Queer Newark

The city of Newark, New Jersey has a fascinating and well-documented history. There are studies of its rich cultural, musical, and literary legacy, its educational system, political life, religious life, immigrant roots, and history of racial conflict. Yet there is one group whose undeniable contribution to the city's life has rarely been the subject of historical or academic study -- Newark's LGBT community. Our conference, "Queer Newark: Our Voices, Our Histories," which is part of a larger, on-going oral history initiative, will rectify this omission.

VIDEO | TRANSCRIPT

On November 12, 2011, three generations of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Newark residents will gather to discuss aspects of their lives. The generations will be organized into separate panels of LGBT twenty to thirty-year olds, forty and fifty year olds, and sixty and above.

Each panel participant will present remarks about their lives as LGBT people in the city of Newark. Discussion topics include childhood, schools and educational life, religion and spirituality, families and parenting, sexual worlds and sexual practices, club scenes, ball scenes, friendship, fashion, sociability, art, and music. Each panel will also have a moderator to facilitate discussion. Historians and scholars of Newark history and LGBT history and studies will be on hand, as moderators and as audience members. The day will include creative performances and resources and will culminate with an evening party.

Rutgers-Newark Office of the Chancellor; Office of Student Life & Community Affairs; the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience; LGBTQ & Diversity Resource Center; FAS-N Departments of History, Psychology, English, Sociology & Anthropology, Arts, Culture, and Media, African American and African Studies, and Political Science, Graduate Program in American Studies, Program in Women’s & Gender Studies; School of Criminal Justice; School of Public Affairs and Administration; Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies; Center for Migration and the Global City; RU Pride; the Rutgers-New Brunswick Center for Race & Ethnicity; the Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes; Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities; Newark LGBT Commission; Pride Arts Initiative; Liberation In Truth Social Justice Center; NMB Models; Frameline; Newark-Essex Pride Coalition, AAOGC, Project WOW!; Newark Pride Alliance; City of Newark's Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Concerns; The Hetrick-Martin Institute; Garden State Equality; Out in Jersey; and FEMWORKS.

PROGRAM

9:00 a.m. Introduction and Opening Remarks
Dr. Steven J. Diner
Chancellor, Rutgers-Newark

The Honorable Cory A. Booker
Mayor, City of Newark

Darnell Moore and Beryl Satter
Co-Chairs, "Queer Newark: Our Voices, Our Histories"

9:20 - 9:30 a.m. Visual Presentation by Tamara Fleming: Newark's Queer Activists

9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Panel I: Queer Newarkers: the Baby Boom Generation
Panelists: James Credle, Peter Savastano, Nataly Maisonet Del Valle, & Margaret Woods
Moderator: Darnell Moore, Visiting Scholar, Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, NYU

11:10 - 11:20 a.m. Visual Presentation by Peggie Miller: New Millennium Butch

11:20 – 12:50 p.m. Panel II: Queer Newarkers: The Middle Generation
Panelists: Bernard McAllister, Jae Quinlan, June Dowell-Burton, & Kitab Rollins
Moderator: Timothy Stewart-Winter, Assistant Professor of History, Rutgers-Newark

1:00- 2:00 p.m. Lunch (all you can eat buffet available for purchase at a reduced rate of $8.50, Stonsby Commons)

2:15 - 2:25 p.m. Visual Presentation by Blair Doroswalther: Film Excerpt, "The Fire This Time," about the Newark Seven

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Panel III: Queer Newarkers: The 21st Century Generation
Panelists: Kiyan Williams, Danielle Cooper, Eryicka Morgan, Tarell DeeJay Gregory
Moderator: Tynesha McHarris, Director of Programs and Community Engagement, Newark Education Trust

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Reception in the Robeson Gallery, Robeson Center, Rutgers-Newark

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Entertainment and Party at Coffee Cave, 45 Halsey Street, Newark
An evening of dynamic performances by Newark-based artists that reflect the creative cultural liveliness of Newark's LGBT community. Performances include spoken word by accomplished poets and a vogue-dance production by youth performers from Project WOW! The night will culminate in a celebration of dance and live music.
Performances are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome!

Printing of publicity cards courtesy of Porta Print Publishing, Inc.
Special thanks to our media sponsor OutInJersey.net
 

Conference Mentions

Rutgers Today: "Rutgers 'Queer Newark' Conference Paints Portrait of LGBT Community, Past and Present"
"Queer Newark: Our Voices, Our Histories" by Kiyan Williams