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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251111T174745Z
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SUMMARY:4th Annual Rebel Satori World AIDS Day Book Release and Reading (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:The Library of Homosexual Congress\, a Rebel Satori imprint\, is proud to reissue two seminal novels from the AIDS crisis: Bo Huston’s Remember Me and Sacred Lips of the Bronx by Douglas Sadownick. \nTom Cardamone from the Rebel Satori imprint\, The Library of Homosexual Congress\, will read from Bo Huston’s work. \n  \nTo reserve a copy of Remember Me (Library of Homosexual Congress\, November 11\, 2025\, paperback\, $17.95) and/or Sacred Lips of the Bronx (Library of Homosexual Congress\, November 4\, 2025\, paperback\, $23.95) please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve Remember Me and/or Sacred Lips of the Bronx for December 3 event” in the subject line\, and in the body of the email let us know which book you’d like to purchase or if you’d like to purchase both. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \nYou can also purchase Remember Me and/or Sacred Lips of the Bronx (click on either title below) on our online shop at bookshop.com/shop/bgsqd: \nRemember Me \nSacred Lips of the Bronx \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \n\n\nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \n\nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \n\nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \n\nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n\n  \nRemember Me by Bo Huston \nThis elegiac novel\, first published in 1991\, is the story of smalltown friendship\, longing\, and the impact of AIDS on a young gay writer’s now fleeting artistic ambition. In prose poetic yet uncompromising\, Huston’s work brings a life from the margins to the forefront like no other novel from an era of overwhelming prejudice\, fear and powerful resilience. \nA three-time Lambda Literary Award nominee\, Bo Huston (1959 – 1993) was the author of two novels and two short story collections. A columnist for the San Francisco Times\, he was a co-founder of the LGBT literary conference Out/Write and participated in the first March on Washington DC. Huston received his HIV diagnosis in 1988 and in diminishing health orchestrated his own exit on May 24th\, 1993. \n  \nSacred Lips of the Bronx by Douglas Sadownick \n“Sadownick’s ambitious first novel combines AIDS activism\, Jewish folklore\, New Age therapies\, kinky sex\, and some extraordinary passages about life in contemporary Venice\, California\, and the Bronx of yesteryear. At the center is Michael Kaplan\, an AIDS journalist living in post-riot Los Angeles. Sadownick juxtaposes the ghosts of Michael’s adolescence in the Bronx –his Polish grandmother Frieda\, his jazz musician brother\, and his Puerto Rican teenage lover –against his current struggles in L.A.\, particularly his deteriorating 10-year relationship with Robert\, an AIDS activist and performance artist.” \n-Publishers Weekly \n  \nDouglas Sadownick was born on Shakespeare Avenue in the Bronx\, where he first encountered the allure of gay desire amidst the gritty sensuality of urban life. His intellectual journey took him to Columbia College\, where he studied Plato and Baldwin\, developing a lifelong fascination with homosexual Eros. He later earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and founded the nation’s first LGBT Specialization in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University in 2006. He also established the Colors LGBTQ Youth Counseling Center. \nIn addition to Sacred Lips of the Bronx (1994)\, he’s the author of Sex Between Men: An Intimate History of the Sex Lives of Gay Men Postwar to Present (1996) and Healing Gay Sex and Love: A Group Experience (2025).
