MiSWiP x AiOP Festival

Reclaiming Space

Reclaiming Space will take place on the west side of lower manhattan along 14th street. We will be occupying historically queer locations such as 14th street pier/ parallel to Christopher Street, AIDS Memorial (7th avenue), Callen Lorde and Cubby Hole on/near 8th ave, and the site of Puta Scandalosa At Mother Lesbain party, in what is now the meatpacking district. Our performers will rotate from locations throughout the day to make sure we highlight each one. They will announce the history of the location, share their stories as a queer/femme/women/disabled/Bipoc person with a speaker/megaphone then open up the floor to the public much like an open mic for people to come share their stories. Near the performances we will have Large QR codes that will explain our project, explain the history of the locations, as well Queer people who have lost their lives or were hate crimed along 14th street. If our public contributors want to share their stories and record them this will also be where people would be able to find their audio recordings. We will update the QR codes daily for those who want to hear other people's stories outside of the street setting.

Location Significance

AIDS Memorial

76 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011

You are standing approximately 2 blocks away from the NYC AIDS Memorial at St. Vincent's Triangle. This location, given its proximity to the site of St. Vincent's Hospital, is considered to be the symbolic epicenter of the epidemic and the fight against it. More than 100,000 New Yorkers have lost their lives to AIDS. At the beginning of the epidemic, AIDS was considered to be a "gay disease," leading to stigmatization, death, and immense tragedy for the community. This site serves to remember those who passed and honor the advocates and healthcare professionals who fought for us, and as a reminder to continue advocating for the rights of ALL members of the LGBTQIA+ community. For more information about this site, please visit nycgovparks.org

Puta Scandalosa at Mother

432 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10009
This space is the site of one of many pop-up parties for lesbians organized by Wendy Acosta, an event planner, activist, and icon. This party was a space for queer women to be visible and to see themselves and one another with respect and adoration, as well as a place for community and escape. Gentrification and other forces of inequality have changed this neighborhood significantly, making these parties challenging. That increases our desire to create more safe spaces for queer women, in a world where very few exist.

For more information about this and other sites of interesting queer female community, please visit addressesproject.com

Christopher Street pier

393 West St, New York, NY 10014
You are standing approximately 0.7 miles from the current site of the Christopher Street pier. Although it differs in appearance, the pier has been a haven for both gay men and queer youth of color since the 1930s. The Hudson River Park Waterfront used to be a center of shipping, cruises, and other waterfront activity. When that changed, it became a cruising space for gay men, a space for artistic expression, and a safe haven for queer youth of color. It was a place of joy and community for many. This significantly changed in the 1980s as a result of both the AIDS epidemic and the demolition of the Christopher Street pier terminal. Thanks to the advocacy of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and FIERCE, the pier as we know it was maintained and has continued to be a safe haven for the queer community and especially queer youth and young adults of color. However, gentrification continues to be a challenge in the area for those who are economically disadvantaged.

For more information, please visit nyclgbtsites.org/site/greenwich-village-waterfront

Cubby Hole

281 W 12th St, New York, NY 10014
You are approximately 4 minutes away from Cubby Hole, one of three lesbian bars left in New York City. Historically, Cubby Hole is known as a lesbian bar, but it is also welcoming to a broader audience.

Callen Lorde

356 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
You are about 5 minutes away from Callen Lorde, an organization that has provided safe and confidential healthcare to all in the LGBTQIA+ community– regardless of their ability to pay– since the Stonewall era. They began as the St. Mark's Clinic and the Gay Men's Health Clinic before merging in 1983 as the Community Health Project. They were the first community-based HIV clinic in the country at a time when AIDS was ravaging the community. They continue to be an important source of healthcare, safety, community, and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community.

For more information, please visit callen-lorde.org/about