FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montréal, May 5, 2008 – Ethnoculture is back—bigger and better than ever before! Mark the dates on your calendar for the only event that directly addresses issues of concern to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered/transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) ethnic and racial minorities and Two-Spirited people in Montreal—and it’s 100% free!

Montréal, April 28, 2008 – Ethnoculture is back—bigger and better than ever before! Mark the dates on your calendar for the only event that directly addresses issues of concern to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered/transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) ethnic and racial minorities and Two-Spirited people in Montreal—and it’s 100% free! 

From May 23 to 25, 2008, we offer you our theme of Catharsis: because we, and people like us, have lived through and endured discrimination and rejection; because we do not want these experiences to hinder our growth and participation in society; because we want to build something durable in and meaningful to our communities on our own terms. As individuals whose identities exist at the intersections of sexuality, race, gender, and ethnicity, among other identities, we want to share who we are, what we go through, and how we survive with our families, friends, and neighbours in this city, with the goal of striving for and achieving a future that is more open and welcoming for us all.

For one unbelievable weekend, you will hear diverse stories of our pains and joys, our encounters with challenges and our victories over them, through an exciting program that will allow you to immerse yourself in our realities.
Kicking off the event on Friday, May 23 is our opening night party at Voilà on the 2nd floor of Sky Bar (1474 Sainte Catherine East), where from 9 p.m. onward we will be dancing and partying to international dance music while raising our glasses in celebration of the event.

Then on Saturday, May 24, we will present a number of community-based workshops focusing on how to better engage with public institutions, how to combat sexuality-based phobias in cultural communities, and the current state of LGBTQ refugee services in Canada. Because every good Catharsis needs a stage, we end the day with a performance by Third Space Playback Theatre, a local interactive theatre troupe that accepts testimonials about oppression and marginalization from the audience and interprets them through a variety of dramatic forms. Also, there will be an opportunity to meet and network with local organizations at our all-day community fair, featuring fun interactive activities. 

Finally, on Sunday, May 25, we have coordinated a day of conferences for your interest and edification, beginning with a discussion on whiteness and white privilege, followed by a special presentation on a queer refugee photo project in Toronto, then a multi-faith panel on sexuality and religion. The day ends with a talk on homophobic lyrics in popular music.

To complete your Catharsis, we also offer two parallel programs that will run concurrently with the main program. Our film series includes documentaries on Mexican refugees, Nicaraguan soap operas, and parents of various cultures coming to terms with their children’s sexualities, as well as a dramatic film from Africa and first-person shorts about gay Asian identity. In addition, we have mounted an art exhibition featuring work by members of our community.

All activities will take place at UQAM’s Sherbrooke pavilion (200 Sherbrooke St. West). For a program in full colour and details visit our website: www.ethnoculture.org.

Catharsis all about discovery, and we hope you will make many discoveries at our own Catharsis!

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Ethnoculture is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mandate is to organize ethnocultural lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexuals, transgender and crossdresser (LGB3T) events. It is one of the only organizations that organizes cultural and social events that enable ethnocultural LGB3T individuals to break free from their invisibility, silence and isolation.

Contact :
Alan Wong
Press Officer

514 992 5488
media@ethnoculture.org