Toulouse Lesbo... folle (i.e mad) ! oh sorry !
Lesbopole !
Two series of events livened up Toulouse, the so-called pink town, during Lesbian Spring: the in-town festival for four evenings from April 7th to 10th followed by the women-only symposium on the theme "Laughing as weapon" for three intensive days from April 11th to 13th. Lesbians invested in numbers the auditorium of the Contemporary and Modern Art Museum Les Abattoirs, the Ombres Blanches bookshop, the Utopia cinema, the Center for Choregraphic Development, the Henri Desbals Cultural Center, and the City Hall's "Salle des Illustres" to attend screenings, meetings, choregraphic performances, discussions, and official speeches. In the "Ombres Blanches" bookstore At the Capitole (popular name of Toulouse Town Hall) we have been warmly welcomed with the speech of Saliha Minar, in charge of diversity representation, followed by a presentation of the coming events by Jacqueline Julien. Mayor Pierre Cohen answered with a passionate speech which ended in a lyrical flight: "Toulouse Lesbo... folle!... Sorry Lesbopole." A huge roar of laughter made the frescos' bare nymphs shudder, and then in all good humour the council team clincked glasses with all assembled around Bagdam Espace Lesbien.
The in-town festival offered 5 meetings of great artistic and militant quality, just before the week-end's main dish: 300 lesbians got together in the Saint Agne area, at the new Associations' House kindly put to disposal for Bagdam by the town council (but the wind was not with us and the tent where the cafeteria should be installed could not be erected). Three fully packed days from 8.30 am for Qi Gong addicts until the end of the debates around 7 pm. And then the nights went on in music with the rock band Anatomie Bousculaire's concert and two leisure evenings organised with loving care by Folles Seasons and The Luna Loca.
Contract completed after these "crazy" days in Toulouse... in Lesbopole! |