I got wind of this on Facebook. It’s an intermedia project being presented by a group of University of Regina students through the Fifth Parallel Gallery. If you visit the site:.
//uregina.ca/intermedia/areyoufriendswithdorothy.html
you’ll find a brief introduction plus a Wizard of Oz-themed set of links that you can click on to explore notions of personal and political identity.
Historically, the organizers note in their introduction, a question like “Are You Friends With Dorothy?” was used as code in the queer community to allow members to connect with each other and express their identity. Such coded representations were necessary for queers to survive in a strongly homophobic society where many jurisdictions actually had criminal laws against homosexual activity.
In The Wizard of Oz, of course, Dorothy was played by Judy Garland. The film was released in 1939, and throughout her entertainment career Garland, like her daughter Liza Minelli, had a strong following in the gay community.
The website will be active until March 18. There will be a reception at Fifth Parallel Gallery March 8 from 5-8 p.m.
