new years, belfast, queer club
These are words I never thought I would be saying together in the same sentance, but since I'm in a constant state of surprising myself I found myself last night on new years eve in belfast in a queer club. A series of randoms events and quick decissions brought this wonderful night into a reality. Just a few short days ago mud and I were sitting in a 'vegitarian' restaurant in galway after our ferry ride back from aran islands. I sat there eating vegan seperds pie and mud was eating rubarb crumble pie with whip cream. it was noon and we were debating what to do for new years. A friend has said that she was heading to belfast the next day . . . we decided to see if we find a hostel and see the city before meeting up with her. In that next forthy mins, we got a hostel, ran to the bus station bought tickets and got on a bus to belfast. It was all so fast . . .next thing I knew mud and I were looking at each other and saying "ummm we are going to belfast"

7 hours and three bus transfers after we were in belfast, the city has such a great energy, I loved it imidiately. Not surpringily it has a great mix of london and galway . . . now the debate do we head up to the north part of the city so we can go dance in the queer clubs. the north side where the 'troubles' were and possbily are, the area that clears out after 6 and no one wonders the streets. the area that the guide book says start your night there but grab acab out of it early. The area that when we ask people at the hostle about going up there they give us a confused 'why would you want to' look and suggest local pubs.

of course I want to go . . .no only do I have a hunger for a queer bar and dancing, I also have a hunger for breaking down stigmas. I had a feeling that things are not as bad as they are made out to be. I know that things have been bad, I'm not taking that away from them. I know that you would have to be seriously cautious, with deserted streets a sence of sketchiness is there. I know all this but have a feeling that there is so much stigma that its repuation most likely excedes its actually danger.

While I get all worked up about how I hate that they queer clubs are in the one area that you are not suppose to go to and how I wish it was safer and easier but don't want to not go because of interalized fear of those who feel they have no need to go - I also think of my mom and how unhappy she would be if she knew that I was going against all words of wisdom and heading to the area of the 'troubles' in northern belfast.

after great debates and my insistance that I refuse to take responsiblity of what ever happens . . .i didn't want that kinds of pressure in my world. If we were going to go we would look after each other but I refused to pressure mud to do this ugg to much responsiblity, its not like I had any idea what the area was acutally like, I didn't know until 20 mins before leaving that I was going there so didn't have a chance to ask people. . . . we headed off to the kremlin . . . oh good times continued. SO good that we convinced our friend to ditch the crowded caotic straight club and join us once agian in the queer club on new years. so two nights in a row :) the girls in belfast sure are cute!!

tbc