BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
This month, Dreambox Collective is hoping to start a conversation that will boost Australia’s understanding of the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities. Beyond Binary celebrates “the full spectrum: moving beyond binary labels of gender and sexuality” through the presentation of originally composed music and conversation informed by artists’ lived experiences.
Amy McCarthy — a trombonist, human rights researcher, and LGBTQIA+ advocate — will speak at this event as guest host. Joining her will be Dr Eloise Brook from the New South Wales Gender Centre for a discussion about the issues, experiences, and needs of LGBTQIA+ people. In this interview, we catch up with Amy (pictured above) who tells us what’s in store for this important online Zoom concert and Q&A session.
Amy, it’s great to connect with you about Beyond Binary. How did you get involved in this event?
I met [DreamBox Collective artistic director] Chloe Chung through my tertiary music study, and we performed all around Sichuan province in China together. Dreambox Collective is one of her big passions — and with this project focusing on the intersection of music, art, gender and sexuality, I was ecstatic that Chloe asked to have me on board. These are all topics that are deeply meaningful to me as my life has changed immeasurably thanks to all of these things.
The event is about “celebrating the full spectrum: moving beyond binary labels of gender and sexuality”. With your experience as a human rights researcher and LGBTQIA+ advocate, I’m interested to hear what this means to you.
Society and the broader world have a huge amount of progress to go before LGBTQ+ people can live with equity of safety, opportunity, and enjoyment of human rights. I think this concert is a great way to look at what that entails, and fusing these two concept areas to create a composite viewing experience that combines the lived experience of the artists with the art that we’ve produced.
Our art and our music is not created in a microcosm, it is the product of our joy, our sadness, and our experiences. I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to pair a deeply evocative and thought-provoking Q&A with equally evocative compositions that have been curated for this event.
How have you seen these worlds of advocacy and the arts overlap?
Personally, I see advocacy as a very well-defined concrete process. I am always very clear in my mind of the changes that need to be made, and the legislation that needs to change nationally and internationally to foster positive change. Music is a wonderful contrast, because it is subjective. It is rich and varied, and there is no definite target when I write or listen to music.
In terms of an overlap, I would say that I am fortunate to see a lot of support generally in the arts industry, but my personal experience has not been without subvert and overt discrimination. I wish that everyone could act with an open mind about what needs to be done in regards to advocacy. It is a very inclusive and uplifting behaviour, and that’s part of why I am so excited for this concert to bring the two spheres together.
How do you feel the Australian arts industry should work proactively to welcome and showcase the work and stories of LGBTQIA+ artists? What can arts organisations do better?
First, all arts organisations need to work to eradicate any biases or prejudices. Before even talking about the need for equity, I strongly believe that many people will just inherently be judgmental without even giving it any real thought.
After that, I believe celebration and positive acknowledgement is key to showcasing and including LGBTQ+ artists. Despite many of us having queer and trans friends and family, we may struggle to name LGBTQ+ artists because that is not what we are exposed to as a default. Arts organisations should see the opportunity to highlight and acknowledge the wonderful repertory of art created by LGBTQ+ people as something very special and deeply rewarding for all involved.
With your research in mind, what do you feel are some of the biggest risks if the arts industry does not take some of those actions?
Deliberate and incidental exclusion of LGBTQ+ people from participating in the arts industry will simply exacerbate the widespread inequality that this community already deals with.
There is a lot to be said about the uphill battle to foster inclusion for LGBTQ+ people. At the end of the day, this is the livelihood and wellbeing of people we’re talking about; I don’t need to articulate the impact on people’s mental health and quality of life. ‘Advocacy’ at its heart is really about our lives. Are we treated with respect? Compassion? Positivity? This is why these decisions, whichever way they go, are so important to us.
When you speak at this online Zoom concert with Dreambox Collective, what are some of the conversations or messages you are planning to share?
Part of the concert will definitely talk about the key things that need to change at all levels — governmental right down to communal — but a large part of the concert in my mind will be about celebration. This is the lives and art of queer people being given visibility and I want to celebrate that.
In terms of the advocacy, I would classify my targets in two groups: political and social. Trans people in New South Wales still require cost-prohibitive and large-scale surgeries just to have their gender acknowledged on their birth certificate. The trans panic defence still exists in many first-world countries. Being gay is still a crime in far too many countries.
Socially, my emphasis is placed on creating a stronger consensus on the validity of diverse sexes, sexualities, and genders. There are still far too many faux-intellectuals who believe there is a biological argument to be had against people transitioning. And far too many people do not see LGBTQ+ people as people equally deserving of respect and everything our society offers. That needs to change for things to improve.
Who would you encourage to attend this Zoom, and what do you hope they might do after they leave?
In short, I would encourage everyone to attend! I hope for it to be educational, interesting, and artistically nourishing. I want everyone who comes to be empowered with a clear understanding of what advocacy entails, and how they can be a part of a positive push for change. The more people that stand up to homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and intersexism, the faster the rest of the world realises that their actions are unacceptable and cruel. To me, it is exciting to help foster a community that shows support and compassion, as that is something that is so sorely needed.
I hope that a lot of people come and be a part of the concert. It is a first of its kind in many ways, and I can promise the music, the stories and the message behind it will all be deeply engaging.
Experience concert and discussion Beyond Binary at 7pm August 20. Full details and Zoom bookings on the Dreambox Collective website.
Images supplied.
