The spoken word poet delivers a gut punch with a timely new film
BY CARRIE LYELL
Urgent, intimate and provocative, Lisa Luxx’s new spoken word poem Lesbian. is essential viewing.
Filmed and directed by Tamara al Mashouk, the powerful four minute video sees Lisa talking directly to the camera, sharing her anger and frustration of how difficult – and dangerous – it often is to move through the world as a lesbian.
Luxx delivers a real gut punch in Lesbian., as she urges us to “say it”.
“Say it, without thinking phase, without thinking male gaze, without thinking TERFs, or enemy of the queer crusade. Say it without thinking we’re you’re currency to spend. Say it knowing when we come out, we have to steal our bodies back from men. Say it. Say it above a whisper. Say it like you say gay. Say it like it’s my name.”
Written in response to the increase in homophobic and misogynistic hate crime, Lisa says: “[This poem] details how the word ‘lesbian’ has become such a slur, it’s left us with only a taboo to identify by.
“Someone recently said, ‘You identify as a lesbian? That’s very 90s of you’. Even within our communities , it is associated with reinforcing binaries when the history of lesbianism is everything but that.
“This poem is ultimately about the public lesbian experience.”
Follow Lisa and Tamara on Twitter @lisaluxx_ and @tamaralmashouk.
Lisa will be performing Lesbian. at the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival on Saturday 6 July. Book tickets at arabartsfestival.com/events/they-write-the-shadows-into-light.
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