club in the time of corona
Have you been to Club Quarantine?
Club Quarantine is giving us literally everything: amazing international and local DJs, the most devastatingly sickening looks, jaw dropping dance moves, and all the tingly electric current energy of a treasured queer club. Alongside all these hallmarks of an IRL sweet spot, CQ features many elements usually prohibited from such venues, such as babies, corgies, and the comfort of your living room couch. People show up with their kids, their parents and their grandparents, all grooving along to whatever the DJ of the hour is spinning. I'm living for the sexy outfits, the creative makeup looks, and the bedrooms that have been transformed into mini clubs themselves; all while sipping coffee in my PJs because it's morning in Korea.
Many central elements of queer culture are present in the creation of CQ: carving out supportive spaces within the mainstream, a DIY (do it yourself) attitude, creative showcasing and fundraising for artists, and queering new technologies to meet these aims. One of the first times I logged into Club Quarantine, the hosts were having some technical difficulties with the Zoom platform (as each artist shares their screen and sound, and the hosts speak in between sets, these types of challenges sometimes arise). A hilarious moment ensued as one of the hosts noted that Zoom was created for professional business meetings- and here we are using it to shake our asses in our apartments at a virtual queer club. The community is not only using the platform to meet our unique needs for space sharing and togetherness, but expanding the potential of these technologies in doing so. By widening the field of imaginable possibilities, we transform the use of new technologies.
While the atmosphere is definitely saturated with party vibes, this heightened accessibility makes CQ more than a club. Public (with an audience) and private (everyone is at home), Club Quarantine is a choose your own adventure party where every way to be queer and have fun is celebrated with fierceness, tenderness and love. In a time of death, fear and isolation, the daily reminder that we belong to each other is healing and true. As this community has known for a long time, the gift of the club is not just fun (though it is super fun, and you should definitely visit!). The gift of the club is belonging, and I never thought that virtual reality could give us so much of it.
This incredible environment of creativity and mutual support is how queer people, and in particular queer Black and POC women, transgender and gender-nonconforming people, have contributed so much to popular culture over time (both intentionally and through appropriation). In this period of what often feels like stagnation, it gives me a lot of hope to witness and participate in the rebirth of the queer club online. It's not a complete substitute for the tactile bonding of being together, and it doesn't bring back the experiences and important IRL venues that we're losing to this pandemic. We've also lost family and community members to this illness, and of course nothing can make that okay. Going to the club doesn't make the unfairness, horror and bullshit of the world disappear. It allows us to feel and embrace our humanity, our joy and our love for each other, which form our powerful resistance to the fucked-up-ness of our times. Queer people have always been masterful at celebrating while mourning. When we club even in the quarantine, we join a long and gorgeous lineage of queer people before us who refused to deny themselves and their ties to each other.
Besides all this beauty and sentiment, it really is so, so fun. So come join me in the club! Dress code is whatever you want, drinks are whatever's in your fridge, cover is by donation, and I'll be up by the DJ, watching them in spin in awe. Bring your boyfriend, roommate, grandma or whoever you're sharing space with right now. Prepare to be impressed by the official (DJs, drag queens, singers, hosts) and unofficial (pole dancers, jugglers, lip syncers, more drag queens, cute pets dancing, makeup artists and more) performing talent there every night. Tip generously (if you can afford to), thank our hardworking hosts, and revel in the sublime magic of the virtual queer club. Let the bright energy fuel you on whatever fronts you're fighting in this dark time.
Find us @clubquarantine (and me @thefrannable).
With all my love,
- Frances
"A queer online dance party every day of the quarantine" (from their Instagram, @clubquarantine), CQ has been going strong since its' Zoom inauguration over 8 weeks ago. They've hosted emergency COVID-related fundraisers, heartbreaking closure parties (such as for Toronto's beloved Club 120), and incredible talent from multiple continents. They've collaborated with Paper and Editorial magazines, Seoul's Cakeshop, Montreal's House of Barbara, Lip Events, and also featured some famous faces (including JoJo and Rebecca Black of 'Friday' fame). For everyone who's ever wanted to go to the party while also really wanting to stay home in bed, now's your chance. They are doing the damn thing and they are doing it damn well.
