A group of Tulsans want to maintain a safe space for LGBT+ folks.
Irissa Baxter-Luper has been pioneering a new community space called Queer Night in the wake of the 2024 Nex Benedict tragedy.
Baxter-Luper, who deals with education for nonprofit Take Control Initiative, aims to cultivate Tulsa’s queer community in a safe, sober environment. Queer Night is held monthly at YWCA Tulsa.
Scheduled events this year include a “skill share” show, where participants can perform any talent they would like to present to the community, queer trivia, and various other crafts and snacks nights.
“Creating and maintaining queer community in Tulsa can be hard. We have a lot of different politics that go on in those spaces. What I think is most important for people to take out of this is that if you see a need, a space, that you can fill, that you can support your community with, just do it. You don’t need anyone’s permission, I didn’t need anyone’s permission to do this,” said Baxter-Luper.
Baxter-Luper aims to provide a home base for those who may not have a support system in their lives. She says that participating in community is not something that needs to be active; many folks come to Queer Night as an outlet to simply exist in a safe place.
For more information, visit the group’s Instagram profile.
