ByRayFelixCarter.
QueerZinesofCareontheKentCoast isacommissionofthreezines exploringthethemeofcarefromamixofqueerperspectives, groundedinthethreecoastaltownsofDover,Margateand Folkestone.
Thethreeartists-BobChicalors(Dover),RayFelixCarter (Folkestone)andGretaSharp(Margate)-haveusedwriting, illustrationandcollagetoreflectandsharetheexperiencesofthe queercommunityintheseplaces,capturingamomentintimeand theirrelationshipto,andexperienceof,careinthesecoastal communities.
Thezineswillbefreelydistributedinqueer-welcomingspacesin eachtowninthehopethattheywillberead,gifted,sharedandloved bythepeoplewhoneedthemmost.
QueerZinesofCareontheKentCoast formspartofPeople
United’s FutureofCare,amulti-facetedartsprogrammewhichtook placeacrossEastKentin2021and2022,supportedbyArtsCouncil England,CreativeEstuary,PaulHamlynFoundation,TheRogerDe HaanCharitableTrustandKentCountyCouncil.
—AndreaSpisto,PeopleUnited
Stories of Care
Iaskedafewof thepeopleIcareabouthereinFolkestoneabouttheirexperiencesof care.Thesearejustsomeexcerptsfromwhattheykindlysharedwithme.Youcan findtheminfullat www.queercarearchive.weebly.com.
Here’sthemessageIsentout: “Hello!
ThisisacopiedmessageI'msendingtoafewpeopletohelpmeoutwithazine projectI'mworkingon.I'dlikefolkstoansweraquickquestiontogointhezine: "What'sonewaythatyou'veexperiencedcareinFolkestone?"
Howhaveyoubeencaredfororshowncaretosomeoneelsewhilelivingin Folkestone?HowdowecareforeachotherasatinylittlequeertransFolkestone crew?Howhasthatcarefelt?Overwhelming,difficult,alienating,warm,loving, reassuring?Anymomentsthatfeelimportanttoyou,relatedtoqueer/translifeor communitybuildingisperfect.
I'dloveif youcouldsendmeareplyintextoravoicenote,itdoesn'thavetobelong. If that's hard, we can try to find time to have a conversation about it instead.
Thankusomuch!”
“…Icantellyouof thesubtlecomfortinbumpingintoafriendlyface,thegrowing rhythm of familiar strangers. Eventually learning the name of the person you pass everyWednesdayafternoonwhohasatallskinnygreydog.Icantellyouthat communityfeelsmoreattainableforthisdisabledbodywheneverythingand everyoneisphysicallycloser.
Icantellyouthatcommunitywithasmall'c'feelsmorepossiblewhenyouknow thatyouwillseethesamepeopleagainandagainandagain-thatyouare responsibleandaccountabletoyourwordsandactionsbecauseyoucan'tfadeinto thethousands.“
Jay
“…wewereonourwaytoafriend'shousewarming,Ithink,andwesawanelderly personfalloutsideLubensandbreaktheirfemur-thelegbone.Isthatright?Thigh bone? Femur? I just remember seeing how people kind of stopped and gathered around,andwewereworkingoutwhattodo,andcalledtheambulance.
Youcouldseethathewasinimmensepainbutwaskindof embarrassedandnot wanting to show it. He was wearing this hair piece that had kind of twisted round andIkindof feltreallybadforhimcausehewouldn'thaveknownitwoulddone that,soIkindof justsortof subtlyadjustedit.
Itwasjustsuchanicefeelingof beinginacommunityandfeelingliketherewasthis safety net of care that sits within people. It was very wholesome and reassuring, and it'swhatcametomindwhenyoumentionedcare.
ohandIforgottosayhowhewastellingmethathewasawriterof ghoststories.”
Ila
“…thewomanwasterrified,themanwasfrightening,Iwassogladtohavesomeone withme.Weprotectedeachotherbyinstinctivelyusingfakenames,keepinganeye oneachother.Wewerebothsoshakenafterwards,scaredwe'dbefollowedbythe man,afterthewomanwastakentohospital.MyfriendandIneededcareourselves afterwardsandwereabletoofferittoeachotherthroughmessaging,spendingquiet timeineachother'scompany-sometimesyoujustneedtobewithsomeonewho knowswhatyouwentthrough,youdon'thavetotalkaboutit.
Ialsomessagedthewoman,sherangmeonceandwehadalongtalk.Shedidn't rememberanythingabouttheincident.Istillhavehernumberandthinkabout checkinginonhereverynowandthenbutmakethedecisiononbalancetocarefor myself by not opening up the door.
Itfeelsselfish.Careiscomplicatedasitfeelslikeitcanbesoeasilyuneven,itcan takesomuchmoreawayfromyouthanyougive-butinthewayIandmyfriend caredforeachotherintheaftermath,carecanalsobebalanced,mutual.Givingcare canbetraumatic,butitcanalsobeaffirming.It'scomplicated.”
Emmie
“Likemostpeople,I’vebeenrelearningwhatcarelooksandfeelslike.
Careisn’tall-consumingorself-sacrificing.It’snotadebtthatyouoweoragrand gesture.Realcarecanbesoquiet,youhavetolearntolistenforit.
Forme,carehasbeenassimpleaspeopletrustingmewhenIdidn’ttrustmyself.Or beinghappytoseemewhenIwaswishingmyself invisible.
Ineverthoughtthatreciprocalcuriosityandconnectioncouldfeelcomfortableand containing.Ineverthoughtitwouldfeelsafetobecaredforwithinacommunity.”
Clare
“ThemorepeopleIsharemyheartwith,themorepeopleIfindwhohavebeen wounded by a lack of care, by inadequate care, or by the imposition of unreasonable demandsonthecaretheycouldgive. Iamfindingthatthemostsustained,loving andsaferelationshipsaretheoneswhereweapproachcareasaveryintentional, careful, gentle thing. I find myself often in conversations where one person will identifyaneed–notonetheyhave,butapotentialneedthatanotherpersonmight havethattheyworrywehaven’tpreparedfor–andthethoughtfulwayswe’vegone ontonavigatethatconversationleavesmefeelingincrediblysecureintherealisation that,althoughIamstilllearninghowtoexpressmyneedforcare,Icantrustthatthe peoplearoundmewillhearmewhenIdo.
Iamlearningalsothat,inagroupof peoplewhohaveallbeenwoundedandare vulnerable,weareallcapableof askingfortoomuchfromanyoneperson,andI includemyself inthat. Notlongafterescapingmyabusiveex,Ibecamefriendswith apersonfullof morepainthanevenourwholefriendgroupcouldcarry,andwho wasintoomuchstrifetoseewhentheywereaskingmorefromonepersonthanwas fair. As a result, they would burn through the heart of each member of the group in turnand,whenboundariesinevitablyhadtobelaidout,expressedgreatpainand feelings of rejection and abandonment that only made it harder for the rest of the grouptofeelsafegivingcareatall[…].”
Newt
IwascommissionedbyPeopleUnitedtomakeazineaboutradicalcare,queerness andlivinginFolkestone.Thisbrief wasarealchallenge,butalsoalabourof love. Afterlotsof agonisingandoverthinking,whatcameoutwasalovelettertothe peopleI’vefoundinFolkestoneindiary-comicform,andacollectionof theirown thoughtsaboutcare.
-Ray
If you would like to get in touch with People Unitedandshareyourthoughts,weareon www.peopleunited.org.uk
Youcanemailusat info@peopleunited.org.ukorfindusonall socialmediaasPeopleUnited.
Wewouldliketothankourpartnerswho madethisworkpossible:
