs associated with attending the event: Full conference price $135 (excludes kick off show and burlesque), some events are no cost.

Visit website for full details at www.idkexi.com.

Butch Voices 2009 Conference

Calling all self identified Butches, Studs, Aggressives and their Allies for the first Annual Butch Voices Conference!

Butch Voices are a group of openminded, gender-bending social justice activists who share a commitment to critical thinking and a common goal of building a powerful, inclusive community for us all.

The conference will take place from August 20 - August 23, 2009 in Oakland, California and will include workshops, panels, and performances, all intended to reflect the diversity and complexity of Butch gender, identity, and action.

This conference will be a great opportunity for Butches to speak, both to one another and to their allies. To talk about why they identify the way they do; about how they can tell their stories when the words available don’t always fit; about masculinity and maleness, femininity and femaleness, areas of overlap; about sex and embodiment; about community and about placelessness; about homelessness and about the search for home.

For more information about the conference, check out Butch Voices Website.


Call for Submissions

Submissions of all kinds are welcome, though they especially welcome those that grapple with difficult questions such as:

• Desire and relationships
• Various “border wars” (and what we can do about them)
• Drag, passing, and failing to pass
• Misogyny
• Penis envy (or our lack thereof)
• Community-building
• Race
• Class
• Trans-generational dialogue
• Culture, faith, and nation.

They particularly encourage proposals by and for people of color, working-class people, and people with disabilities. They hope to draw participants from across disciplinary, social, and formal boundaries. Relevant proposals from non-Butch, Stud, or Aggressive presenters and Allies are also welcome.

Contributions may include, but are not limited to:
• Workshops
• Performances
• Presentations
• Skill shares
• Photography/ visual art
• Video

Click Submissions for more info and to send us your proposals. Submission deadline is May 1, 2009.

Registration
Registration is open, and early bird pricing is available. As well as reduced rates for volunteers. Register to get your spot reserved as pricing goes up June 1st, so take advantage of the reduced rates now.

Host Hotel
Be sure to reserve your room at the host hotel for the Butch Voices conference as well -- the Oakland Marriott City Center. Most activities will be housed in the host hotel and it's location in downtown Oakland is close to many nearby restaurants and the BART is right across the street. The cut off date for this is July 31st, so be sure to book your room today.

Photo Project
They have an ongoing photo project as well showcasing the diversity present within our communities regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexuality, ability, size, surgeries, age, hair style, or presentation. They aim to turn these differences/ dividers into bridges to unite our voices as a collective while still celebrating that which makes us unique. Check out the BV Photo Project to add your image to the group, check out some eye candy, or both!


Video Contest

Check out the BV Video Contest where you could create a video and win a free trip to the conference! Submission deadline is May 1, 2009.


Fundraisers
They are planning on doing fundraisers for Butch Voices as well. As both a way to connect people who are Butch, Stud, AG identified with each other as well as create connections with allies and raise funds for the organization and our scholarship program.

Our first is scheduled for Brooklyn on Saturday May 9th at Re/dress 109 Boreum Place Brooklyn, NY.

There will be a headliner performance by Nedra Johnson, a fashion show, Butch trivia with prizes and other Butch-based mayhem. They will be taking over the red hot space (well actually it's pale yellow but you know what I mean) at Re/dress in Brooklyn, thanks to the generosity of Deb Malkin.

Event info

If you're interested in performing or participating in the NYC fashion show/performance hit up Kelli at Kelli@kellidunham. com

Things are in the works for a kick ass fundraiser in Oakland as well. Details to follow. They are also looking to have other cities involved including Portland, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, and Atlanta. Be sure to contact butchvoices@ gmail.com if you're interested in helping to organize or be a part of these events.

IDKE 10th Annual International Drag King Community Extravaganza

After 10 years of travel, the IDKE 10th Annual International Drag King Community Extravaganza is returning home to Columbus, Ohio. So if you have any interest in Drag King shows, and you happen to be in or near the Colombus Ohio area on October 16-19th, then be sure to head over to this amazing event.

