Founded in response to the Pulse Nightclub shooting, WERK for Peace is a queer and trans grassroots movement that uses all forms of dance to promote peace. We bring the dance floor to the streets to occupy space and use our bodies to WERK for social justice. Our dance protests have taken it to the houses of Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump, and others to demand change around issues pertinent to the queer and trans experience. We’ve gone viral several times doing so.
at Pulse Nightclub, a gay bar in Orlando, Florida. 53 others were injured.
Our bodies - our beautiful, magnificent, glamorous, loving, hip-shaking, head-thumping, fist-pumping, ass-twerking, LGBTQAI+ bodies - matter. Yet every day, political and social forces seek to define us, warp us, constrain us, and eliminate us. We won't have any of it.
Dance is healing and regenerative. It gives us space to connect with one another, to love each other, and to celebrate our existence. It has brought us together since the days of Stonewall, and continues to be a cornerstone of the queer and trans community.
On June 12, dance was taken away from us by hate. Today, we choose to reclaim it.
From the door steps of Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump, Mitch McConnell, and others to the streets of every oppressed human, we occupy space and assert: We are here. We are queer. We are trans. And we will dance.
But let's get real. We don't just dance. We WERK.
We are committed to ensuring that our WERK - from the minute details to the overall structure of our organization - reflects our values.
Intersectionality reflects the world we want to create. This includes centering the most marginalized, ensuring accessibility for everyone, and ensuring our work is reflective of whom we seek to support and serve. From the structure of our advisory board to the issue areas we tackle to the considerations we make during planning protests, we insist that intersectionality is central in our work.
Yes, our confetti is biodegradable. But also, our protest style is regenerative and healing, making it ideal when protesting social injustice, which can lead to burn out quickly. Sustainability comes in many forms, and it is integral to how we see our WERK, and the world we seek to create.
Our work seeks to facilitate a world where peace can be fostered - one grounded in social justice. Our actions reflect this by challenging injustice through non-violent protest and direct action. In addition, we insist on using non-violent communication to share our message with the world.
Over the course of two years, we have planned 12 dance protests around a number of pressing, intersectional issues.
Our WERK is highly visible and attracts the eye of the media. That’s why we are able to have such a powerful effect on politics.
While our WERK is about policies, it is really about centering queer and trans voices and experiences. From queer families to trans youth, we have seen everyone come out to celebrate their unique existence in a way that has powerful implications for change.
We form partnerships with organizations that align with our values of intersectionality, sustainability, and peace and that work to further those values in their work. We believe in the power of collaboration, and we don’t plan protests without joining forces with other organizations and movements. Below are a few of the many we have worked with.
