A Queef Manifesto

Contrary to the claims of major societal actors, such as politicians, media outlets, and other influencers of public opinion, LGBTQ+ people are not yet fully accepted - the movement of LGBTQ+ rights is still very necessary.

Activist endeavours are not only needed within society at large. The time has come to look inwards and question equality within our own community. Here, the emphasis often lies on specific groups of the spectrum: members of the community are underrepresented, while others are overly presented in ways which do not speak for most.

This one-sided focus from the biggest LGBTQ+ representations, events, and organisations, leave many members feeling alienated and unaccepted within their own community. That is why there is an urgent need for entirely open and inclusive events and spaces - where the boundaries of categories are tested, transgressed, and made redundant.

Fortunately, such initiatives are already happening throughout Belgium. In this queer movement, activists and artists are challenging normative conceptions of sexuality and gender. In their projects, they emphasise alternative ways of being – rejecting the societal narratives which deem them alternative in the first place. One step at a time, they create an environment that is more vibrant and receptive to all.

While these creators are working tirelessly to subvert our assumptions, they often do so with limited or no public funding. Even established, high-scale projects see their budgets cut, and completely rely on our community. This is why a platform highlighting the efforts of queer activists and artists is immensely important. Queef wants to contribute to the movement in exactly this way - by highlighting queer art, events, and perspectives.