FRUTAS is a Spanish language event working to elevate LGBTQAI+ Spanish language speakers. FRUTAS has been a place (before the pandemic) for people whose first, second, or third language is Spanish. Whether you’re fluent or beginning, FRUTAS welcomes you. Snacks and beverages provided; just bring your queer self!
Querido Amiges,
As Chicago prepares to stand up as a Sanctuary City and fight like hell against any harms that come against our Latine/x and queer/trans family, we are excited to announce that the Roman Susan is supporting us throughout 2025. We are also excited to announce that we will be able to host events in the Uptown neighborhood at The Institute of Cultural Affairs!
What does this mean for FRUTAS?
FRUTAS is looking for 2 or 3 more core members that are compensated for curation work. Below are agreements and commitments we have come up with to give you an idea of the time commitment for core members. We are also looking for "mirrors" or outer layer members and also discuss what that commitment looks like below. There is great flexibility for a broad range of skill sets for new members and how someone wants to be involved in projects.
Mientras Chicago se prepara para levantarse como una Ciudad Santuario y luchar como el infierno contra cualquier daño que venga en contra de nuestra familia latine/x y queer/trans, estamos emocionados de anunciar que la galería de Roman Susan nos está apoyando a lo largo de 2025. También, estamos emocionados de anunciar que este año podremos organizar eventos en el vecindario de Uptown, en el Instituto de Asuntos Culturales!
¿Qué significa esto para FRUTAS?
FRUTAS está buscando 2 o 3 más miembros principales que serán compensados por el trabajo de curaduría. A continuación se presentan los acuerdos y compromisos que hemos creado para darles una idea del compromiso de tiempo para los miembros principales.
We are looking for members for two different roles:
- Funded curation role (one out of five core members)
- Mirror/espejo (unpaid. one of several people available for feedback or other reflection support)
Core member commitment: active participation through the last event of the year. Four to five core members, for around one year, will make the group more sustainable, so we ask each member to be active throughout the year. FRUTAS is horizontally organized, so 4-5 members would allow the group to organize around six events. The group has committed to organize around six events in collaboration with the Roman Susan.
Requirements for the core role: Main-bilingual, some organizing / volunteer, available on average for 2-4 hrs / month (meetings, Translation, kicking it, envisioning-dreaming, writing, plotting
Requirements for the Mirrors: Act as sounding boards to the group’s vision of decentering English and all forms of imperialism. Support the two organizers of an event, if needed.
What the mirror/espejo requests: Excitement about language, interest in outreaching communities intersecting with art and language, basic graphic design skills or interest, available to assist or collaborate with a core member.
Group structure image above: sorry that some of the text is small, but it is simply a repeat of what is above. We thought an image would more clarify a flexible structure.
Eventos pasados con artistas destacados 🍒🥥🍍🍎🍑🍈🍉🥑🍋🍊🥭🥝🍌🍓 Past events with featured artists
23 de octubre de 2023 – Laura Glover Rivera, trabajadora sexual, periodista independiente, activista e investigadora social. Como toda mujer trans provinciana huyó del escarnio a la Ciudad de México, donde en 2021 fundó junto a Rojo Génesis, La Tianguis Disidente una okupa-mercado en la Ciudad de México pensada para paliar la violencia económica que padece la comunidad LGBTIQA+. Desde entonces supo su lugar era con las personas trans de la calle, iniciando la cuenta de divulgación @transyfugas donde comparte historias de supervivencia, cárcel e infamia con un tono irónico y contestatario, a modo de contraproducción del legendario periódico "Alarma", un tablón que por décadas colaboró a la violencia sistemática y estatal de personas trans en México.
October 23, 2023 – Laura Glover Rivera, sex worker, independent journalist, activist and social researcher. Like all provincial trans women, she fled the ridicule to Mexico City, where in 2021 she founded, together with Rojo Génesis, the dissident Tianguis, an okupa-market in Mexico City designed to alleviate the economic violence suffered by the LGBTQIA+ community. Since then she knew her place was with the trans people of the street, starting the extension account -transyfugas where she shares stories of survival, imprisonment and infamy with an ironic and contested tone, as a counterproduction of the legendary newspaper "Alerta," a tabloid that for decades collaborated with the systematic and state violence towards trans people in Mexico.
13 de noviembre de 2023 – Gizeh Trejo, escritora y artista de performance de la Ciudad de México. La obra de Trejo ha sido presentada en diversos espacios culturales y museos como: Museo de Arte del Tolima, Museo Nacional de la Ciudad de México, Museo Carillo Gil, etc. en colaboración con otros artistas visuales.
