Tuesday, October 13 6pm-9pm

We’re aiming to start doing this open mic TWICE a month- once a month at Seward Cafe on the 3rd Saturday of the month and once a month at Minnehaha Free Space on a Tuesday… which Tuesday it is will vary depending on what else is going on that month.

For open mics at the Free Space, feel free to bring food or a nonalcoholic kind of drink to share!

This event is intended to be an inclusive, accessible, safe(r) space centered around women and gender-nonconforming people.

We welcome all respectful, non-oppressive forms of expression and our hope is that anyone would be able to share something, express themselves and be heard.

Open Mic Intentions and Guidelines:

One of the primary intentions of the Not So Macho Open Mic is to provide a safer creative space for those who face gender oppression. Our intention is not to create a space where nobody will be offended or uncomfortable, rather we hope that any discomfort that arises comes from challenging power and privilege, rather than the repetition of the same oppressive narratives and behaviors that pervade most spaces.

In hopes of maintaining a space that is inclusive and accessible (especially for people who face systemic oppression) we ask that participants keep the following guidelines in mind.

Respect the time limit of 7 minutes per person.

Content warnings- if you are sharing something that you think might possibly be triggering for people, please announce that before sharing so that people can emotionally prepare themselves and make an informed decision as to whether they are up for hearing it.

Don’t make blanket statements about an oppressed group of people. (We recognize that making blanket statements about a privileged identity group is totally different and that is a fine thing to do in this space)

We welcome, invite, and will defend expressions of rage against white supremacy, classism, sexism, transphobia, ablism, ageism, all forms of oppression.

If someone says something that offends you, we encourage you utter the word “boop” (or any other word/noise that works for you.)

In the event that either the hosts or the audience (through the act of ‘booping’ feel that what someone is expressing is harmful or in violation of these guidelines we may usher the person off stage or cut their mic. If this happens to you we ask that you respect this and step away from the mic. We are more than willing to discuss our reasons with you after the fact.
Also, if you are unsure about something you are planning to share, feel free to talk to us about it.

This document is a work in progress, if you have ideas of things you think should be added or changed, or any other feedback about the open mic in general, please let us know.