- LGBTQ+ Queer Fiction Book Club - You Exist Too Much - Zaina ArafatWaggon and Horses, Surbiton
QUEER FICTION BOOK CLUB!
Our next read will be ‘You Exist Too Much’ by Zaina Arafat
Synopsis:
On a hot day in Bethlehem, a 12-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: "You exist too much," she tells her daughter.
Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer. In Brooklyn, she moves into an apartment with her first serious girlfriend and tries to content herself with their comfortable relationship. But soon her longings, so closely hidden during her teenage years, explode out into reckless romantic encounters and obsessions with other people.
Her desire to thwart her own destructive impulses will eventually lead her to The Ledge, an unconventional treatment center that identifies her affliction as "love addiction." In this strange, enclosed society she will start to consider the unnerving similarities between her own internal traumas and divisions and those of the places that have formed her.
Opening up the fantasies and desires of one young woman caught between cultural, religious, and sexual identities, You Exist Too Much is a captivating story charting two of our most intense longings: for love, and a place to call home.
At the end of the meeting we will set the next book, based on ideas and feedback from the group, giving everyone two months to read the book. All the books will be LGBTQ+ themed, by LGBTQ+ writers, or with themes likely to be of interest to LGBTQ+ people and communities.
Please read the book ahead of the meeting and come with a view to share your opinions and views.
If you would like to attend but are unable to afford the book, please email Chris on [email protected] who will be able to help out.
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Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Virtual Pub QuizLink visible for attendees
See you on Zoom for our virtual pub quiz. There will be general knowledge questions, picture rounds, music rounds, mystery voices, and spot questions. No prizes, it's just for fun.
You must have a working microphone to take part.
If you would like to join, please be ready by 8pm. Once the quiz is started, the room will be locked and you may not be allowed in.
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Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Free LGBTQ+ yoga at Kingston Quaker CentreKingston Quaker Centre, Kingston upon Thames
Join Serge at Kingston Quaker Centre for a free yoga flow class for LGBTQ+ people. The class is suitable for all levels. Spend an hour connecting breath and movement, feeling grounded, strong and relaxed.
Please bring your own yoga mat.
Kingston Quaker Centre is at Fairfield East, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2PT.
When you arrive, press the buzzer for the Hall and we will let you in.
You can find accessibility information about Kingston Quaker Centre here: https://www.accessable.co.uk/venues/kingston-quaker-centre
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Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Virtual Pub QuizLink visible for attendees
See you on Zoom for our virtual pub quiz. There will be general knowledge questions, picture rounds, music rounds, mystery voices, and spot questions. No prizes, it's just for fun.
You must have a working microphone to take part.
If you would like to join, please be ready by 8pm. Once the quiz is started, the room will be locked and you may not be allowed in.
***
Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Pub SocialThe Norbiton, London
Come to our monthly social at The Norbiton, 16 Clifton Rd, Kingston upon Thames KT2 6PW
It’s a relaxed friendly crowd, join us for a few drinks to celebrate the end of the month and pay day.
When you arrive look out Chris and Kirstie who will be hosting the evening and will be happy to introduce and new people to the rest of the group.
We look forward to seeing you!
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Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here. - Free LGBTQ+ yoga at Kingston Quaker CentreKingston Quaker Centre, Kingston upon Thames
Join Serge at Kingston Quaker Centre for a free yoga flow class for LGBTQ+ people. The class is suitable for all levels. Spend an hour connecting breath and movement, feeling grounded, strong and relaxed.
Please bring your own yoga mat.
Kingston Quaker Centre is at Fairfield East, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2PT.
When you arrive, press the buzzer for the Hall and we will let you in.
You can find accessibility information about Kingston Quaker Centre here: https://www.accessable.co.uk/venues/kingston-quaker-centre
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Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- LGBTQ+ Board Game SocialOLR Cafe, London
We're delighted to be back at the Old London Road (OLR) Cafe in Kingston for an evening of games! All LGBTQ+ people are welcome, and we're open to all levels of gaming experience - whether you're a full-fledged geek or completely new to the world of board games.
Meet fellow LGBTQ+ gamers, enjoy some coffee & snacks, and dive into a variety of board games. The OLR Cafe has plenty of board games on offer, but you're also welcome to bring anything you're keen to play too - please ensure that you're able to explain the rules to others.
When you arrive, look out for Kirstie & Katy who will be hosting the evening and will be happy to introduce new people to the rest of the group.
You're very welcome to turn up at any point between 6-8pm, but please drop us a message if you won't be joining us at the start so we can allocate games to everyone.
Come alone or bring some friends along - we're a friendly bunch!
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Accessibility: For information on accessibility and access, please visit https://www.accessable.co.uk/. If information is not available, please send us a message with your access needs and we will do our best to advise.Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Virtual Pub QuizLink visible for attendees
See you on Zoom for our virtual pub quiz. There will be general knowledge questions, picture rounds, music rounds, mystery voices, and spot questions. No prizes, it's just for fun.
You must have a working microphone to take part.
If you would like to join, please be ready by 8pm. Once the quiz is started, the room will be locked and you may not be allowed in.
***
Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
- Virtual Pub QuizCancelled
See you on Zoom for our virtual pub quiz. There will be general knowledge questions, picture rounds, music rounds, mystery voices, and spot questions. No prizes, it's just for fun.
You must have a working microphone to take part.
If you would like to join, please be ready by 8pm. Once the quiz is started, the room will be locked and you may not be allowed in.
***
Donate: Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum is run by unpaid volunteers and funded by the generosity of the local community. If you'd like to donate to Kingston LGBTQ+ Forum, please click here.