November 13, 2023 – Gizeh Trejo, a writer and performance artist from Mexico City. Work by Trejo has been presented in various cultural spaces and museums such as: Tolima Art Museum, National Museum of Mexico City, Carillo Gil Museum, etc. in collaboration with other visual artists.
11 de diciembre de 2023 – Mitch Monroy es un poeta trans guatemalteco y artista multimedia que sueña despierto con lo queer y identidad. Sus proyectos exploran realidades trans a través de fronteras y esta tradición de ausencia. fueron seleccionados como becario de invierno de Tin House 2023. Sus trabajos anteriores han aparecido en The Polyglot Magazine, Parrish. Museo de Arte y Ashawagh Hall. También organizaron y fundaron Queer Lit Dreams, un programa en Lambda. Festival de iluminación. Actualmente residen en Chicago, IL. Conéctese con ellos en Instagram @mitch_monroy.
December 11, 2023 – Mitch Monroy is a trans Guatemalan poet and multimedia fine artist, daydreaming about queerness and identity. Their projects explore trans realities across borders and this tradition of absence. They were selected as a Tin House 2023 Winter Scholar. Their past works have been featured in The Polyglot Magazine, Parrish Art Museum, and Ashawagh Hall. They also organized and founded Queer Lit Dreams, a program at Lambda LitFest. They currently reside in Chicago, IL. Connect with them on Instagram @mitch_monroy.
26 de febrero de 2024 – Rojo Génesis es una artista visual e investigadora trans nacida en México. Creadora del colectivo audiovisual de mujeres trans Casa de Hadas en México. Elaboró el concepto de terror transexual a través del fotografía, vídeo y archivo desde el 2020. La propuesta estética de su trabajo gira en torno al terror corporal, intervención estética-clínica y transfeminidad. Actualmente dirige Disparo Transexual, espacio para la curaduria de fotografía y vídeo hecho por mujeres trans latinas, donde se hacen muestras de arte trans, foto publicaciones y actividades de formación. Conéctese con ellos en Instagram @_rojogenesis.
February 26, 2024 – Rojo Génesis is a visual artist and trans researcher born in Mexico. Creator of the audiovisual collective of trans women Casa de Hadas in Mexico. Elaborating on the concept of transsexual terror through photography, video and archives since 2020. The aesthetic proposal of the work revolves around body terror, aesthetic-clinical intervention and trans femininity. Rojo Genesis currently directs Disparo Transexual, a space for the curatorship of photography and video made by trans latina women, where trans art exhibitions, photo publications are made and training activities are held. Connect with them on Instagram @_rojogenesis.
19 de agosto de 2024 – Willy Palomo (él/ella) es autor de Wake the Other, ganador del Prefacio Indie Prize de poesía. En abril de 2023, lanzó de forma independiente su álbum debut de rap Enter Da Boombow. Un veterano de la escena poética de Salt Lake City, su ficción, ensayos, poesía y traducciones se pueden encontrar en páginas impresas y web, incluyendo Los mejores poetas nuevos 2018, Rebeldes latinos, La canción errante: Escritura centroamericana en los Estados Unidos, y más. Es el hijo queer de dos refugiados de El Salvador. Más información en palomopoemas.com.
August 19, 2024 – Willy Palomo (he/they/she) is author of Wake the Others, a winner of the Foreword Indie Prize in poetry. In April 2023, he independently released his debut rap album Enter Da Boombow. A veteran of the Salt Lake City poetry slam scene, his fiction, essays, poetry, and translations can be found across print and web pages, including the Best New Poets 2018, Latino Rebels, The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States, and more. He is the queer son of two refugees from El Salvador. More info at palomopoemas.com.
21 de octubre de 2024 – Uniendo el lenguaje + baile, esta edición de FRUTAS presenta an Ana Mercado de Bacheteres Tikita (antes Queer Bachata). Aprenderemos los movimientos y la historia de la bachata mientras practicaremos el español en ambiente comunitario y queer. Gente con todos niveles de práctica en el idioma y la bachata serán bienvenidos, incluyendo los que son nuevos a ambos.
October 21, 2024 – Bridging language + dance, this edition of FRUTAS features Ana Mercado of Bacheteres Tikita (formerly Queer Bachata). Learn moves and the history of bachata while practicing Spanish in queer community. All levels of Spanish and bachata welcome-including being absolutely new to both!