About this Event
What bedtime stories were you told as a kid? How many of them were queer? Did you grow up wondering if there were others like you? When all the stories you hear are about straight protagonists, it's hard to know where you fit into the world.
Queer Bedtime Stories is a literary potluck, and your chance to re-seed the fertile ground of the imagination through oral re-tellings of LGBTQ+ poetry, memoirs, fiction, and history from cultural ancestors and contemporary creators. By reading aloud to each other from these works, together we'll uncover the richness of our shared heritage and catch a glimpse of the blossoming future.
We'll gather at , a queer-owned, community-focused bookstore located inside PORTAL + ARTPORTAL in Louisville's Portland neighborhood. If weather permits, we may be on the patio, so bring a jacket! Feel free to get cozy- bring your favorite soft pants, your cutest blanket, etc.
Doors open at 7:30pm, and the event starts at 8pm.
You can come simply to listen or bring a reading to share out loud! Readings should be 1-8 minutes long, any genre, and be written by an LGBTQ+ author or otherwise center on queerness. Original work is more than welcome, but not required!
All queer adults are welcome to attend. Each attendee is asked to donate at least $2, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. As we say, "donations keep our candle lit," so persons with bountiful means are encouraged to share generously. Thank you!
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Accessibility:
- PORTAL + ARTPORTAL has ADA accessible parking from the lot off 1535 Lytle Street, and spacious, ADA-compliant, gender-neutral restrooms.
- Scents are occasionally used in the space (essential oils or incense)- please reach out if you'd prefer we keep the space as fragrance-free as possible.
- Seating is flexible to accommodate mobility needs.
- Masks are optional and encouraged; we'll have some available at the door.
- Service animals are welcome.
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Queer Bedtime Stories Louisville is facilitated by Amelia Pantalos, a bodyworker, birthworker, musician, and gardener rooted in the Louisville community. They believe deeply in the power of words as seeds to grow the world we wish to live in.
Queer Bedtime Stories was created in 2020 by Scott Sessions, a San Francisco-based teacher and facilitator of transformative events. The QBS community gathers in the SF Bay Area each month (check the Linktree for upcoming events). To stay up-to-date with all upcoming events shared by the community, sign up for the Queer Bedtime Newsletter!
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Community Values Statement
We gather at Queer Bedtime Stories to:
⭐witness one another in our human wholeness.
⭐feel cozy, connected, refreshed, affirmed, and (somehow) both grounded and elevated at the same exact time.
⭐reveal the too-often-hidden truths about our queer ancestors, queer contemporaries, and queer selves.
⭐fertilize our individual and social dreamscapes with new possibilities.
We invite queer readings of all forms, artistry, genre, and at all stages of creation.
We celebrate queer persons of all forms, artistry, genre, and at all stages of creation.
We treat each other with kindness, curiosity, and respect.
Event venue & nearby stays
Set & Setting, 1512 Portland Avenue, Louisville, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.