Throughout Youth Week, great Calgary communities came together to host awesome events, such as the Pride Calgary and Mosaic Presents a Youth Movie Screening. Collaborating with Fairy Tales, Pride Calgary and Mosaic created a positive and fun queer youth night that bought together youth from all different backgrounds. The night included snacks, drinks, a special movie screening and Ninja cookies!
Having never been to the Old Y, this event was actually quite the adventure for me. Immediately attracted to the colourfully painted walls and greeted by a throng of screaming and laughing youth in front of the building, I was immediately swept up by the pulsing energy around me. Clearly a favourite hotspot amongst youth within the community to gather, there was endless manoeuvring that had to be done in this building.
I suppose I’m lucky to believe that I do not have fleeting youth because quite quickly I was pulled into a smiling circle of youth and encouraged to introduce myself to the group. This group seemed to meet regularly and were obviously familiar with one another, yet I couldn’t help making a small joke by introducing myself as a random passerby that couldn’t wait to watch a good movie and decorate Ninja cookies. Around the circle, I was delighted and warmed by the my observance of many youth couples of the same gender actively speaking in the circle, a safe space to celebrate youth from all different backgrounds.
The evening started with a quick reading from A Wrinkle in Time and then onto decorating Ninja cookies. These cookies were truly NINJA- delicious cookies cut out in the shape of a kick butt person. With all the colours of the rainbow to colour them, my ninja person ended up with a hilarious purple outfit and melted angry frown, I have to admit, I’m not the best at cookie decorations. A former friend from junior high school had painted a comical face on a ninja cookie with a bitten off leg.
We watched the interestingly and entertaining movie, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, an off of the beaten path movie following the hilarious adventure of three drag queens in a trailer across the desert. The movie is definitely a feel-good and positive movie highlighting the queer culture that exists in society, one to watch with friends for a good laugh, though I do warn it does have older audience content.
I will never forget this unforgettable youth experience, as I always welcome new events that will allow me to immerse myself in a wonderful culture.