There’s an uptick in celebrations of queer art this Pride month, and for the second year in a row, LGBTQ+ writers are getting their time to shine at the Missouri History Museum.
Joan Lipkin, founder of That Uppity Theatre Company, hosted the first Queer Writes in 2023 to uplift queer writers from or living in the region during Pride month. She told St. Louis on the Air that she also wished to celebrate St. Louis’ rich literary history and to push back against the censorship of books and content that focus on LGBTQ+ experiences.
“According to the American Library Association, there were more than 4,200 books targeted for censorship, which is a 65% increase over last year. A lot of these are either books by and about people of color or about LGBTQ+ writers,” Lipkin shared. “There's a tension right now, and that’s such a reactionary move. But the other thing is that we have incredible writers, and it excites me to help provide space to amplify and give visibility to their varied talents.”
This year’s Queer Writes line-up features eight writers, including comedians, singer-songwriters, poets and playwrights. They will perform their works Thursday, June 27 at the Missouri History Museum’s Lee Auditorium as part of Gateway to Pride and Thursday Nights at the Museum programming.
Among the performers is veteran actor and playwright Michael Kearns. Born and raised in St. Louis, Kearns is credited as one of the first openly gay actors and the first working actor openly living with HIV in Hollywood. He will be performing monologues from his solo stage play “Intimacies” in which Kearns writes vignettes about the many personalities he got to know while living in Los Angeles.
Kearns said that showcasing queer storytelling and performing on stage in his hometown is “joyous.”
“It's a bit religious, this experience of witnessing. You have to have the people there breathing, alive, and heartbeats joined with the performer, right?” he said. “That's joy, whether the material is downtrodden or sad, that still doesn't erase the fact that we're there in that room together, sharing something.”
Though Queer Writes intentionally centers queer writers and storytellers, Lipkin said that anyone can enjoy the program.
“We're trying to offer our audience a different window in [queer experience],” she said. “So, allies, people who have LGBTQ+ people in their family, their friends, their colleagues, people who are interested in good literature — this is a program for everyone.”
For more on Queer Writes, including a teaser of Joan Lipkins and Michael Kearns’ performance, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Thursday Nights at the Museum - Queer Writes
When: June 27, 5 - 8 p.m. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112)
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
