Gladstone café to host feminist fair

Ottawa’s first-ever Feminist Fair is set for Dec. 7 at Pressed Café on Gladstone Avenue, complete with art, crafts and other wares from local vendors. 

Visitors can gain entry by donation to Pink Triangle Services, which offers programs and advocacy for Ottawa’s queer community.

Organized by members of SlutWalk Ottawa, the fair is inspired by the annual Punk Ottawa Flea Market to bring together local artists and feminists, but with an inclusive attitude.

Noting the significance of the donations, organizer Kayla Spag says: “What’s really important is people getting together and maybe experiencing something and thinking about stuff they hadn’t before.”

Malaika Astorga, a young vendor selling her art at the fair, values an event like this for its multiple benefits.

“I think a lot of people hear the word ‘feminist’ and they think of angry women, and maybe this gives them the opportunity to learn more about it and that it’s about equal rights,” she says. “I also think it provides a lot of opportunity for artists to showcase their work, and people to get to know each other and network.”

Astorga’s work typically combines portraiture, nature and abstract elements, but she’s begun to incorporate feminism and politics, such as incorporating edgy lyrics by the feminist band Bikini Kill.

“I do it with phrases like ‘No means no,’ or punk feminist lyrics, to have that strong message but also the soft feminine element of my artwork,” Astorga says. 

Feminism has had a landmark year, with outspoken support for the cause of women’s rights from celebrities such as Beyoncé, and much media coverage. But there’s also been pushback from some critics and polarization within the movement itself. Time magazine even recently suggested banning the word “feminist.” Spag says she feels conflicted about the surge in visibility.

“I think feminism is so important because in 2014, it has been a hot topic, but I don’t want it to be a buzz word. I want people to realize why they need it in their lives,” she says.

Indeed, Spag describes the issue in personal terms, explaining that she first became interested in feminism because it felt like something she had been looking for. 

“The more you find out, you get so wrapped up in it and it’s an ever-growing process. That’s why I really wanted to get it out there that no matter who you are, you should come out to the fair,” she says. 

Mina Charon, who sells her pins and other crafts online as “Astropuke” and is also a vendor, stresses the universality of feminism and equality.

“I think feminism is important because the patriarchy is very real, and harmful to all people. Feminism is about liberation from patriarchy, for everyone,” Charon says. An event like the fair, providing a space for coming together and learning, “caters to all types of people, and many different types of feminism,” she says.

Spag says the idea started out as something small, a do-it-yourself style gathering of passionate people and a chance to give back to Pink Triangle, which does “so much for Ottawa.” Now, her sights are higher.

“I hope this becomes big enough that I could move it to the Bronson Centre, and I really hope this expands to other cities,” she says. “I hope other people decide to take this on for their communities.”