Staceyann Chin - Friday Opening

A resident of New York City and a Jamaican National, Staceyann Chin has been an "out poet and political activist" since 1998. From the rousing cheers of the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe to one-woman shows Off- Broadway to poetry workshops in Denmark and London to co-writer and performer in the Tony nominated, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, Chin credits the long list of "things she has done" to her grandmother's hard-working history and the pain of her mother's absence.

Dragonsani Renteria - Saturday Keynote

Dragonsani ("Drago") Renteria is the founder of the national Deaf Queer Resource Center. For Drago, being Queer isn't just a sexual orientation but also a culture. He is a second generation Queer and comes from a working-class background. His mother is a lesbian and one of his two siblings is gay. He "came out" when he was 12 years old. Passionate about making a difference, he has devoted a great portion of his time over the past 20 years as an activist, educator, historian, organizer and leader in the LGBTIQ Community. Drago is passionate about preserving the history of the Deaf LGBT Community, which is often overlooked and missing from most LGBT and deaf history books. In 1994, he founded the National Deaf Queer Archives, which he continues to maintain and coordinate on a volunteer basis.

Cherrie Moraga - Sunday Closing

Cherríe Moraga is a poet, playwright and essayist, and the co-editor of This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. She is the author of numerous plays including "Shadow of a Man" and "Watsonville: Some Place Not Here," (both won the Fund for New
American Plays Award in 1991 and 1995, respectively) and "Heroes and Saints," which earned the Pen West Award for Drama in 1992. Her plays have been anthologized in numerous collections and are also published in a three-volume series of collected works published by West End Press of Albuquerque, New Mexico, including TheHungry Woman: A Mexican Medea. Her collected non-fiction writings include: The Last Generation (South End Press); a memoir, Waiting in the Wings: Portrait of a Queer Motherhood (Firebrand Books); and, a new expanded edition of the now classic, Loving in the War Years, republished by South End Press in 2000. Ms. Moraga is also a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts' Theatre Playwrights' Fellowship and is the Artist-in-Residence in the Departments of Drama and Spanish & Portuguese at Stanford University.

Adelina Anthony's "Requiem for Queer Amor" - Saturday Evening

From the creator/performer of "Mastering Sex & Tortillas!" comes a new and daring performance art piece. Written and performed by Xicana lesbian, Adelina Anthony, this commissioned UCR workshop premiere traverses the complex terrain of queers, anti-migration, and other taboo frontiers. Set at the turn of the century, the Wild West gets even wilder when SANCHA, a queer ancestor, comes to life. SANCHA is a pistol carrying womyn lover, shrewd cantina owner, and harmonica playing aficionado. Her story celebrates the struggle of survival, love, y claro... good whiskey. REQUIEM FOR QUEER AMOR features invited queer ranchera singer, Magaly: La Voz de Oro.

Please note: This performance is FREE with conference name tag or UCR student I.D. Public pays $5 at the door. Presented by ASPB, Cultural Events, LGBTRC, QCC. Click here for more information.

Queer Coffee House - Saturday Evening
featuring SKIM & The Kings of Drag
hosted by Ariana Kallina

SKIM is a child of hip hop touched by the blues, reggae moods, & the soul of korean folk. SKIM is a bridge between man and woman, native and immigrant, rich and poor, love and war. Her music resonates in your spine and reverberates in your bones, striking a chord deep in the heart of anyone willing to listen.

The Kings of Drag present DECADES. Sacramento Kings of Drag entertain the masses with their gender bending extravaganza. They do it all - women dressed up as men, women dressed up as men dressed up as women, and more! The hottest "bois" you'll see all weekend.

As a trained “PSYCHO! – therapist,” Ariana Kalina has truly applied the therapeutic benefits of humor to help shed light on the sometimes ambiguous topics of sexuality and fashion. A true hedonist at heart, this hard working Asian American beauty juggles two careers by choice because “it’s fun.” Or, maybe it has to do with the fact that her moon is in Gemini in the 10th House. Regardless, this comedienne is a must see… and an education!