Club Quarantine is giving us literally everything: amazing international and local DJs, the most devastatingly sickening looks, jaw dropping dance moves, and all the tingly electric current energy of a treasured queer club. Alongside all these hallmarks of an IRL sweet spot, CQ features many elements usually prohibited from such venues, such as babies, corgies, and the comfort of your living room couch. People show up with their kids, their parents and their grandparents, all grooving along to whatever the DJ of the hour is spinning. I'm living for the sexy outfits, the creative makeup looks, and the bedrooms that have been transformed into mini clubs themselves; all while sipping coffee in my PJs because it's morning in Korea.
 |
| Guests of Club Quarantine. |
Many central elements of queer culture are present in the creation of CQ: carving out supportive spaces within the mainstream, a DIY (do it yourself) attitude, creative showcasing and fundraising for artists, and queering new technologies to meet these aims. One of the first times I logged into Club Quarantine, the hosts were having some technical difficulties with the Zoom platform (as each artist shares their screen and sound, and the hosts speak in between sets, these types of challenges sometimes arise). A hilarious moment ensued as one of the hosts noted that Zoom was created for professional business meetings- and here we are using it to shake our asses in our apartments at a virtual queer club. The community is not only using the platform to meet our unique needs for space sharing and togetherness, but expanding the potential of these technologies in doing so. By widening the field of imaginable possibilities, we transform the use of new technologies.
While the atmosphere is definitely saturated with party vibes, this heightened accessibility makes CQ more than a club. Public (with an audience) and private (everyone is at home), Club Quarantine is a choose your own adventure party where every way to be queer and have fun is celebrated with fierceness, tenderness and love. In a time of death, fear and isolation, the daily reminder that we belong to each other is healing and true. As this community has known for a long time, the gift of the club is not just fun (though it is super fun, and you should definitely visit!). The gift of the club is belonging, and I never thought that virtual reality could give us so much of it.
 |
| Artist Dinah Jane, performing from a fancy bathtub. |
This incredible environment of creativity and mutual support is how queer people, and in particular queer Black and POC women, transgender and gender-nonconforming people, have contributed so much to popular culture over time (both intentionally and through appropriation). In this period of what often feels like stagnation, it gives me a lot of hope to witness and participate in the rebirth of the queer club online. It's not a complete substitute for the tactile bonding of being together, and it doesn't bring back the experiences and important IRL venues that we're losing to this pandemic. We've also lost family and community members to this illness, and of course nothing can make that okay. Going to the club doesn't make the unfairness, horror and bullshit of the world disappear. It allows us to feel and embrace our humanity, our joy and our love for each other, which form our powerful resistance to the fucked-up-ness of our times. Queer people have always been masterful at celebrating while mourning. When we club even in the quarantine, we join a long and gorgeous lineage of queer people before us who refused to deny themselves and their ties to each other.
Besides all this beauty and sentiment, it really is so, so fun. So come join me in the club! Dress code is whatever you want, drinks are whatever's in your fridge, cover is by donation, and I'll be up by the DJ, watching them in spin in awe. Bring your boyfriend, roommate, grandma or whoever you're sharing space with right now. Prepare to be impressed by the official (DJs, drag queens, singers, hosts) and unofficial (pole dancers, jugglers, lip syncers, more drag queens, cute pets dancing, makeup artists and more) performing talent there every night. Tip generously (if you can afford to), thank our hardworking hosts, and revel in the sublime magic of the virtual queer club. Let the bright energy fuel you on whatever fronts you're fighting in this dark time.
Find us @clubquarantine (and me @thefrannable).
With all my love,
- Frances
 |
| Celebrating Shimmer's second birthday. |
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