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/4th-annual-rebel-satori-world-aids-day-book-release-and-reading/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T203000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251118T194612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T161341Z
UID:15987-1764874800-1764880200@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Reclaiming Liberation from Palestine to the World: Letters from a Living Utopia Book Launch and discussion with Yaffa AS\, Leah Kim\, and Rabab Abdulhadi (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:A love letter to liberation\, from Palestine to the ground beneath your feet. \nWhen you think of freedom\, where are you? And where are you headed? Dreaming of freedom from within the occupied and displaced worlds of Palestine\, Letters from a Living Utopia engages with utopia as both a destination and a potential present. Addressing past and future selves among other crucial figures\, Mx. Yaffa builds epistolary bridges in these pages\, connecting the historical struggle for liberation of the land and its people with the intimate ways that we can recover hope–now and in the years to come. \nEmerging during a time of generational dispossession\, monstrous genocide\, and personal pain\, Letters from a Living Utopia is a journey of resilient repair that will leave every reader with the deeply felt certainty that Palestine will be free\, but also that Palestine has always been free. \nYaffa AS will be joined in conversation by Leah Kim and Rabab Abdulhadi \n  \nTo reserve a copy of Letters from a Living Utopia: Reclaiming Liberation from Palestine to the World (Common Notions\, October 7\, 2025\, paperback\, $18) please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve Letters from a Living Utopia for December 4 event” in the subject line. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \nYou can also purchase Letters from a Living Utopia (click on title below) on our online shop at bookshop.com/shop/bgsqd: \nLetters from a Living Utopia:\nReclaiming Liberation from Palestine to the World \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \n  \nWE ASK ALL ATTENDEES TO PLEASE WEAR MASKS. \nFREE MASKS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCE TO OUR ROOM. \nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n  \n  \nMx. Yaffa (they/she) is a disabled\, autistic\, trans\, queer Muslim and indigenous Palestinian culture worker and organizer. The author of Blood Orange\, Whispers Beneath the Orange Grove\, and Desecrated Poppies\, Yaffa is also editor of Inara: Light of Utopia and executive director of the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD). \n  \nRabab Abdulhadi\, founding Director/Senior scholar of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program at SFSU\, is co-founding Editorial Board member of Islamophobia Studies Journal\, lead editor of book volumes and author of over 80 articles and book chapters in seven languages. She received her PhD from Yale University (2000) and scholarly awards and community honors\, including Sterling Fellowship\, New Century Scholarship\, best non-fiction book award\, and American Association of University Professors\, National Women’s Studies Association. She is compiling critical oral histories of Palestinian activism and editing an anthology on Teaching Palestine; and roundtables on Black Liberation; Abolition and Reparations; and Whose Narrative? Gender\, Justice and Palestine. \n  \nLeah Kim is a mental health advocate and host of the Voices on the Side podcast. She writes about motherhood and mental health on her blog On-Motherhood.com. She has been featured in Women’s Health\, Shape\, Garage\, and Matches Fashion and on sites such as mother.ly\, Medium\, and Tiny Buddha. Her writing has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar\, PT Magazine\, Assemblage\, Just Breathe\, Get the Gloss\, Top Sante\, and Metro UK. Kim is the author of From Office Hell to Yoga Heaven: Jumpstart Your Career as a Yoga Instructor. She was Nike’s first ever Yoga Athlete and spent over a decade as Nike’s Global Yoga Ambassador. Leah is the author of  Mom\, Unfiltered coming out Apr 2026. Leah lives in Brooklyn\, New York.\n 
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/letters-from-a-living-utopia/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251205T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251205T213000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251119T205253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T210022Z
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SUMMARY:Gary Fisher: "Unpolished Truths" on the Erotics of Racism  Presented by  AVGI SAKETOPOULOU\, PSY.D (registration required)
