Have your say on May 17—and hear others have theirs—with a soapbox turnaround. The idea is really simple and captures the very essence of fighting for freedom of expression for LGBTI communities. Get a soapbox (pictured above), get together with your friends or local organisation, and start taking turns getting up and having your say!
This could easily be a small private event in your community centre, classroom, or a friend’s house or a big public event in a local public square or outside your city government building.
Participants could be given time to prepare what they want to say, do, act, dance, shout, or move. When they are “up there,” people could freestyle about whatever they like, of course, in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia!
Organisers might want to select a hot topic or theme for the event (‘Have your say about sex, religion and politics!’) or a question (‘How can we best fight for LGBTI rights worldwide?’) so that the event has some coherence and buzz! Or, of course, you could always leave it completely open for people to say and do whatever they like!
For inspiration you might want to check out artist Antony Gormley’s public art project ‘One and Other‘ from 2009, in which 2,400 members of the public took it in turns to speak for one hour each, on top of Trafalgar Square’s famous Fourth Plinth, which worked as a huge podium in central London. The project lasted for 100 days exactly, and people did the most amazing diversity of things – from posing naked as if for a life drawing class, to demolishing a paper cut-out of the London skyline dressed as Godzilla, to delivering political statements on the rights of persons with disabilities, or gay people, for peace or the environment…
Some alternatives include…
A soapbox flashmob
Rather than having it in a pre-planned venue, or in a private community space, why not ALL get a box of some sort and descend into a public space, such as a busy train station or public square, and suddenly all whip out your boxes, jump on them and start having your say – all at the same time!
You are indeed likely to get people’s attention! And you can film it, take photos, and buzz it on social media afterwards as well.
Soapbox bomb
Another option for a spontaneous event is to choose a typically ‘straight’ or ‘traditional’ place that is not used to seeing queer young people (and perhaps some older people, too) get on their soapbox and have their say! This is a more confrontational version, so make sure you think through any risks first!
Photo source: MonsieurLui on Flickr
