"It is time for us Third Gender folk to rejoice in the gifts we bring.  And saying so, in such an endeavor we might, in collective gala, discover new Radical Faerie ways to make such contributions both sustantive and politically creative." -- Harry Hay, as quoted in RFD

Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. It is a time of reflection, renewal and hope about brighter days ahead… a holiday where we can come together to ENVISION our shared future, BUILD support for our urban and rural Sanctuary spaces, ENJOY fabulous performances and CELEBRATE our diverse community together!

We invite you to help lay the groundwork for the future of queer art, culture & community in San Francisco by attending Comfort & Joy's "Illuminate" Solstice Gala.  This year, we're EXPANDING into a two-day weekend festival with afternoon Faeposium Workshops and an EXHUBERANT Feast that includes an Art Auction, Live Music, Drag Cabaret and Blacklight Burlesque.

This special annual holiday event benefits  a new "Faerie Housing Fund"  devoted to reducing the start-up costs of new gay group housing collectives and sanctuaries that offer queer cultural programing as well as living space.  We think that investing in new ways to collaborate & live together today will result in a more culturally vibrant queer community tomorrow!

Sanctuary comes in many forms beyond the obvious, ranging from the temporary sanctuary Comfort & Joy provides each year at the Burning Man festival, to the permanent sanctuaries at Short Mountain, Zuni and Wolf Creek.   At ILLUMINATE we would like to spotlight two other types of sanctuary: bonds of friendship,  found family and queer brotherhood as well as shared experience at community events like the Faeposium workshop series.   When combined, these types of sanctuary become even more powerful forces to positively impact people's lives.  Understand that there must be a power that we hold in our hands...we are full of fire!

"I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life"  - George Burns

VENUE LOCATION:

Workpace Limited
2150 Folsom (btwn 17th & 18th)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FAEPOSIUM WORKSHOPS

1pm - Faerie Art Exhibit & Silent Auction Opens

Let's welcome each other and raise our energy with fun interactive games from Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed. Join us for an Opening Circle facilitated by Stella as the Illuminate Silent Art Auction exhibit opens. 

1:30pm -Hula Hooping the Blues Away (with AphroMighty/Rio)

Yes boys & girls, you too can learn to hula hoop, in this active, exhilarating class (that's taking the place of the recently canceled doll shaman workshop).   Extra hoops available, bring your own if you have one!
 
2pm - Forget Your Perfect Offering: Personal Sustainability for Community Organizers (Hosted by Stella)

A skillshare and discussion for gathering geeks, event focalizers, and empowered participants. Let's discover methods for co-creating community fabulosity that generate energy and joy instead of depletion and burnout. Remember: Self Care is Sexy

3pm - Sanctuary Caretaker Roundtable (facilitated by Lapis Luxxxury)

What kind of bright future lies ahead at our faerie sanctuaries this year?   Find out what's new & exciting on the horizon at this roundtable discussion with current & former residents of Short Mountain, Wolf Creek and Zuni faerie Sanctuaries.   How can sanctuaries meet the spiritual needs of gay men, and how can urban allies be supportive?  What's getting built on the land(s) this year?

4pm Divination 101: Finding Answers for Yourself (Instructor: Kai Blue Angel )

There are many ways to interpret the world around us.  Enjoy a brief overview of various systems, the ideas behind them as well as basic techniques, including cowry shells, pendulums and tarot.  We'll cover different schools of thought as well as embellishing your storytelling to convey meaning though metaphor.

4:20pm - What are You Wearing for Solstice, Gurl? Assisted Quick & Dirty Alterations Hosted by Pink Feather & Danimal
Want help to put your look over the top?  Bring your golden gala gowns, costumes and frocks for the feast. Our fabulous faerie friends will help you make your High Holiday drag out of this world!   

SATURDAY EVENING:

6pm - SOLSTICE FEAST

7pm -  DINNER THEATER w/ LIVE MUSIC

8pm - DRAG CABARET (Hosted by )

9pm - Solstice Ritual & Performance

9:30pm - Faerie Art Exhibit & Silent Auction Closes

10pm - Solstice Discotheque Opens

11pm - Blacklight Burlesque Show

& Dancing until 2am

Afterparty at the FeyBoy Mansion

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19 :: FAEPOSIUM WORKSHOPS

11am - Female-Bodied Faeries Futures (Facilitated by Fang)

What's in the future for female-bodied faeries? Come and help us figure out what we need and where we can go together! All female-bodied faeries welcome.

12noon - Breakthrough Brunch: Transgender Omelet (Hosted by Jupiter Metallic Messiah)

Explore culturally significant visual aids, media, commentary and discussion of living as a fiercely truthful tranny.  A very light brunch is served.

2:00pm -  "Full Pull" Faeries of Color Roundtable (Curated by Lapis Luxxxury)

Sassy chat videotaped panel about our future and what lies ahead for faeries of color.

3pm - Faerie Finishing School: BOOK CLUB & Faculty / Student Conference

We can all learn something from the multi-talented, creative and expressive gaggle of gays that make up our faerie community. What does a well-informed faerie gentlemen need to know?

“Read Her” – a DIY-University-style photocopied & bound collection of over 40 articles, essays & book excerpts - is the official textbook of Faerie Finishing School, and will be printed in time for Comfort & Joy's Illuminate Solstice Gala next weekend!

“Read Her” Hot Topics include:

The Birth of House
...Harry Hay History
Rites of Passage
Slut Myths & Realities
Biological Exuberance
Your Art is Wrong
Tranny Critters & Native Myths
Origins of the Radical Faeries
Our Faggot Responsibilities
Black Panther Realness
Ritual at Burning Man
The 50-Foot Sissyboy

… and much more…

Some of our thoughts with Faerie Finishing School are that “Trannies Transcend”, “we all need polishing”, and how can we share community knowledge with ourselves as well as the freshly inspired? Some things in the Reader so far include articles by Harry Hay, Huey P. Newton, Larry Harvey, Adrian Roberts, Michel Foucault, Don Kilhefner & Barbara Ehrenreich, along with many others.

The idea is to expand our shared understanding, demystify core concepts and explore the intellectual underpinnings behind both the Radical Faerie & Burning Man communities, who can learn a lot from each other. We already have quite a diverse selection of rare & unexpected material to share!

* RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY!

A limited run of the Faerie Finishing School Reader will be “printed to order” by Comfort & Joy volunteers. Get your pre-order in by Thursday at 5pm & we’ll make sure to print your copy in time for pickup at the afternoon Faeposium workshops before the Illuminate Solstice Gala on Saturday.  Consider ordering an extra to give away!

Then after the Gala, join us on Sunday afternoon at 3pm for Faerie Finishing School BOOK CLUB to get introduced to and talk about the material in the reader.

4pm - Burning Man 2011: Rites of Passage Info Session (Hosted by Kitten)

Always wanted to go to Burning Man? Want to know how to get a scholarship ticket? Come find out what it takes to get your ass to the desert, from tickets, packing tips, scholarship info, etc. Virgins and experienced Burners welcome.