Friday night at 19:00 and I am getting ready backstage to walk in a DIY fashion show. Backstage in a figurative sense, given that there is no stage, but rather a bar and a donation bin: pay what you can. I switch my beat-up doc martins for a pair of shiny black high heels, brushing the snow off the cuffs of my blue velvet jumpsuit. I retie my vintage headscarf and touch up my lipstick. The theme is camp.
“Brooklyn Doll Loft,” they call out my stage name; it’s my turn to walk. I put down the wikihow article on my phone – how to walk in high heels – if I haven’t learned by now it’s too late. Adjusting my velvet evening gloves for the last time, I step out on the coffeehouse floor to the first beat of the song I picked out. The crowd is modest, a few handfuls of kind faces warm enough to make it here despite the snow coming down heavy outside. I hardly register my friends cheering for me as I pass by, too focused on each step.
It’s the end of the song, and somehow I haven’t twisted an ankle. The judges bestow their praise and I soak up every word. My daring choice to wear the heels has paid off, my skill and coordination has not gone unnoticed. It’s a perfect score.
But next comes the most difficult part of the night: the walk backstage. I must step out the side door, and walk through the snowstorm to the door that will take me backstage, back to my phone and jacket and comfortable old boots.
Outside, I lean my back against the closed door, heels scrambling for purchase in the snow and slush. I look at the ten meters ahead of me, and calculate my odds. They aren’t good. Carefully, I reach down and undo the clasp, slipping first one, then the other shoe off and stepping barefoot into the snow.
I make it to the backdoor, heels in hand. My toes are cold, and the other models fuss over me, but I made it through the night without falling on my face, and I think I deserve an award for that alone.
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This is just one example of a social event hosted by Pangea, an intersectional feminist NGO based here in Prague. They also host open mics, called Sappho Salon, in which anyone can sign up to perform, music or poetry readings. People come together, building a strong international community of feminists in Prague. Twice monthly, there are education sessions on intersectional feminism, queer politics, and postcoloniality. Lectures from experts and activists are followed by an open discussion.
If you are interested in social events with an open and positive community, or english-friendly open mics, or you just want to educate yourself on intersectionality, I really recommend checking out Pangea’s website or instagram page. There are always things to do, people to meet, and new perspectives to learn.
Pangea: https://pangeapublic.org/
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