Pip and Destiny talk terminology, queer art, and She-Ra. Joined by the poetry of Phoebe Wagner.

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Please note this episode contains discussions of biphobia, bi erasure, compulsory heterosexuality and homophobia. There are also spoilers for She-Ra. 

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Host Bios:

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Destiny Adeyemi (they/them) is a poet. They are a Slambassadors 2018 Winner, a member of The Octavia Poetry Collective and was in the 18/19 Barbican Young Poets programme. They live in London performing at local open mics and poetry events. Instagram/Twitter: @poetryndestiny

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Pip Fenton-Cripps (they/them) is a non-binary creative specialising in the field of East Asian and Japanese Studies. They were awarded the Frederick Richter Memorial Prize for Meritorious Work in the field of East Asian Arts, Music and Literature in 2019. Pip is also a digital artist, exploring synthesis of classic shōjo with darker elements. Instagram: @hello_cactus_flower

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Guest bio:

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Phoebe Wagner (she/her) is a poet and theatremaker from Croydon. Her debut poetry pamphlet 'The Body You're In' was published with Bad Betty Press in 2019. She runs Crep Project, an arts collective that explores trainer culture with young working-class people. Instagram: @crep.project

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Produced by Arden Fitzroy (they/them) @ArdenFitzroy

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The RISE Collective 

Website: www.therisecollective.org.uk

Twitter: @RiseAmplify 

Instagram: @therisecollectiveuk

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Music: Pembroke

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Links and references: 

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Two Twos podcast. Instagram: @twotwospodcast

Patrick Hemington, artist. Spotify/SoundCloud: PATRICIUS Instagram: @pxtricius

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Transcript:

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Arden: 

Everybody welcome! You’re listening to the AMPLIFY podcast, brought to you by The RISE Collective. We champion creatives and build collectives at the forefront of social change. I’m Arden Fitzroy, Lead Producer, and this is Queer Joy, the second series of AMPLIFY. This series was created by the next generation of creative leaders and changemakers. These are our own stories, on our own terms. 

Destiny:  

Hey, and welcome back to the second episode of Creating Dangerously with me, Destiny.

Pip:  

Me, Pip. I'm super excited for this episode to be honest because we're talking about all things queer. 

Destiny:  

Yes, this is a topic very dear to our hearts. So the both of us will be enough. Think of this as an extended artistic check-in.

Pip:  

Yes, yes, yes, we're hijacking this entire operation, queerness is super important to me. And I felt like it's been pretty big in your life too Destiny.

Destiny:  

It is. But don't worry, we'll still be giving you some amazing work from an amazing LGBT artist Phoebe Wagner. Born and raised in London.

Pip:  

Oh yes, people who know me know that I'm a big fan of Phoebe.

Destiny:  

But let's start things off by saying the scene of our queerness by talking about what we both identify with, the terms we use, and why.

Pip:  

Yes, as queer creatives in London, I think it's a great place to start. Personally, I'm a massive fan of the term Queer. Like, I know that as with a lot of terms, when it comes to identity queer is very contested as a label, and it holds a lot of different things for a lot of different people. So I think it's really important to respect that for some members of the community, the term is triggering. But for me, a gen Z, who came out like a decade ago when I was 13. Queer acts is a really nice broad shortcut to let people know that I'm anything but straight and cis without having to get super personal super fast.

Destiny:  

Honestly, I agree with your last point because the vagueness and conciseness are really helpful. I like the labelsenby and bi but I mostly use queer because it's easier not having to disclose all of my intersections of sexuality and gender. I just don't really have to explain. And I also appreciate the political nature of it.

Pip:  

Yes, the political nature of it is really liberating in some ways. But also in other ways. For me, it just feels right. Like I said, I came out like a decade ago, and I've spent a lot of time trying different labels out and trying to settle on what felt right. And you know, first off I identified as a lesbian, bi, pan, but queer is the one that feels the most comfortable in everyday situations. When I'm with like, other queer people, you know, I'll go like enby lesbian, I feel that you know, I love the, the I love this the way it sounds, I love how it works for me, but I'm not always in the mood to have a conversation with with every straight cis person to tell them how I can be nonbinary and lesbian.

Destiny:  

Nonbinary and lesbian yeah!

Pip:  

 So these are it's just, you know, so queer is just like, yes, I'm gay. Shut up, leave me alone. You know? And it does. It does also feel like when you use the word queer, you make old conservative people uncomfortable by reclaiming the term, you know what I mean.

Destiny:  

lol yeah,  I get what you’re saying, and that is always a good thing. But how do you and your gender and your pronouns really fit into this?

Pip:  

Well, in terms of gender, I think, you know, we both discussed last episode that we we both use they them pronouns, and I identify as non-binary. But I did just want to throw it out there for some people listening that people who use they them pronouns aren't necessarily non-binary, and some non-binary people, use she/her, and he/him or neo-pronouns. For me, it's all about feeling out the spectrum, finding the space that I feel most comfortable in, you know, and, for example, I am non-binary, but I actually really, really like it when my girlfriend calls me her girlfriend, it feels so overtly queer to me, like we're both very femme presenting. So it feels like a statement of the very gay fact of our relationship, you know, it just makes me happy. I love the overt gayness of the term girlfriend. And I don't know it sits well with me. I'm not a big fan of partner, but what about you D like in terms of your gender and your sexuality like because they are very distinct things like how does that fit you?

Destiny:  

I think that like I also really loved your point about like cis people using different pronouns because I think that is really important in like detaching the notions of like gender and pronouns. But I think I'm completely different because I love using partner like being referred to as a partner it just feels like there's something theatrical about it like we're two queer cowboys against the world!

Pip:  

Yes, campy as shit! Yes, I love the image of you and your partner in full cowboy getup, pistols, whips, the whole shebang, Destiny, imagining you in chaps and cow print is something that I didn't know I needed. But if Halloween comes around and we are out of lockdown and I don't see it.

Destiny:  

Very disappointed…

Pip:  

 You can catch these hands by all means.

Destiny:  

Hon...