Paneleiro [1] – Kegan Gaspar
Ele é um Paneleiro!
Ele é um Paneleiro!
Um Paneleiro, ele é!
Each morning my street ignites with this chant.
Every child sings with glee, ele é!
I am eight years old, an outsider,
My mother is not Portuguese, an English woman,
My father is not Catholic, a deviator,
My avós are burdened, a grandson or a demon?
Ele é um Paneleiro!
Ele é um Paneleiro!
Um Paneleiro, ele é!
Each afternoon they repeat the ritual.
I walk home from school, ele é!
I am a child, guilty,
I have no solace in church, rejected,
I feel as if I have nowhere to turn, deadly,
I always hear it, so are people like me sick in the head?
NO.
Today I shall sing a song.
Eu sou um Paneleiro!
Eu sou um Paneleiro!
Um Paneleiro, eu sou!
[1] Paneleiro is a Portuguese word whose English equivalent is a slur for “Queer”.
That’s Just Not Normal – Jodi Marx
No sex before Marriage?
Are you crazy girl?
You have been dating him for four years
It’s just not normal
These are the questions
That I hear everyday
From people who hear of my virginity
And don’t know what to say
I always tell them:
I love him so much
His familiar smile
His love for God
He knows me so well
We dance and laugh
We share our thoughts on life
We support each other through everything
I know him so well
Gentle strokes against our skin
Thoughtful kisses planted on our lips
Concerned eyes looking into one another
Always putting each other first but,
We haven’t had sex
It’s just not normal
So what if,
Plastered in make up
She dances against a shadow in the club
One drink, two drinks, three drinks she downs.
She’s got everyone watching by the pub
Her eyes grow hungry as she finds her prey
Which handsome guy will it be today?
She grabs him by the hand
Throws him on the bed and without a thought
Thrusts herself onto him
Hard knocks against their skin
Forceful kisses against their lips
Apathetic eyes looking mindlessly into darkness
Growling in hunger for a short lived pleasure,
But they are having sex
So that’s normal right?
Since when did the idea of harsh touches
and meaningless “f*****g,” become
more normal that two people who chose;
to wait, to grow in fondness, to enjoy the little moments, to learn the corners of each other’s hearts and have sex ONLY when ready?
Sex without love
Sex without respect
Sex without concern
Sex without support
Sex without understanding
Sex without all those things
That’s just not normal.
Or is it…
Queer – Thiruna Naidoo
Queer
Adjective ?kwir
Queer: a state of acceptance, of the self and of others.
Queer: the last thing you’d ever want your child to be.
Queer: a rejection of labels with boundaries slashed into the sand of your mental island.
Queer: my sister’s best friend is more than just a friend to me (in my heart)
Queer: a celebration of diversity, diversity devoid of exclusionary practices.
Queer: a word my grandfather spat out in disgust in his youth.
Queer: my first intimate connection with a girl with short hair who called me Star
Queer: a slur used to dehumanize people who loved outside of heteronormative ideals.
Queer: the carrier of my shame when a girl caught me staring at the curve of her breast.
Queer: my mother’s tears when I told her that I will not birth any children of my own.
Queer: a description of the sexual practices no one dares talk about.
Queer: a phase, a state of confusion, a possession, an influenced state.
Queer: an extraordinary ab N O R M A L ity.