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: that it wasn't them, but me. +
  
  not this time, +
  feminists. +
  
  now I realise +
  
  
negative.code: 
  it's the same thing. +
  
  
  
  
  
  -
  
  at this point, 
  
  by public outcry, +
  the Y
  
  I remember Amani 
  
  
  and I gave her +
  
  I have ever given +
  
  
  by popular demand +
  
  to set the record straight +
  
  then I https://www.facebook.com/theyoniversecollective/photos/a.298107960823996/298111290823663/?type=3&theater[came back] +
  to finish the piece. +
  
  -
  
  there was more talk of +
  a 'learning experience' +
  
  some other stuff +
  I can't remember +
  
  the show ended +
  at some point, +
  
  as all shows do +
  
  and I wondered what +
  would happen next. +
  
  I had some questions on +
  my mind. Things I wanted +
  to know and understand. +
  
  I did not know +
  what I did 'wrong'. +
  
  I was not sure +
  how to prevent this +
  from happening again, +
  
  or how to learn +
  from this experience. +
  
  hopefully someone +
  had the answers I +
  was looking for. +
  
  -
  
  as I stood up +
  from my seat +
  
  I talked to the +
  woman next to me, +
  
  she looked me +
  in the eye +
  
  with a sad face +
  
  and all she said was +
  "that wasn't right." +
  
  I had a few people +
  come up to me +
  right after that.
  
  whether they were +
  virtue signalling or +
  not, I wasn't overly +
  concerned. +
  
  a short while later, +
  
  two women came up to me, +
  basically saying that +
  
  it wasn't right how I was +
  treated and that it should +
  have been handled better.
  
  they were confused about +
  the whole thing themselves +
  
  and suggested I check +
  the wording of the poem +
  
  as there may have been +
  something there which +
  had offended people. +
  
  -
  
  you may find this +
  quite interesting. +
  
  I recall one woman +
  I had a brief chat +
  with. she wanted +
  
  to talk to me +
  
  but she seemed +
  apprehensive about +
  being seen with me +
  
  or seen talking to me. +
  
  during our chat, +
  she referenced +
  
  the reason for +
  her behavior in +
  a joking manner +
  
  but I knew what +
  she meant. +
  
  there is no +
  mistaking that +
  energy. +
  
  she knew what +
  could happen, +
  
  but she still +
  came up to me. +
  
  thank you for +
  talking to me. +
  
  -
  
  on my way out, +
  The Yoniverse team +
  was packing up. +
  
  