Join The Queer House Party (Without Leaving Home)

Apr 3

Apr 3 Join The Queer House Party (Without Leaving Home)

With Liverpool on lockdown and our queer calendar all but empty, you’re probably finding that Friday nights just blur into every other evening of the week. Queer House Party is here to rescue your weekends!

We speak with co-founder Harry Gay to find out what you can expect from this camp, quarantine-friendly, weekly queer party at home.

Harry Gay is an activist , DJ and community organiser. He works as a Support Worker for the Outside Project (a London based LGBTQ+ shelter and community centre) and has been campaigning with the organisation since 2017. Harry’s party organising began with Queerbash at the legendary Camden haunt Her Upstairs (Ed: RIP) and he now holds weekly residences across London including queer cabaret night Pink Walrus. He’s also one third of anti-fascist DJ collective Glamtifa, running dance parties and a radio show to penetrate London’s queer rave scene with some much-needed rowdiness, while raiseing money for international antifascist solidarity.

How did Queer House Party start?

I’m currently studying an MA in Social Work and I rely on the money I make from DJing events to get by. Like most freelancers and performers since the beginning of March, I saw my bookings slowly drop off one by one. When my last booking for the foreseeable cancelled I spoke with my housemates, who I would normally DJ and gig with, about streaming some of our sets online for some cash. What started as a simple idea to create some extra cash during this crisis has turned into something so overwhelmingly beautiful!

Aside from our paid gigs we had just set up a queer anti-fascist DJ collective and radio show called GLAMTIFA, having to put that on hold was really frustrating but it was the right thing to do.

Half of the house also work in frontline/key worker roles so initially, we thought it would be a way for us all to come together and have fun during this stressful time. And it has reached beyond just the house, it is now doing that for thousands of people across the world, making people feel closer together!

How does the Queer House Party work?

Every Friday night at 21:00 we send out a link to our followers and attendees that takes them straight into the party. People then have the option to share their screen with the other attendees and dance along to the music. We also are joined by performers each week who are spotlighted as a full screen, meaning that everyone can watch a drag show together. Attendees can chat in the main chat section or send each other private messages. Our DJs have played in some of the scenes most loved venues and bring the party each week. Their equipment is linked up to the streaming software meaning the sound quality is on point!

Why is something like this so important to our queer communities right now?

The reason we all head out to queer nights is because of the community and sense of belonging that comes with it. It is so important to be able to socialise with people like yourself. We all consider ourselves relatively lucky as the six of us live together in (albeit in a ridiculously overpriced house-share in South East London) and have been friends for a while. We understand that this isn’t the case for everyone - some people will be isolated on their own or maybe even back with their birth families who might not accept their gender identity or sexual orientation. From the feedback we have received it’s clear that this party is bringing the sense of queer community that was found in clubs and bars online for people who are struggling.

How do you think self isolation and the issues surrounding COVID-19 are affecting the LGBTQ+ community?

Two of us work for The Outside Project, an LGBTIQ+ homeless organisation. We have had to move most of our community support services online and run daily socials at 12 and 6 for people who are self-isolating on their own or with phobic parents and families. We have also just launched a huge campaign and block booked loads of single occupancy rooms in a hostel so that queers who need to isolate but can’t because they are homeless have somewhere to be alone/recover from this virus. Please check them out and consider donating to their campaign.

What are the things that help you physically and mentally during this time?

Channeling our anger at what is happening into positive projects. We’re looking into ways we can support people who are going on rent strike, we have been part of coordinating both the international and our own local COVID-19 Mutual Aid networks. And we’ve been helping set up The Outside Project’s online community centre. Most of all we are all trying to be as active as possible, but it’s also okay to use this time to rest. Most of us, on top of our day jobs, are involved in community organising, campaigning, and activism. So it’s actually been good to be able to take things a bit slower for once.

How do you think this experience will change us all?

Hopefully, people will never vote for the Tories again.

Now we have witnessed a hell of a lot more community support and building, what efforts/actions would you like to see carried on even after we get through this?

The biggest thing that has been brought to our attention is how parties like ours are so much more accessible for ALL of the queer community. Disabled people and people with access needs can pop in and join the party without having to worry about accessibility, neuro-divergent people can avoid sensory overload, survivors can have a boogie and feel safe, our sober siblings don’t have to worry about being around booze, these things really need to be addressed within the queer scene, it’s shit that it’s taken a pandemic to make parties more accessible and we will never be taking this stuff for granted again.

We also love to see everyone gunning for the Tories and really hope this leads to a revolution and the end of capitalism.

Do you have a playlist or a film/programme that takes you to your happy place that you can share with our readers?

Bobs Burgers! We love it.