DESCRIPTION:At a time when psychoanalysis is struggling to think about race\, what does it look like if we dare to engage race not from the perspective of identity\, but of eroticism? And what if\, to push things further\, we take up not “respectable” or palatable sexuality that does the work of “racial uplift” (Musser) but tend to sexuality that tangles violence\, trauma\, and the gnarled history of slavery with arousal and excitement? \nIn this presentation\, Avgi Saketopoulou turns to the work of Gary Fisher\, a black gay man who died of AIDS in the 1980s\, whose posthumously published notebook is filled with fantasies of racial abjection in the hands of\, or under the boot of\, a white man. When first published\, Fisher’s writing shocked academics theorizing race\, leaving them “speechless” (Reid-Pharr); but its subsequent engagement produced a series of important and fresh theorizations that psychoanalysis has yet to take up. What can psychoanalysis learn from Fisher and from those who wrote about him that exceeds what we think we already know about trauma\, racialization\, and the workings of the sexual unconscious? Bringing together Jean Laplanche\, queer of color critique\, and Black feminisms\, Saketopoulou offers a series of challenging propositions that may help us expand our capacity to think clinically with and about race and interracial erotics. \nTICKETS: $50.00\nStudent tickets $25.00\n(Proof of student status required) \nFree for MIP candidates (RSVP candidates only) \nTHIS IS A HYBRID EVENT: IN PERSON AND ONLINE \nCLICK HERE TO PAY AND REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON \nTIME: 7:30 to 9:30PM \nLOCATION: Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\nRoom 210 of The Lesbian\, Gay\, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center\n208 W 13th St\, NY NY 10011 \n***\nCLICK HERE TO PAY AND REGISTER TO ATTEND ONLINE \nYou will receive a Zoom link after you register. \nContinuing Education Hours: 2\nThe Manhattan Institute is a NY State approved provider of continuing education hours for: LCSW\, LMSW\, LCAT\, LMHC and Licensed Psychologists. \nAvgi Saketopoulou\, Psy.D. is an immigrant from Cyprus and from Greece and a psychoanalyst practicing in NY. She serves on the faculty of the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis and her publications have received numerous prizes\, including twice the annual prize of the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association\, the Ralph Roughton Award\, the Ruth Stein Prize\, and the Symonds Prize. Her interview on relational psychoanalysis is in the permanent holdings of the Freud Museum (Vienna). Her monograph\, Sexuality Beyond Consent: Risk\, Race\, Traumatophilia (2023) braids psychoanalysis with performance studies\, philosophy\, and queer of color critique to explore the vicissitudes of overwhelm and repetition. She is co-author\, with Ann Pellegrini\, of Gender Without Identity\, which includes a re-worked version of the essay for which they received the IPA’s First Tiresias Prize. Her thinking also appears in critical conversation with Dominique Scarfone in The Reality of the Message: Psychoanalysis in the Wake of Jean Laplanche. She is currently working on her next book project provisionally titled The Currents of Sadism: Insurgency\, Psychoanalysis\, and Confusional Aesthetics.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/gary-fisher-unpolished-truths/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251206T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251118T201715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T212543Z
UID:15991-1765044000-1765051200@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Opening Reception for The Garden (in person only)
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Saturday\, December 6\, from 6 to 8 PM\, for the Opening Reception for The Garden! \nThe Garden is an art exhibition inspired by Monique Wittig’s essay “The Garden\,” translated by Lorie Sauble-Otto in GLQ (2007). Wittig\, a French author\, philosopher\, and lesbian theorist\, imagined radical spaces for lesbian existence; this show offers a contemporary interpretation of that vision. \nFeaturing darkroom prints\, collage\, scanned flowers\, a card deck\, portraits\, and video\, The Garden arrives at a moment of renewed threats to LGBTQ+ lives. Showcasing work by Rhiannon Adam\, Deborah Bright\, Sara Duell\, Naima Green\, Lindsey Perryman\, Sunny Leerasanthanah\, Tray Tsui\, the exhibition centers lesbian vision\, presence\, creativity\, and connection. \nThe Garden will be on view at the Bureau from December 6\, 2025 through March 1\, 2026. \nDownload a PDF of Monique Wittig article “The Garden\,” originally published in French in 1978\, and translated by Lorie Sauble-Otto for a 2007 issue of GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies (Vol. 13\, No. 4). \n 
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/opening-reception-the-garden/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251207T170000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251111T214302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T214302Z
UID:15978-1765119600-1765126800@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Lessons in Drag - A conversation between Kareem Khubchandani & Elyssa Maxx Goodman (in person only)
