AIDES association invites 10 comedians for a stand up show, including Tahnee who makes you want

If you don’t know comedian and actress Tahnee yet, here’s a fabulous and engaging way to discover her, as well as many other talented comedians. Indeed, the association for the fight against HIV/AIDS, AIDES, is organizing its own stand-up show on June 20 at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris. Called #fetelamour, it will be hosted by drag queens Rose and Punani (in the cast of season 2 of Drag Race France, by the way), and will reunite Kyan Khojandi, Tristan Lopin, Marine Baousson, Lou Trotignon, Jérémy Lorca, Nordine Ganso and Laura Domenge. But also Tahnee, so proud to be lesbian, queer and afrofeminist, that one to miss I wanted to ask him a few questions to better understand and affirm how humor and commitment can go hand in hand. While 7 in 10 French people are still unaware that HIV-positive people on treatment cannot transmit HIV, for example, laughter can probably help inform them and inspire them to fight better.

Interview with comedian Tahnee on #fetelamour, the stand-up show of the AIDES association

To miss. Why is it important for you to participate in a show like #fetelamour?

Tahnee. It’s important for me to participate in a show like #fetelamour because I believe in it this is the first stand-up show dedicated to the fight against AIDS ; and I really like to combine my art, my humor with commitment. I am sensitive to the cause because the fight against HIV is far from over today, I think we must continue to raise awareness, to communicate on this topic. I am happy to do it with AIDES because it is an association that seems to be particularly present with the most vulnerable groups (migrants, prostitutes, etc.).

I also like to participate in a form of solidarity within the LGBTQI+ community. Lesbians have always been very present in the fight against AIDS, especially in the midst of the virus epidemic, they have been at the bedside of their gay friends, they have brought their requests, they have been at the forefront of the fight against the institutions.

At a time when attacks against the LGBTQI+ community are regaining momentum, it seems important to me to maintain this very strong solidarity between us and find collectivity in our struggles.

How does knowing you’re playing to a room of people from the LGBT+ and like-minded community change how you feel on stage and the jokes you can make there? And what changes perhaps also for the public, knowing each other among peers?

When I know I’m going to play in front of a room of people who are mostly part of the LGBT+ community, in general, I’m happy! I know I’ll be able to do all my lesbian pranks (laughs)! without straight people coming and telling me I do very thematic humor! Seriously, in general it gives me more confidence and I feel like I’m going to enjoy it more, because I like to make jokes about our community, that we collectively regain power over our stories by laughing. This is what I usually do in my show (every Friday and Saturday night at La Nouvelle Seine!)

I really think there is lesbian humor, queer humor, and it’s nice to be able to play with it during these spaces and moments!

How does humor (and community humor a fortiori) can it be an effective, unifying and revitalizing tool for political struggles, such as the one against HIV/AIDS in your opinion?

I think humor is an effective tool to convey messages with delicacy or joy! It also allows you to step back from events or situations, or sometimes to take revenge for painful episodes in your life; in this sense it is also an excellent fighting tool.

I would say that these are the 2 main axes that interest me yes, to give a little joy and lightness to an audience, a community that is often angry or sad, to show that we also have the right to bright moments and laughter, it is important for me to defend it and create those kinds of moments.

I don’t really like using the term “community humor” anymore, I prefer to say “lesbian humor”, “queer humor”, I find it more accurate and just want to suggest that everyone can laugh with us in truth. I’ve been called a lot of “community comedians” and told that my jokes aren’t “universal” when to me they are, they’re just certain audiences that don’t want to hear. I want to talk to everyone. If you don’t want to hear about LGBT+ topics, this is your problem, treasure !

Because precisely to show our experiences, the discriminations we can face, it is essential and important to move forward, and humor is an excellent vector. I think it also works with the fight against AIDS, we can be able to raise awareness and communicate with humor, some people will be more receptive that way!

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