Chisme as a Tool of Liberation
Yesterday evening, as part of QLatinx's Social Justice Education Initiative, our Executive Director Christopher Cuevas led the members of QLatinx in our Chisme as a Tool of Liberation workshop, where we discussed the power of chisme as a political act of resistance against machista culture and its use as a strategy for community organizing in the digital age.
In this workshop we explored the ethical implications of the practice of chisme. According to Cuevas, "When [chisme is] practiced correctly and ethically, we can shore up the validity of our experiences and ensure that important stories are communicated to protect and defend our communities."
As noted by one of the members, chisme is often the only method of communication our communities can practice in order to discuss private issues such as domestic violence, workplace abuse, sex, and intimacy. Cuevas went further to explain the ethics surrounding the kind of chisme we practice and cautioned us to be mindful of what we share as to not expose those who experience violence or abuse.
We also explored the concept of chisme as storytelling for defense and discussed ways in which to enhance storytelling techniques by becoming more effective chismosxs. As Cuevas explained, "sharing chisme and telling stories can be done very easily. You don’t need very much technology. Use what you’ve got, whether it’s a tumblr blog, an instagram account, or even forums like these. Curate a space where we can share stories and uplift the voices of other Latinxs."
We are incredibly thankful to our friends at Proyecto Somos Orlando for hosting us this week! We want to also credit the work of Queer Xicano Chisme and Xicanisma for inspiring the concept behind this workshop. We hope you're able to to join us for future workshops, as part of this ongoing initiative. To stay up to date and to learn about future events and activities sign-up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