DESCRIPTION:Celebrating the recent release of Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics\, Artists\, and Aunties\, this conversation brings together two of the most exciting public thinkers writing about DRAG. Together\, Kareem Khubchandani and Elyssa Maxx Goodman will discuss themes that appear in the book\, including drag’s place in the university\, the nightclub as a site of care\, the magic of lip synch\, and performance’s ability to hold history and map futures. \nThe conversation models the form of Lessons in Drag\, which opens with a thought-provoking dialogue between scholar Kareem Khubchandani and his drag persona LaWhore Vagistan. The book unfolds in alternating chapters where the two exchange insights\, stories\, and critiques. Khubchandani delves into the lessons LaWhore’s drag practice offers about academia—shaping his approaches to research\, teaching\, and writing—while Vagistan reveals how Khubchandani’s scholarship influences her performances\, inspiring her understanding of fashion\, music\, divas\, and aunties. Together\, their reflections and conversations weave a compelling tapestry of drag’s instructive power. Witty\, bold\, and deeply personal\, Lessons in Drag is both an invitation to explore drag as a practice and a celebration of its transformative potential. \nLessons in Drag was published in October 2025 by Brandeis University Press. \n  \nTo reserve a copy of Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics\, Artists\, and Aunties (Brandeis University Press\, October 29\, 2025\, paperback\, $29.95) please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve Lessons in Drag for December 7 event” in the subject line. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \nYou can also purchase Lessons in Drag (click on title below) on our online shop at bookshop.com/shop/bgsqd: \nLessons in Drag \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \n\nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \n\nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n  \nKareem Khubchandani is the author of the award-winning books Decolonize Drag and Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife. He is also co-editor of the Lambda Literary-nominated Queer Nightlife\, guest editor of Text and Performance Quarterly’s “Critical Aunty Studies\,” and associate editor for GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. Kareem is Associate Professor of theater\, dance\, and performance studies at Tufts University. His newest book\, Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics\, Artists\, and Aunties is now out from Brandeis University Press. \n  \nElyssa Maxx Goodman is the author of National Bestseller Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City\, named a 2024 Stonewall Honor Book\, one of Vogue’s Best LGBTQ+ Books of 2023\, one of Booklist’s Best History Books of 2023\, and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ+ Nonfiction. Elyssa has presented her drag history work on CNN\, at Lincoln Center\, the New-York Historical Society\, and more. Her writing has been published in The New York Times\, Vogue\, and Vanity Fair\, among many others.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/lessons-in-drag/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251113T160737Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251130T173919Z
UID:15981-1765393200-1765400400@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:The Final tour stop for Middle Spoon\, with Alejandro Varela and Miguel Gutierrez: A conversation about heartbreak\, polyamory\, public health\, George Michael\, Regina King\, and the Department of Sanitation (in person only)
DESCRIPTION:Join author Alejandro Varela as he discusses his new book MIDDLE SPOON with Miguel Gutierrez: A conversation about heartbreak\, polyamory\, public health\, George Michael\, Regina King\, and the Department of Sanitation. \n“Middle Spoon subverts the ordinary novel with intelligence and vulnerability. . . . Varela has made a sly\, analytical opera of the heart.” —Andrew Sean Greer\, author of Less and Less Is Lost \n“A rollicking delight! . . . Varela asks provocative questions about the shape of family and the nature of love.” —Ada Calhoun\, New York Times bestselling author of Crush \nOne of Today’s 50 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2025 · Named a Must-Read Book of Fall 2025 by Town & Country\, W Magazine\, and more \nA whip-smart\, blazingly funny novel about heartbreak\, unconventional love\, and the way society could be\, from National Book Award finalist Alejandro Varela \nThe narrator of Middle Spoon appears to be living the dream: He has a doting husband\, two precocious children\, all the comforts of a quiet bourgeois life—and a sexy younger boyfriend to accompany him to farmers markets and cocktail parties. But when his boyfriend abruptly dumps him\, he spirals into heartbreak for the first time and must confront a world still struggling to understand polyamorous