Queer Community Collective The “Noodles”

for everyone who takes eating noodles for granted

In December 2001, on the last day of the Transgender Film Festival in Amsterdam, a number of transgendered individuals and kindred spirits decided to go out for a meal to make up for the lack of any kind of closing party for the festival.
By the time the plates were empty, a group had been formed born. The restaurant was Wagamama, and thus our name.

As well as the lack of a party, most of us had been missing a group such as The Noodles, for some time. For one thing, we didn’t always feel at home in existing groups, and for another thing, we weren’t always made welcome in those groups.

We aim to break down, or at least broaden the pigeonhole mentality in homo/lesbo and heteroland. Enthusiasm and involvement are the main ingredients in the ‘noodle dish’ we want to share amongst ourselves and with others.

We were inspired to become The Noodles not just by the array of noodle specialties on offer in Wagamama but by the way in which they reflected what we ourselves have to offer. The common ground: almost anything can be included (Diverse and colourful), what’s on your plate is a mix of saple items and extras (familiar and varied) and the result hits the spot (nourishing and stimulating).

We want to move the whole Transgender/Queer issue away from being regarded as pitying and/or pseudo-scientific ways and are working on the following projects.

• an on-going discussion of Transgender/Queer in which both theoretical development and personal experience have a place.
• following-up and archiving other expressed opinions and publications that refer to Transgender/Queer.
• following social developments around Transgender/Queer issues, noting the effects of these such as discrimination and responding in ways which can can range from the seriously indignant to thew playful and celebratory.
• Maintaining contact with the existing groups mentioned above such as the COC, the Boys’ Hour, the Humanitas men’s group, groups from the women’s movement and groups associated with those working in the field of Fay/Lesbian, gender and women’s studies.
• Organising a monthly “Noodles Café” where transgenders, queers, soulmates and other interested parties can make contact.

  We made our wider debut with a discussion at the Pink Film Days in December 2002, an attempt to stimulate discussion and debate around Transgender/Queer.
  This year we hope to reach a wider public, partly through the writing and distribution of a leaflet.

We are organising a party for all Transgenders/Queers and their friends during the 2003 Transgender Film Festival

To put it briefly: The Noodles, a lively mix of research, study and friendly contact. A combination of ideas and practice.

(2002)