MAD LOVE
In this Icarus-NYC gathering, we will explore the question of love – what does it mean to love ourselves – in relationship to ourselves and in relationship to others? What does it mean to accept ourselves with our faults, failures, and disappointments, while holding ourselves in wholeness – and while pursuing self-improvement and self-growth? What does it mean to hold ourselves with love, accepting all of our parts, including those which we might sometimes hate? What does it mean to look at ourselves through eyes that are free of negative judgment and practice self-compassion?
In this gathering, we will explore themes of self-love, self-care, and healing towards ourselves – and how we might strengthen our personal resilience as an intentional community that embraces quirks, madness, and the full scope of the human experience.
We will end the gathering with a Mētta meditation – spreading thoughts and energies of love towards ourselves, towards those whom we hold dear, and towards the world. We welcome everyone to this gathering.
TRANSPARENCY: Though we are committed to collective liberation and are a mixed race collective, our history has traditionally brought in white, middle class people. In order to protect Queer Trans People of Color (QTPOC) from tokenization and psychic harm, we as a collective commit to prioritizing the needs of QTPOC in our public events and promoting QTPOC leadership in our collective. We acknowledge the emotional labor that QTPOC may perform in these spaces, which often go unrecognized. Therefore, we want white cisgender people to independently undo racism, gender binarism / sexism, while remaining accountable to QTPOC. We are currently engaging in an ongoing process of integrating these goals internally within our organization, among our mixed race organizers, and within the structuring of our external events. *
ACCESS ISSUES: The space is accessible for wheelchair users but does not have a bathroom for wheelchair users. We use mics to support people who are hard of hearing.
Bluestockings is wheelchair accessible, with no steps or platforms, and wide aisles between shelves. Our bathroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a Starbucks two short blocks down the street with an accessible bathroom (at Allen and Delancey). Metered street parking is readily available in the blocks surrounding Bluestockings. Bluestockings is not a scent-free space, but we encourage visitors to please refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes or other scented products (including essential oils) and smoke far away from the entrance to the space.
And then we’ll hang out for a little while and be gone until another month. Make sure to sign-up for the mailing list at the event or email nycicarus@gmail.com.
DATE: Feb. 5th, 2020
TIME: 7pm
LOCATION: Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St, Manhattan
Hope to see you there! Mad love, Icarus Project NYC