POPPERS FAIRY . THEY WANT US OUT / BOOK LAUNCH

Join us at De Centrale in Ghent for the official launch of They Want Us Out, the debut book by Egyptian author Poppers Fairy. The author refuses to whisper. Laughing, scratching, hurting, and loving, they carve a path through the bureaucratic maze of Belgian immigration from an unapologetically queer perspective.

They Want Us Out is at once a survival guide, a bureaucratic exposé, and a raw, radical love letter to every queer migrant entangled in European immigration systems. Written by a queer Egyptian author navigating Belgium’s residency labyrinth, this book weaves biting satire, personal experiences, and practical legal insights into one powerful resource. It’s not your typical “how-to” guide, but a deeply personal, rage-driven response to the nightmare of migration paperwork—wrapped in humor and honesty.

Whether you’re struggling with visa applications, facing hostile municipalities, or simply trying to survive as a queer body in a system not built for you: this book doesn’t promise magic, but it offers clarity, context, and hope.

This gathering is more than a book launch, it’s a community moment. Expect an evening shaped by storytelling, shared experience, visual expression, and queer solidarity:

A deep-dive book talk with the author exploring the knowledge, rage, humor, and survival strategies behind navigating Belgian migration systems as a queer person.
A multimedia exhibition showcasing queer artists with migration backgrounds, featuring photography, video, and visual work that speaks to displacement, desire, and chosen family.
A performance interlude to shake the room, break the script, and remind us of the power held in our bodies and stories.
A cozy reading & listening corner, complete with audio excerpts and soft, intimate floor seating, ideal for grounding, resting, and absorbing queer migrant narratives.
A DJ set to close the night, transforming the space into a warm, communal dance floor that celebrates survival, presence, and collective joy.
A welcoming, cozy environment for queer migrants, comrades, allies, and supporters to connect, breathe, laugh, and dream together.

About the author:
Poppers Fairy is a writer, researcher, activist, bridge-builder, and system disruptor, with a background in policy research, queer migrant advocacy, and curriculum development for the decolonization of African trade policy.

This evening is organized in close collaboration with Vermeylenfonds, Mammoet (EPO imprint), Qommunity (Queers on the Move), Merhaba VZW and AMAL.