Queer Exile, Gender Invisibility and Public Art

Abstract

Women from Sub-Saharan Africa, lesbian or otherwise, including asylum seekers, migrants or European nationals, women who love other women in African countries, where you give your life, face circumcision or rape for love; advocacy organizations working with these groups, on a European or national level; female, queer, feminist and black artists; these were the stakeholders sought out by Toxic Lesbian during the artist’s residence in El Ranchito, Matadero, Madrid to develop this project in a public and process art format between 2011 and 2012. It received support from general human rights organizations, refugees and migrants, gender-specific ones or LGBTQ associations. The aim of the research project is to present the findings on the reasons why queer Africans and, more specifically, women, emigrate. It will look at existing forms of discrimination during the queer diasporas, who left due to their sexual orientation and gender, as well as those within international institutions which are supposed to ensure the enforcement of right to asylum legislation. Similarly, it will be shown images of the creative processes implemented in this respect through public art, with cooperation from partner institutions and members of the population featured in the project overseen by the artist.