RADAR 88

As with Oscar Wilde, Alan Turing, Harvey Milk, Matthew Shepard, and Jamie Hubley, Gays, Lesbians, Transgendered, Bisexuals, and Two-Spirited people are being made the target of an insidious world-wide eugenicist project leading many thousands to their deaths every year.

They are killed or pushed to commit suicide, caught in the gears of an efficient social program which operates through alienation and relentless violence from early on, stitched into society’s fabric where stereotypes, pantomimes, and unchallenged “truths” reduce them to sexualized, scientized or sick bodies, robbed of spirit and of a common language, or of a holistic agency. 

The marginalizing gaze is a Labyrinth: a perfect circle from which it is impossible to escape.  At its centre, we find the panoptical radar which will deal with us as prescribed. We are imposed the role of Minotaur -- the Centre’s sexualizing reflection and mirror, a form monsterized by its own twisted gaze.


À l’instar des Oscar Wilde, AlanTurin, Harvey Milk, Matthew Shepard, et des Jamie Hubley, les personnes gays, lesbiennes, transgenres, bisexuelles, et bispirituelles sont la cible d’un projet eugéniste mondial insidieux de plusieurs milliers de personnes chaque année.

On les tue ou les mène à s’enlever la vie, car pris dans l’engrenage d’un programme social efficace d’aliénation et de violence sans relâche à leur endroit depuis le berceau, imbriqué dans le tissu social où pullulent stéréotypes, pantomimes, et idées reçues les réduisant à des corps sexués, scientisés ou malades, mais dérobés d’un esprit et dépourvus d’un même langage, ou d’une agence holistique.

Le regard marginalisant est un labyrinthe : un cercle parfait, où on est circonscrit dans l’impossibilité d’en ressortir. À son centre figure le radar du panoptique qui se chargera de notre fin. On nous lègue donc le rôle du Minotaure, reflet sexualisant et miroir du Centre, forme monstruosée par son propre regard retors.

RADAR 88 Hugs and Kisses - Câlins et Tendres Baisers

Nuit Blanche Ottawa

22 September 2012

6:22 pm – 4:23 am

RADAR 88 – Hugs and Kisses

Art against homophobia.

Vigil : Bring Back the Stolen Light.

Dearest Friends,


As an artist and member of the GBLT and Two-Spirit community and as a fellow human being, I would like to invite you and your friends and family to this art exhibition during Nuit Blanche Ottawa 2012.

Whether subtle or blatant, homophobia is insidious and pervasive in our society. It is in our schools, our workplace, our laws and our government. As a reaction to GBLT and Two-Spirit youth suicide as a result of homophobia, I was compelled to do something to heal the GBLT and Two-Spirit community and those who love and support it.

In creating a space of support, sharing, witnessing and action we can directly intervene and stop homophobia on a daily basis, be it at school, work, in a family setting and in the world by publicly challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about the GBLT and Two-Spirit community.

During this exhibit, I will be painting figures representing those who have been, who are and will be put to society's pyre because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. It is unfortunate and profoundly disturbing to witness the loss of so many who will never be able to be a part of this world's beauty or share their love of it again.

At dusk, I will ask that anyone who has been the target of homophobia, witnessed it or been its author to light a candle and place it on the sacred space surrounding the symbolic pyre of this exhibit as a pledge of engagement towards healing, letting go of hatred and hurt, and intervening in any event where there should be homophobia from this point on. This will be a sacred space for communion to bring everyone in love's light. Let us commemorate those who have left us too early and remember their courage. The time has come for healing to take place.

Bring with you the warm memories and the courage of those who have been lost. Now is a time for healing and self-engagement.

Please forward this invitation to anyone who would be interested, but especially to those you know who would need to be exposed to the truth behind the many faces of homophobia.

I hope this event will allow everyone to share each other's stories, reach out to those who are struggling with homophobia in their lives as well as those who suffer in silence, and galvanize society against this type of violence before it is too late.

Homophobia has been too long accepted in Canadian society and in the world in general.

Art is love; it mends all broken spirits.

Hopefully, this event will allow for some mending to happen and a bit more love to flower within the world.

Denis Mateo