The INTERNATIONAL DRAG KING COMMUNITY EXTRAVAGANZA (IDKE) is the largest GENDERXPLORATION of its type in North America and quite possibly the world. During the past nine years, IDKE boasts attendees from over 35 states, 7 Canadian Providences, Australia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Sweden and Taiwan, just to name a few. An estimated 70% of IDKE attendees return each year, eager to re-charge, network, celebrate and ‘trade resources.’ Core to the IDKE Philosophy is the belief that, in addition to scholarship and entertainment, ‘we’ must create a variety of options for artist, service providers, entrepreneurs, organizations, and individuals to ‘do business.’

IDKE's 4-day schedule includes: Workshops, Presentations, Art Exhibitions, Film Festival, Job Fair, Transman Health Fair, Merchant Fair, and International Drag Performances.

A Brief History of IDKE:

The First International Drag King Extravaganza (IDKE) took place on October 15-17, 1999 in Columbus, Ohio. IDKE was created by Julie Applegate (Jake), Shani Scott (Maxwell), Sile Singleton (Luster/Lustivious de la Virgion) and Donna Troka (dj love), in conjunction with H.I.S. Kings, Fast Friday Productions, the Kings Court, as well as other Columbus, Ohio community members.

IDKE is a unique event in that it is a collaborative, non-competitive gathering of drag kings, fans, and those who enjoy photographing and filming them. In October 2003, IDKE realized its true potential as a traveling annual conference with its move to Minneapolis, Minnesota, IDKE 6 in Chicago, Illinois, IDKE 7 in Winnipeg, Canada, IDKE 8 in Austin, Texas and IDKE 9 in Vancouver, Canada.

Over the years IDKE has grown to a major national and international event with participants from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and the UK.

More Information:

If your interested in being a part of this event, or just attending IDKE 10, please checkout their website at http://www.idkex.com/

Russian River Girl Splash Weekend at the Triple RRR

EVENTS SCHEDULE
Russian River Resort July 18-20th

Friday 18th
Live Performance by Animal Prufrock
Animal Prufrock is a percussionist, singer, composer, keyboard-playin' freak. Best known for her work with her band, Bitch and Animal. She has traveled all over the U.S and Europe dazzling audiences with her fierce drumming and radical lyrics, most recently opening on tour for Ani DiFranco. on the Main Stage at 9:30 pm


Saturday 19th
Pool Party with DJ JFX 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Award winning DJ JFX began her professional career at age 14, first as a studio recording engineer and roadie, blossoming into an on-air radio personality, and eventually graduating into the professional club circuit as a DJ JFX presently continues her career as a mentor, DJ, promoter, and producer. She's dropped beats at hundreds of clubs throughout the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean. For more info about JFX, check out her myspace page at: http://myspace.com/jamefoks and her website at http://www.events4women.com/


Attack of the 50 Foot Drag Kings
Fierce Drag King Show!! 9:00pm on the Main Stage. Drag King contest email RRwomensweekend@yahoo.com if you'd like to enter the competition.


Sunday 20th
Pool Party with DJ JFX 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Nancy Vogl's CD Release Party on the Main Stage 4:30pm
Sharing the limelight is Tex Mex/1950’s groove band...POLKANOMICS


More Details:

Friday:
Animal Prufrock on the main stage- $5 cover. Country Dan’s Karaoke will begin immediately after Animal’s show.

Saturday:
Pool Party with DJ JFX Noon til 5pm- $5 cover.
A Buffet-style Hawaiian Luau will be available- $13/per person.

Attack of the 50 Ft. Drag Kings Drag Competition with Prizes on the Main Stage starting at 9pm- $7 cover. Email Mary at RRwomensweekend@yahoo.com if you are interested in entering this fierce contest!

Sunday:
Pool Party with DJ JFX Noon til 4 pm- $5 cover.
Nancy Vogl’s CD Release Party & Polkanomics at 4:30- $7 cover This event is being held at the Russian River Resort, 16390 4th Street Guerneville, CA 95446

For reservations: Call (707)869-0691 or Toll-free: (800)417-3767 or on the web: http://www.russianriverresort.com/ $25 Weekend Entertainment-only passes are available online at www.myspace.com/russianriverresort.com