Pride in Arts Queer Arts Festival

This year I immersed myself in art and community as the principle photographer for the Queer Arts Festival here in Vancouver, BC.

I met some incredibly talented individuals; I experienced poignant performances; I challenged myself photographically and I felt a deep sense of community and pride.

The Queer Arts Festival chose 'Random Acts of Queerness' as its theme for 2012 to honour the centenary of experimental queer artist John Cage.

Soprano Teiya Kashahara performing in the Queer Arts Festival's Workshop of the Opera 'When the Sun Comes Out'. Canada's first lesbian Opera, commissioned by the Queer Arts Festival, from Composer Leslie Uyeda and Poet Rachel Rose.

Pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaaasa and Soprano Teiya Kashahara performing in the Queer Arts Festival's Workshop of the Opera 'When the Sun Comes Out'.

Boulez contra Cage. Adapted by David Bloom from the correspondence between friends, John Cage and Pierre Boulez, two of the most influential composers of the 20th Century.

Flute/Piano duo Tiresias (Mark McGregor and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa) performing a premiere piece by Simon Martin, commissioned for this performance.

Pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa performing a solo in 'Boulez contra Cage'.

My favorite performer during the festival. Kate Bornstein, Author, Playwright, Performance Artist, Gender Outlaw, Advocate and radical role model for queer youth.

Kate sharing the symbolism of the Ankh tattoo from her memoirs entitled, "A Queer and Pleasant DANGER".

"Do whatever you need or want to do in order to make life worth living. Love who and how you want to love. Just don't be mean. Should you get sent to Hell for doing something that isn't mean to someone, I'll do your time in Hell for you."

~ Kate Bornstein