Breaking the Binary

Curatorial Statement

Tracey Kutschker, Director/Curator

The Salmon Arm Pride Project committee is comprised of thoughtful and enthusiastic individuals who bring forward important issues from within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. These issues do not even show up on the radar of cis-gendered straight folks until an opportunity arises to educate them. I have been that person, many times. I have learned what makes a safe space, what pain mis-gendering someone can cause, and how to re-learn the past to be fully accepting of an individual who has been forced to hide their true selves. When the committee brought up the term “breaking the binary” as a theme for 2021, it resonated with my goals as a curator, and as a mother.

In the past few years, I’ve had many conversations on 2SLGBTQ+ topics with individuals who are, shall we say, of a certain mindset. The subjects have ranged from transgender discrimination to two-spirit terminology. I have witnessed a distinct discomfort when we are asked to move beyond our traditional binary thinking, and imagine a space in between these dualities. Judging from the walls that form during these conversations, I perceive that binary thinking is a significant barrier to us moving past prejudice and intolerance. We, meaning descendants of European settlers, have constructed a linear understanding of gender and sexuality, and it has created “otherness” in anyone who does not fit upon this rigid scale. Before we can evolve (or devolve) to a place where gender and sexuality play no part in our abilities to relate to each other as humans, we must break down these binaries.

In a blog post by transgender and Christian author Austen Hartke, found on the Centre for Action and Contemplation website, he writes, “It seems that everything we put in a neat and tidy package must eventually be allowed to come undone, including our understanding of our bodies, gender, and attraction.” This succinct statement gives me hope that it can be as simple as allowing ourselves to undo the package. How do we do that? We see the package, see its origins, and teach ourselves to undo it. The artists in this exhibition are helping us with this practice, and it is very much a practice.