| Calling in the LGBTQ* Community |
by Vic Ceder |
What is LGBTQ Calling?
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The LGBTQ square dance community does some things a little differently.
IAGSDC Convention
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Yearly convention similar to Nationals, but on a smaller scale,
includes brunch and banquet meals and awards reminiscent of CALLERLAB.
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Held in USA or Canada.
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Yearly "Family Reunion" (everybody is considered "family").
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Awarded in a five year bid process similar to Nationals, although usually
a specific club acts as the host and staffs the convention committee.
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Multiple halls and levels, usually MS/Plus/Advanced/C1/C2/C3A and higher.
This year, they are replacing the Mainstream hall with SSD.
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Usually from eight to twelve staff callers, augmented by guest callers from the Gay Callers Association.
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Common events include a Grand March of all IAGSDC member clubs, brunch and banquet,
bus tours (Fun Badge Tour) and specialty tips.
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Specialty tips vary from year to year. Some examples from past conventions: Redwoods (tall people),
Munchkins (short people), swimming pool tips, "Magic Underwear", Red Hats (for women of a certain age),
bears (large hairy men), moonshine, and leather.
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Honky Tonk Queen drag contest is sometimes augmented with random appearances during
convention by a bevy of "bathing beauties".
My Experience
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Midnight Squares, San Francisco, 1999. (Club night)
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Sight-calling was rough until I learned that all I needed to do was
say the word "Boys" or "Girls" and the dancers would identify themselves.
(e.g, "Boys identify")
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Some callers move dancers into parallel waves and use sequences such as
"Boys Trade / Girls Trade" to discover who's dancing each part.
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I've called for 19 IAGSDC conventions.
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I was the club caller for the Mission Squares (Santa Barbara) for several years.
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I've done many Fly-Ins all over the US and Canada.
LGBTQ Dance Culture
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Avoid off color jokes.
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Be cautious about using humor based on gender stereotypes,
such as "mother in law" jokes,
references such as "the little woman", etc.
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Avoid gender based cutesy references such as "take your corner by both hands,
look HER in the eye and say be there when I need you..."
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Many LGBTQ dancers are both APD and DBD dancers. As such, they may switch roles from tip to tip.
This also means that calling non-standard-applications choreo as a novelty won't necessarily be seen as a novelty.
(Although some gender swapping, such as "she turns him" on a Right and Left Thru,
or calling a Beer Mug Chain, is still something of a novelty to LGBTQ floors.)
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A square at a traditional dance is made up of 4 couples,
whereas a square in an LGBTQ dance is made up of 8 dancers.
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Dancers often change partners for every tip, and often switch roles as well.
Don't assume a dancer always dances the same role or dances with the same partner.
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The term "GST" = "Gay Standard Time". Some events may not start promptly, so show up on time, but be flexible.
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LGBTQ clubs don't have a dress code. Dance attire ranges from traditional to jeans, shorts,
and other casual wear. Occasionally people dress in costume or drag for themed dances or convention events.
GCA
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Gay Callers Association. https://www.gaycallers.org/
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Open to anyone who either is LGBTQ and calls, and/or who calls at LGBTQ clubs and events.
GCA callers often provide "filler" tips (10-15 minutes) at convention at the top of each hour,
to give staff callers time to move between halls and get set up.
How to call for LGBTQ clubs
Fly-In
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An LGBTQ dance weekend.
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Clubs are often small. A club will hold a weekend, often with out-of-town callers.
Dancers fly, drive, or bus in from other cities to attend the weekend.
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A Fly-In often has 2 to 3 halls and at least that many callers.
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A pot-luck or club sponsored meal is often provided.
Dance Levels
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Tips often alternate between 2 or more levels, depending upon what the club dances.
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Don't be surprised to be asked to call alternating levels. Some examples:
- MS, Plus, MS, Plus, MS, Advanced, MS, Plus, MS, Plus, MS.
- Plus, Plus, Advanced, Plus, Plus Advanced, Plus.
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Some clubs will ask if you can call a "star tip" (one level higher than the advertised dance).
So if you're calling a Plus/Advanced dance, you might be asked if you can call a C1 star tip at the end of the evening.
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Always start and end an LGBTQ dance with an "All Skate" (lowest advertised level).
Dancers
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Dancers are often younger and are usually much more enthusiastic than typical "straight" square dancers.
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Expect more whooping, hollering, twirls, and kicks.
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The LGBTQ community has its own set of flourishes and styling.
Don't be surprised to see calls such as Circle To A Line and Weave The Ring
danced differently than what you're accustomed to.
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The dancers are there to have fun. This means that dancing is often secondary to having fun.
Roll with it and enjoy the evening!
Squaring Up
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In addition to holding up fingers to indicate the number of couples desired to
join forming squares, a single dancer will often jump in a square and hold up
a finger (curved index) to indicate that a single dancer is needed.
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Single dancers squaring up will hold up their right hand if they're looking for someone
to dance as their girl, left hand if they're looking for someone to dance as their boy,
or both hands if they're "bidansual" and are willing to dance whatever part will fill out the square.
Tip Termination
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Each dancer typically thanks and HUGS every other dancer in the square.
Singles
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An LGBTQ dancer once observed that at straight clubs, her dancing as a single
made her a "problem" to be solved, while at LGBTQ clubs, her dancing as a single made her an "asset".
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As stated before, LGBTQ clubs and conventions and dances don't orient around couples,
but rather around individual dancers.
Sound Effects
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It is very common for LGBTQ floors to holler out "sound effects" for specific calls.
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Some examples:
- Chain Down The Line --> "Chain me down!"
- Right and Left Thru --> "Thank YOU!"
- Partner Tag --> [snapping fingers] or "Face 'em, Pass 'em!"
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A reasonably complete list can be found on the IAGSDC History Wiki, at:
Sight Calling
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When writing down corners, I use two adjacent couples (4 dancers)
rather than adjacent corners (2 dancers) as I would at a straight dance.
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After calling for many LGBTQ dances, I've improved my ability
to mentally track all 4 boys in the square.
Choreography
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Identifying dancers:
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For gender-identified calls such as Boys Run, Girls Trade, etc -
it is not unusual for the identified dancers to yell "Boy" or "Girl"
so others know who is dancing which role.
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Minimize sexist calling:
- Use calls such as Centers Trade, Centers Run, Leaders Trade...
- Swing That Girl --> Swing Your Partner/Corner
- Walk Around The Left-Hand Lady --> Walk Around Your Corner
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Slide Thru:
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Be aware that dancers often forget which role they're dancing.
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Unless you're calling deliberately hard Plus, Advanced, or higher,
only call Slide Thru from standard positions (i.e., to end facing another couple).
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Fixing role issues:
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From Out-Facing Lines or Waves: Boys Trade.
This immediately lets you identify the Boys.
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From Facing Lines: Pass Thru, Girls U-Turn Back.
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From Eight Chain Thru, assuming you know some dancers are facing their partner:
Star Thru then Leaders Trade
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From Out-Facing Lines, assuming some dancers are with their partner:
Boys Fold then (Star Thru / Touch 1/4 / Single Circle To A Wave)
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From Out-Facing Lines:
Boys Fold. If the ending formation is not couples, call Girls Fold then
Double Pass Thru.
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Don't be afraid to ask dancers to identify their partner or corner.
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Say "point to your partner", then call a few calls to pair up some dancers
with their partner, then say "now point to your corner".
Now resolve the square!
Resources
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International Assocation of Gay Square Dance Clubs (an LGBTQ* organization)
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IAGSDC History Wiki
Acknowledgments
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I'd like to thank
Allan Hurst
for his ideas and contributions.
Digital Music