**Trigger warning: car accident/trauma** http://www.heelsonwheelsroadshow.com/2013/03/resilience-and-the-heels-on-wheels-glitter-roadshow/
WHAT’S HAPPENING
In Olympia, four Heels on Wheels touring folks were present during the tragic, though thankfully not fatal, accident that happened to our friend, host, and co-organizer femme badass extraordinaire Siobhan. She was hit by a speeding drunk/high driver that appeared and accelerated out of nowhere as we were crossing the street together. She is alive and going to survive, but she is in the ICU w multiple serious injuries, some of which have changed her physical reality forever. She needs/will need an incredible about of financial and many other types of support.
Immediately, community skills as street medics, space-makers, crisis interventionists, and caretakers materialized from the Olympia, Bay Area, and NYC folks present. We are so grateful for each person’s presence; it was also extremely upsetting. Being so close to the physical harm of our old friend [and for some, a person they’d just met] was and continues to be traumatic for all who were there.
As folks work together to help and support Siobhan, it’s with love that we request support for all of those in her networks, including the folks not present who are organizing for her, the folks who were there, and folks who love and care about Siobhan across the country. Because of the ripple effects of trauma, each of us will need various kinds of care and healing, even as we continue to give each other and Siobhan care and support.
Heels on Wheels canceled what was to be our Olympia show for Siobhan’s community to gather, collect donations for her long-term needs, and write her notes, and we are not doing our scheduled show on Friday in Seattle.
We are rescheduling our show in Seattle to Tuesday April 2 and keeping our other tour dates, after taking some healing time and discussing among ourselves.
ART, RESILIENCE, and TRAUMA
We are continuing to tour because the work we individually do and collectively create is about healing and communities, and we want to continue to share this art as we strive for healing among our group.
The Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow is deeply about resiliency — our performances, our transformative organizing, the magic that we femme-ifest for ourselves and the people around us. Our working-class-led tour harvests resilience to make art and to share it in the first place. As a group we honor and experience a wide range of oppressions, marginalizations, traumas AND creativity, prevailing, survival, community, and general badassery in all forms. So, we know about healing.
And we know that art heals hearts.
It has healed each of us, and as performing artists for many years we’ve seen it heal rooms of people. We know that many permutations of folks immediately affected by this specific tragedy need healing, and also that each of us, including those not touched at all, moves through the world affected by trauma, harm, and the pains of living; and its for that and for each of us and for the many communities we are part of that we tour in the first place.
We need each other in many ways, and one way is to inspire resilience. This is one way to, in Heather’s words from her piece, “hold each other tightly.” This tour is one small healing gift.
WHAT YOU CAN DO & SHOULD KNOW
Heels on Wheels touring folks are physically ok, but we are collectively and individually in various states of shock, PTSD, and just fucking sad for our friend. We are also individual humans who are full of many kinds of feelings — you’ll also see us cracking jokes and aiming for some fun. We might not all be excited to talk about our experiences.
At our remaining shows we will be collecting donation$ for Siobhan*. We are also open to accepting healing items for ourselves, including: essential oils, crystals, jewelry, snacks, and/or talismans/gifts from whatever your practice may be.
As a tour, we look forward to sharing dialogue and our witchy and powerful selves with folks on the west coast.
xo,
Damien Luxe, with Heather Acs, Shomi Noise, Lizxnn Disaster and Vagina Jenkins
*Donations of items can also be mailed to: 1411 8th Ave SE, Olympia WA, 98501. We don’t yet have a financial donation link to share, but we will be involved in further fundraising efforts.
The Museum of the Moving Image reviewed my short video Working Girl Blues when it aired with Sarah Jenny and Audacia Ray’s shorts series Pay As You Go, saying “the more intriguing work combined sassy defiance with a playful aesthetic stance.” Read the Dec 10/09 post by Richard Porton here. More of my videos are here.
