The Spice Rack

We are in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the consequent protests.

We are in support of the demands presented by The Philadelphia Black Q***r & Trans Performer Town Hall.

We are in support of Indigenous rights, immigrant rights, disability rights, and the decriminalization of s*x work.

We acknowledge the necessity of having a troupe that reflects the diverse Philadelphia performance community.

As many of our members are impacted by the overlap and intersection of these issues, it is important to note that our q***rness is not limited to s*xual orientation. Our q***rness includes actively bashing back against normative demands of gender identity, s*xual orientation, body politics, and systemic oppression in its many forms.

What We Will Do To Continue Aligning With These Beliefs:

Moving forward, we will be switching from “Sinnamon’s Spice Rack” to “The Spice Rack”. The Spice Rack will be run as a collective with a core leadership group and supporting members. Our troupe has always sought to book with intentional inclusion and will continue by enforcing that the leadership team of seven members consists of at least three BIPOC members.

To promote pay equity across settings, The Spice Rack can provide pay scale and finance transparency within and outside of our troupe, including baseline pay guarantees and bonuses for performers and staff. We commit to revisiting this pay structure as a group before every show to communicate how pay will be allocated. You can request more information on our compensation model by reaching out to us.

The Spice Rack will be rolling out a mentorship program for q***r and trans performers who have been underrepresented and underresourced. The program will have open applications and consist of opportunities to grow in performing, kittening, producing, and other skill sets that we can provide. We will actively engage and support newer/underbooked performers, whether they wish to join The Spice Rack or take their knowledge elsewhere. To support our skillshare, we will encourage the use of tangible resources, such as the Philly Performer Resource Redistribution Hub & Closet. Any bookings given to participants of our mentorship program will be paid positions.

In the interest of continuing to make Spice Rack shows a safer environment for our communities, The Spice Rack will only perform in venues that have undergone complete training in race- and LGBTQ+-related issues taught by Black, q***r, and trans instructors from reputable organizations, as per the request of the Black Q***r & Burlesque Performance Community of Philadelphia.

Our members will continue to support and promote shows outside of our collective that align with our beliefs, and won’t allow ourselves to become complacent in the community. We welcome and encourage collaborative shows, workshops, and/or promotion with like minded performers and producers.

What We’re Calling On The Philadelphia Performance Community To Do:

Pay your cast equitable rates and use transparency in pay scales

Support shows that align with inclusivity and the demands of Philadelphia Black Q***r and Trans Performance Community

Stop supporting venues that do not comply with anti-oppressive trainings, equity, and transparency

Only accept bookings with casts that have BIPOC performers and do not partake in tokenizing behavior

Stop creating acts that appropriate or create a parody of any BIPOC culture. We invite you to consider the context of songs/imagery and who they are for.

This includes digital blackface and using vernacular that is not your own (ex. tea, shade, queen, slay, etc) in mixes and real life.

Be aware of blindspots in regards to the history of Black and Brown people in general and in our direct community. It is important to always continue your own education.

This is a living document, and will be updated with additional resources below and clarifications as needed.

In Solidarity,
The Spice Rack

We recommend going through the following resources, and paying labor to any BIPOC folks who created them:

Reaction GIFs of Black People Are More Problematic Than You Think

https://onezero.medium.com/stop-sending-reaction-gifs-of-black-people-if-youre-not-black-b1b200244924

How To Apologize by Samantha SayTen of SayTen Studios

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbACAKLL8NQ

Venmo for Labor - @samanthasayten

Alternatives and Substitutes for Appropriative or Problematic Language

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ioy3CDX_iR75DNJwvz7ftq51EXAvZ99C51HP1V_zPOY/

The Philadelphia Black Q***r & Burlesque Town Hall

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=714842495752302

Venmo Accounts for Labor - Vinchelle: @Vinchelle | Icon Ebony Fierce: @Iconebonyfierce (B&W photo) | Nickihanna: Venmo: @PhisNickihanna | Marcus G: Cash app: MNGSTUDIOS215, Venmo: @Marcus-Gordon | Sapphira: Venmo: @SapphiC Cashapp: $SapphiraC | Foxworth: Venmo: @foxworthvorn | Miayanna: @miayanna-brooks $miayannabrooks | Marcha: Venmo: @MikalzMarcha, Cashapp: $MW96

Is My Apology Actually An Apology? by Nick Hollup

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kbCiGTfYrJP3bXAKUtfCh7RzYxq1CRImss_CIq7w_cI/

Making A Public Statement by Nick Hollup

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rC3BVKumYTWfLrd17GSRhGqdY-ojTh5181EsMliXjOQ

Putting Your Plan Into Action by Nick Hollup

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sEPJ1vO7jr53ZLTZJ--ht_gMCHuxAuSFZvJt-bin9CE

Philly Performer Resource Redistribution Hub & Closet

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1531165910397275/