Ray asks what would some actual nationwide organization look like?
Would we want a National Queer Tango Foundation? Do we need an app? Or a social media page with stuff from all over the country or all over North America? Or a queer equivalent to hoy-milonga for finding queer tango when traveling?
Karen mentions the QT Discord that Edgar in NYC started.
Augusto says everything does have a cost, even if you don’t charge, someone is paying…even if it’s with their time, or donations, or… But he wants to acknowledge that organizing is *work*. He makes a living as a tango organizer.
We just talked about how DC Queer Tango wants to do free or low cost, and so we sought out sponsorship from a community college to get free space. As a condition, we are not allowed to charge or pass the hat.
Andrés says he’s been volunteering at Abrazo for a long time though he isn’t officially part. What he’s seen is that if it’s run as a business, it won’t thrive. If it’s run as a community, it’ll be a community thing. Abrazo is run by one person *supported by a whole community*. He brings tea and cookies because people want to chat and have closeness. (He has an alfajor business: Wooden Table Baking Co.)
Karen Johnson says that when she experienced queer tango events in Europe it was “this is the best thing ever!” and then after what’s been built here, going back and visiting… no, we’ve built something else. The living room sock hops, the queer movie nights, the baked goods…
Lise says we really center queerness in a way that changes the vibe versus Europe’s.
Arty says that the NY group was loosely linked and just going to class and leaving, and they started organizing post-class dinners to try to actually make it community. He says the Queer Tango Camp is what *really* did it though.
Fabian says what Astrid said last year: that in Europe the big events came first, then more people started organizing, and that made things diffuse as people wouldn’t travel as far. So how is adding big events on top of our grass roots community going here? And how is this sustainable?
Phi Lee says there’s a shift to a more activist-y focused thing in the newer generation of European events, away from big flashy festivals.
Arty says this was all inspired by Abrazo and Phi Lee at a Queer Tango Symposium saying everyone should be involved in organizing no matter how new of a dancer they are.
They do a lot through the LGBT Center. (That’s where they teach, but that’s also a way they find people.)
Karen Johnson is highlighting NY Queer Tango and how they have such organized lessons and people leveling up and bringing in outside teachers now and the monthly milonga… And when someone asks if someone more hesitant is going to a local mainstream milonga, they’ll get a group together to not go alone, and Noah brings fresh baked goods to their events.
Lise says when the previous Montreal group was around, people from the US went up there to dance and it was like New Yorkers and Bostonians meeting each other for the first time because there wasn’t anything organized here.
Queer Tango Boston dates back to the 90s. It sounds like it wasn’t continuous, though.
Karen Johnson was inspired to start Philly’s community by NYC’s and asked Phi Lee for input. They met at the first Conexión. Tristan in Montreal was inspired by Intimamente.
We’re all learning from each other and building on each other’s ideas.
Phi Lee is talking about the quest for a thriving queer tango community in the US like exists in Europe. That’s why they (La Nuestra) started hosting big events like Intimamente and Queer Tango Camp.
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