What is the Bleux Stockings Society?
The Bleux Stockings Society (BSS) is an Atlanta-based, monthly live literature event showcasing the work of cis women, trans women, and non-binary people. Writers are given 5-7 minutes to perform their pieces before their choice of a public or safe-space audience. We schedule the public and safe-space events on alternating months in order to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate wherever they feel most comfortable and supported.
In short, Bleux Stockings Society is a platform for empowering marginalized writers.
Sounds great, right? Of course! It’s the best! We recognize that there are fewer opportunities for cis/trans women and non-binary writers and are dedicated to providing whatever support they need to thrive creatively, whether that means a safe environment in which to practice performing, a sense of community, or exposure through social media and our public shows. We firmly believe that representation matters. Moreover, a variety of voices and life experience doesn’t just benefit the arts community—it benefits everyone!
However.
As has been proven time and again, anything that pushes back against patriarchal social norms inevitably becomes emotionally charged for everyone involved. We understand that some people may take offense by the fact that cis-men are asked not to attend the safe-space events. We hope that those who feel hurt or defensive about this utterly essential aspect of Bleux Stockings’ mission will take the time to carefully consider our answers to the following questions:
Why are half of the shows only open to cis women, trans women, and non-binary audiences?
The bottom-line, most important, non-negotiable reason is that people who regularly experience misogyny need safe spaces. A safe space is a controlled environment where historically marginalized groups can recharge, speak freely and support one another. Safe spaces can be broad, or they can function along more specific lines of intersectional marginalization. For the Bleux Stockings community, this space exists outside of patriarchal pressure.
But I’m an ally! Why are you excluding me?
We get it; it’s frustrating to feel like you’re being left out of something that’s important to you. The fact remains that cis-men have always made the rules, enforced the standards, and been the default voice. This is true in literature; this is true in life.
Recognizing that women and non-binary people need room to express themselves free of patriarchal pressure is imperative to being a good ally. Thus, we must respectfully remind our allies that marginalized communities create safe spaces because we need them, not because we want to exclude you.
Franchesca Ramsey put together an excellent video that breaks it down far better than we ever could:
How do you determine whether a performer or attendee is non-binary?
BSS shows are all about empowering marginalized people, not policing them. We operate wholly on the honor system; this means that we expect cis-male allies to respect our need to relax into our own space during the private shows. We will never ask an attendee for “proof” of gender, however, we will immediately remove anyone who behaves disrespectfully or is disruptive.
I’m an ally and I totally get it. How can I support BSS?
Oh hey, thanks! There are several ways you can support Bleux Stockings and the community of writers that it serves:
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Spread the word! Let the women and non-binary creatives in your life know that we’re clamoring to hear their work.
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Keep up with Bleux Stockings news through our public Facebook page.
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Come to the public shows! The public shows seriously rule, and we’re so happy to welcome you there.
I want to perform at one of your shows! How do I do that?
If you are a cis woman, trans woman, or non-binary person, we encourage you to join the private Bleux Stockings Facebook group. This is where we post prompts and where our community is most active between shows.
Do you pay your performers?
Not at this time. BSS is a labor of love and runs on limited funds, all of which pay for our performance venues. On the rare occasion that there is money left over from an event, our policy is to donate it to a pre-announced charity.
How do I contact the show's organizers?
Email us directly at BleuxStockings@gmail.com.