“Reclaim the City”
The human was born alone. In the evolutionary process, he/she worked hard to survive, to transform. He/she won the irrevocable right to live via fighting, claiming the right of choice, self-determination, and lost lives to win respect.
Respectable is the man who is characterized by obedience to the rules that determine proper behavior. In the sociology of smaller groups, the homosexual population is considered “not-respectable” because it does not follow the “correct” behavior of the general population. In ancient Greece the term homosexuality did not exist. The institutions of society was founded and developed also by “respectable homosexuals” free citizens. From the homoeroticism of the muslim ‘hamams’ to the ‘way of the samurai’ and from Homers Iliad to the Indian Mahabarata, there are references to bodies of same sex joining creating authentic love.
With the foundation of the three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Muslim/Islam) homosexuality is criticized, condemned and apart from the eternal damnation after death-during the Gothic and Rennaisance period-was under fire by the Inquisition as something unholy and evil. In the 18th century Orientalism takes Europe and brings with it the supposed freedom of men and women from the East.
The term “homosexuality” is the creation of a Hungarian doctor in the late 19th Century devised to define the -up to then- unexplained love….the rollercoaster continued in the decades to follow and homosexuals were victims of racism from the Nazis, while the case of Harvey Milk is notable, an American gay activist that was murdered in 1978 for his beliefs in the equality of human regard
In the 21st century the gays, especially in the developed western world have achieved identity, (relative) equal regard in law, and culture. In Islamic countries however, especially in sub-saharan areas homosexuals are killed for their choices and sexual identity.
The exhibition “CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: youth revolt” regards the indirect war that gays are subjected to in the modern world….hate speech, defining a person by their sexual identity and not from other characteristics, the opinion that we are second class citizens, attacks against transgendered people, denial of privileges such as professional respect and career, because of their choice and the lacking legal frame in Greece in terms of civil union for same sex people.
We therefore explore the current social phenomenon of disobedience of the homosexual youth, in a society that is ruled by written but mostly unwritten rules that target gay people and use sexual orientation as a criterion of inclusion to certain social groups, and work against them.
Humans are political beings and have the right to disobedience to the ethics of the majority. The homosexual person does NOT obey and revolts against to claim what goes without saying…..RESPECT. Disobedience against the term “queer”….and anything weird or strange that is being subjected on gay people.
The Curators
Ilias Zaimis and Menelas
GREEK PRESS ARTICLES : QUEEN.GR || ANTIVIRUS
HIghlights from the exhibition were hosted in Thessaloniki as part of the HOMOTOPIA Festival in May 2012