QueerBomb 2019 Needs Volunteers to Keep Fighting the Good Fight
Event organizers say they're short on queerpower
By Lilli Hime, 4:45PM, Wed. Jan. 30, 2019
If you’re excited for QueerBomb this year, chances are, they’re just as excited for you. And in need of you.
Due to changes in leadership, organizer Sweet Gwendolyn says an overextended yet “dedicated skeleton crew” is steering the ship, but they could use some help. In an effort to bring folks together and drum up new – and old – support, the QB team is hosting a volunteer appreciation social this Monday, Feb. 4.
No to-do lists, no clipboards or businesses to contact, not even a permit in sight. Just a bunch of queers, with a bunch of drinks, getting together and getting pumped for the big event. As Gwendolyn explains, current organizers hope the social will work as a reunion for “anyone who has volunteered in the past as we enter our 10th year.”
The anti-corporate, alternative-Pride celebration, hosted in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, considers itself first and foremost a family. It originally began in 2010 when some members of Austin’s LGBTQ community felt excluded from Pride for a lack of diverse queer representation as well as the cost of participation. Since then, QueerBomb has continued to provide an inclusive, cost-free space that uplifts the less visible, and often lesser heard, folks within the queer community. A look at past speakers exemplifies some of the intersections of the queer community QB has worked to spotlight, including immigrants, Muslims, and sex workers.
But to get this show on the road, QueerBomb needs queer-power. Gwendolyn, noting the natural “ebb and flow” of volunteer pursuits, says many have cutback their QB commitments, leaving the 2019 event looking very understaffed. So while Monday night’s hangout isn’t about work, it is a good place to get acquainted with the folks still involved and a relaxed environment to learn more about the current needs. Volunteer jobs range from lighter commitments – such as day-of tasks like tabling, or fundraising support – while those looking for more involvement can jump in now to help with organizing the event that starts with an afternoon rally before taking to the streets at sunset for a queer procession. As always, a dance party to commemorate the day, follow.
But, if you’re too busy for a Monday night drink, and feeling ready to get down to business, QueerBomb’s first work meeting of the year will be held next week at the Q (1023 Springdale, Bldg. 14) from 7-9pm.
QueerBomb Volunteer Appreciation Meet Up & Social, Monday, Feb. 4, 6-9pm at Butterfly Bar with free snacks provided by Patrizi's. Free to attend.
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