By Sara Collas AKA Peru
Michigan (The Hollywood Times) 8/9/23 – A femme parade in which beauty was not a competition, a lesbian feminist anthem “Pussy Manifesto” sung by the incredibly gifted performer Bitch on a Saturday night, zero tolerance for violence, harassment, hate speech, and any behavior that threatens the safety of others, sign interpreters present at all performances, fire pits that provided discussions ranging from pot shops, lesbian sex, capitalism, the artists, and our lives outside this five-day women-centered musical event was what I experienced at the second annual Michigan Fern Fest produced by the dynamic, Abra Wise.
The mission statement of Fern Fest states it is: “A safe and inclusive space for all women (cis, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, Deaf/HOH, women with disabilities, and more) to foster connection, community, and belonging”.
During the five days I spent at Fern Fest staying in a mustard-colored North Face tent: There was no war. No rape. No murder. No bar brawls.
The population included cisgender women, trans men with so much swagger it could fill a room, trans women who are out and proud, mothers and daughters, and a rich underground economy including the sales of pipe cleaner bracelets, stickers, and a cool red ski cap with the LGBTQ rainbow. The cap cost $10.00 from a teenager who perfected a piercing glare practiced against the boys at her high school that she demonstrated after the purchase.
There were also mothers and children bonding and becoming closer as they attended musical performances, drank coffee in the community tent, or bought delicious vegetable samosa burritos from one of the food trucks, Eat Out.
This unique society’s infrastructure included mats at concerts providing access to women with walkers, shuttles resulting in greater access for all, and front row seats at concerts for Deaf/HOH women. Inclusion, safety, self-expression, and accountability for one’s actions resulted in a safe party scene that college campuses need to implement. These kinds of progressive practices were observed throughout the event.
Work volunteers with names such as Squirrel, Po, E. Nina Jay (the next Audre Lorde), Xenon, and Rae who created a thriving community center that served a multigenerational group. There was a lexicon that made women the center of the universe.
Other memorable events in this women’s utopia included a fabulous burlesque show hosted by the charismatic producer, Sierra B. Bernard. Hollywood please take notice of this upcoming star filled with banter that rivals Joan River’s campy humor. This sizzling show featured trans men, trans women, cisgender performers, and predominantly people of color.
A gorgeous dup looking like rock stars by the name of “Hit It Honey” will last in my mind for days. They consist of a rapper, Tiffany and her partner, Molly playing the cello. I was woken every day to the beautiful sounds of Molly playing the cello because luckily, I had camped near the stage.
Workshops included participants getting their breasts bound with trans tape, and loving one’s body in a patriarchal society that demonizes women’s bodies. Bitch, the headliner said she’s sick of society using pussy as an insult. Instead, she urged the audience to subversively reclaim the term pussy to indicate anything positive.
The last act of Fern Fest, The Clam Jam was so pussy! It featured the diversity of all the wonderful performers singing together on stage. The performers included the Congress of Starlings who sang an ode to birds earlier in the week, two sisters from Detroit, Qhrystin, Cathy Grier, Heather Mae, Pam Parham, a sign interpreter who often upstages the performers, Sariyah Idan who dropped the song, “Rear View Mirror” at Friday’s concert, and Akaya who had dance moves as impressive as Beyoncé. Bitch sang a remake of Whitney Houston’s classic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
If this festival indicates the latest trends, I predict lesbians will soon be even hotter and trendier than the gay clones of the seventies. The lesbian nation continues to evolve disputing outdated notions that claim lesbian feminism has ossified.
I didn’t want the party to end. In Grand Rapids, I found a LGBTQ bar called The Apartment/Lounge. The manager, Gwendolyn, a woman color again affirmed that women are leading the way everywhere from bars, congress, cafes, Hollywood, and at the second annual Michigan Fern Fest!
