We caught up with Zak and Oskar who are opening Edinburgh’s nee Scotland only Queer sober cafe.
Who is running it and how did you get the space?
Our names are Zak and Oskar, a DJ and a drag artist based in Edinburgh, who became friends through the club scene. We saw a post on facebook advertising a small cafe and retail space that was looking for new management from September onwards. Zak has a mind for business, having run the AHA Jokes Shop on Victoria Street for years, and I (Oskar) have a mind and network for creative and artistic flair, so we decided to unite our powers and go for it!
-Why open a queer cafe?
In a world that somehow manages to be both more tolerant than decades ago, AND is falling prey once again to bigoted rhetoric,
it’s important to showcase and highlight the sheer diversity of life, art, and experience in this world. A lot of the queer focus of our space will come from selling works of art by local, up-and-coming queer artists, as well as monthly exhibitions in our basement art gallery. This fosters community, networking, and legitimises a lot of young artists’ work. We will also have resources and connections to a variety of local charities who may be able to help young queer people’s needs.
Education and representation are deeply important, especially to young people who are realising they don’t fit in with heterosexuality or the gender binary. So much shame and fear is often built up in our youths, and having diverse representation of queer spaces helps fight that shame and normalise the queer experience.
Often, the only spaces for LGBT+ people to socialise in are nightclubs and bars. These are of course important spaces with a rich cultural history for our community, but we feel it is important to make queer spaces to all ages, as well as people who don’t or can’t drink.
To be visibly queer is to choose happiness over the fearful safety of conformity.
Much has been done to improve things, but for each step forward there’s always someone pulling us three steps back.
-Why the word queer?
We use the word queer as both a reclamation of an old slur used against us, but also as a general umbrella term to indicate the rich diversity of life experiences in the LGBT+ community. This isn’t just a ‘gay cafe’, for only gay people, but for everyone questioning or discovering their gender, or those confident in a gender that society might not recognise. Queer is political, with a rich history of use since the beginning of the fight for LGBT+ liberation.
What art will you have?
We will have shelves selling a variety of prints, zines, sculptures and more, by local up-and-coming queer artists. We have a small basement space that will also host monthly exhibitions, starting off in September with a series of moving portraits based on nine Tarot cards, by photographer Lou McCurdy.
-Do you worry that using the word Queer you may get straights thinking they are not allow ?
Our whole message is about building bridges, including between those who are our allies, or who want to educate themselves further on how to be an ally, OR EVEN those who may have not understood/hated our identities before! Representation and building bridges are key to what we want to do
There’s more that unites us than what divides us.
Queer identities are still taboo for many, and we want to show just how vital and normal we are.
-Why is a sober queer space important?
Not everyone can drink, nor wants to. Alcoholic spaces are often the only ones available specifically for queer people, and they have an important place in queer community throughout history.
We joke amongst ourselves that, wouldn’t it be nice to support a queer business where you can actually hear each other talk? Having variety and diversity throughout the city’s queer spaces can only benefit us all.
