Pirate queens of the world, write sci-fi

I just returned from IDA, an intentional radical queer land project in the woods of middle Tennessee, where I was part of contributing to a work project that builds infrastructure, accessibility, and sustainability for IDA as a rural homestead and sanctuary.

This is where I lived when I was there, I called it the Queendom*. Note the astroturf & lawn-furniture living room installed for max femme-in-the-woods comfort, and curtains for … um, “privacy.”:

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I worked on documentation, archiving, coordinating transportation, and grant stuff, but also much of my time was spent in community with the many folks gathered. Many conversations happened about healing, communities taking care of and with each other. I witnessed many people coming from places of best intentions to model feminist work ethics, interrupt oppression, and model self-care and compassion while working intensively together. I experienced really solid care when I needed support as I move through my own trauma healing via fierce femmes who gave me emergency acupuncture, tincture, and listening.

I have to say it: was dreamy, and I also know this kind of gathering takes a SHIT TON of work to put together in this way, by organizers and by participants. A shit ton of important and powerful work that can actually shift how folks live and work together. Trainers from the Rhizome crew came down to do an anti-oppression visioning workshop and training, and that influence was super important; but the intention to create a radical safer space was already solidly in existence throughout the workweek.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the creation of intentional communities as well as responses to trauma as I write my serialized sci-fi novel, Polyester [see it here: http://www.damienluxe.com/polyester-a-sci-fi-novel/], and experiencing functional models like what we all made at Work Hard, Stay Hard gives me hope and structures to think about.

Also, Polyester focuses on a post-peak oil world and astroturf is one of it’s major lust items. There will be no revolution without weird beauty, I’ll tell you that!

* it’s really too bad you can’t see the community mirror I put up on the tree on the left and the overhead lighting for nighttime hangouts in the woods. Helping the beauties in my woods neighborhood throw a look in the woods was worth it!!