anchor.diff:  
   Friday 23rd November 2018. +
   
  -Rich Mix, The Yoniverse, +
  -Leo Kalyan, The Edge, +
  -etc. etc. etc. +
  -
  -I wanted to perform a https://scriptindex.github.io/2018/09/11/Women.html[spoken word] +
  -piece I had https://farm66.static.flickr.com/65535/48596076557_f842c1df74.jpg[memorised] not long ago +
  -for a recent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWjxVYxxkGE[poetry event]: +
  +I wanted to perform +
  +a https://scriptindex.github.io/2018/09/11/Women.html[spoken word] piece +
  +I had https://farm66.static.flickr.com/65535/48596076557_f842c1df74.jpg[memorised] for +
  +a recent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWjxVYxxkGE[poetry event]. +
  +
  +the title: +
   
   'Women.' +
   
  -TK
  -
  -with five open mic slots +
  -on the day and an open mic +
  -policy giving priority +
  -
  +I had two things to consider. +
  +
  +Firstly, there were +
  +only five open mic +
  +slots on the day. +
  +
  +Secondly, I saw an +
  +Instagram post about +
  +their unique open mic +
  +policy (now removed) +
  +
  +giving priority to +
   to South Asian https://feministoasis.com/inclusive-language-womxn-cis-nonbinary[womxn] +
  -and queerfolk, +
  -
  -I was sure to get there +
  -nice and early to maximise +
  -my chances. Then again, +
  -
  -what 
  -
  -
  -
  -
  +and queerfolk. +
  +
  +I had never seen a policy +
  +like this before, so I was +
  +sure to get there early. +
  +
  +it was the only thing +
  +I could really do +
  +
  +to maximise my chances +
  +of performing there.
  +
  +-
  +
  +on the night, I saw +
  +the following members +
  +of The Yoniverse: +
  +
  +https://www.instagram.com/shaguftakiqbalpoet[Shagufta K Iqbal], +
  +https://www.instagram.com/shareefaenergy[Shareefa Energy], +
  +https://www.instagram.com/amanithepoet[Amani Saeed]. +
  +
  +https://www.instagram.com/salmaelwardany[Salma El-Wardany] was +
  +also https://www.facebook.com/theyoniversecollective/photos/a.298107960823996/298111400823652/?type=3&theater[there] but I didn't +
  +see her on the night. +
  +
  +It turns out Amani +
  +was signing up +
  +the open micers +
  +
  +so I went up to her +
  +and she wrote my +
  +name down. +
  +
  +-
  +
  +The event itself was +
  +actually pretty good. 
  +
  +https://www.instagram.com/leokalyan[Leo Kalyan] discussed +
  +his creative process +
  +
  +and beautifully sang +
  +his latest EP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4KcLu9CNdo[the edge], +
  +
  +https://www.instagram.com/shareefaenergy[Shareefa Energy] carefully +
  +recited her soul-soothing, +
  +tongue-twisting poetry +
  +
  +and https://www.instagram.com/raheemmir[Raheem Mir] performed +
  +some barrier breaking +
  +gender-bending https://kathadance.org/about-2/what-is-kathak/[Kathak]. +
  +
  +I thoroughly enjoyed +
  +myself and was looking +
  +forward to coming +
  +
  +the next time.
  +
  +-
  +
  +
  +My name was called. +
  +
  +The time had come +
  +to perform the piece +
  +I had
  +
  +-
  +
  +
  +-
   
   
   
  
positive.code: 
  it's the same thing. +
  
  -
  
  On my way out, +
  The Yoniverse team +
  was packing up. +
  
  
negative.code: there was this one +
  brown girl. her energy +
  was a bit strange +
  that evening +
  
  she seemed like +
  she was angry for +
  some reason +
  
  as I soon realised, +
  she expressed her +
  
  when she shouted +
  
  "Women are not your playthings!" +
  
  what? +
  
  to this day, +
  I have no clue +
  what she meant. +
  
  but that was just +
  the start. +
  
  there was also +
  this one white girl +
  
  standing behind a table +
  at the back of the room. +
  
  I don't know who she is +
  
  
  but she knows +
  who she is +
  
  the one who 
  
  
  
  
  
  at some point, white girl +
  decided to 
  
  I think she asked me +
  why I wrote the piece +
  or what I was thinking +
  when I wrote it. +
  
  can you imagine +
  having literally +
  everyone in the +
  entire room +
  
  roughly seventy +
  five people or so +
  
  turning to look +
  directly at you +
  
  for a response +
  
  while you are still +
  in a state of shock? +
  
  I don't even want +
  to think about it. +
  
  fortunately, I was +
  still somewhat sane +
  at that point +
  
  saying something about +
  my personal experience +
  and how I'm still in a +
  
  state of shock so +
  I can't think properly. +
  
  all I would like +
  to say, is +
  
  thanks for that, +
  white girl. +
  
  no, really. +
  
  I hope I never see you +
  again in my entire life. +
  
  -
  
  
  
  
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