relationships. Faced with the judgment of friends and the sting of rejection\, he’s left to wonder if sharing a life with both his family and his lover could ever truly be possible. \nWith a big heart and just the right dose of the anxieties that define the modern era\, Middle Spoon skewers the unspoken rules we still live by—from taboos around intimacy to the shortcomings of Oscar season\, pop culture\, and gluten-free food—offering a surprising perspective on love\, loss\, and reinvention. Equal parts heart-wrenching and uproariously funny\, Middle Spoon is for anyone who has longed\, nursed a broken heart\, or grappled with love at its messiest. \n  \nTo reserve a copy of Middle Spoon (Viking\, September 9\, 2025\, hardcover\, $30) please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve Middle Spoon for December 10 event” in the subject line. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \nYou can also purchase Middle Spoon (click on title below) on our online shop at bookshop.com/shop/bgsqd: \nMiddle Spoon \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \n\n\nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \n\n  \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \n\nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \n\nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n\n  \nAlejandro Varela’s debut novel\, The Town of Babylon\, was a finalist for the National Book Award. His short story collection\, The People Who Report More Stress\, was one of Publishers Weekly’s best works of fiction in 2023\, a finalist for the International Latino Book Awards\, and longlisted for the Aspen Literary Prize\, the Story Prize\, and the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. Varela is an editor-at-large of Apogee Journal\, holds a master’s degree in public health\, and is based in New York. \n  \nMiguel Gutierrez (he/him) is an artist and educator living between Lenapehoking/Brooklyn\, NY and Tovaangar/Los Angeles. Recent performance work includes Super Nothing\, a dance blueprint for queer survival developed through the Randjelović/Stryker Resident Commissioned Artist program at New York Live Arts\, and sueño\, his music project of original songs. His work has been presented internationally for over twenty years in venues such as Festival D’Automne in Paris\, REDCAT\, Brooklyn Academy of Music\, Festival Universitario in Colombia\, and as a selected artist in the 2014 Whitney Biennial. His writing has appeared in BOMB online\, Small Press Traffic’s The Back Room\, InDance\, and most recently in SLUTS anthology from Dopamine Press and in Entanglements\, a monograph on work by collaborative artists Luke George and Daniel Kok. His podcast\, Are You For Sale? examines the ethical entanglement between dance making and funding.www.miguelgutierrez.org
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/middle-spoon/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251212T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251212T203000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251204T161347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T161915Z
UID:16046-1765566000-1765571400@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Office Hours Fall 2025 Showcase Reading (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:Join us Friday\, December 12th\, 2025 at 7 PM EDT for the Office Hours Fall 2025 Showcase Reading\, a hybrid event (both in person readers & virtual). In person readers will gather at the Bureau of General Services–Queer Division and virtual readers will appear on a screen. Current fellows from the Office Hours Poetry Workshop will read sparkling new work they developed in the Fall 2025 cohort.  \nOffice Hours Poetry Workshop is a community-run organization for poets with a dedicated commitment to writing. We particularly hold space for LBGTQ+\, POC\, and femme-identified writers.\n \nList of readers:  \nIn person: \nDina Abdulhadi \nSuzanne Highland \nMegan Murtha \nSarah M. Sala \nJ. Freeborn \nAbba Belgrave \nDonauta Watson \nMichael M. Weinstein  \nOn Zoom: \nShakeema Smalls \nJames Fujinami Moore \nRyan Dzelzkalns \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \n\n\nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \n\nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \n\nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \n\nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project!
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/office-hours-fall-2025-showcase/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T120000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251119T222948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T223009Z
UID:16003-1765623600-1765627200@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:lesbian book club: December edition (in person only)
DESCRIPTION:We’ll be reading fiction and non-fiction — classic\, contemporary\, revealing and visionary. As a group we will decide what to read each month\, focusing on lesbian authors and/or related topics. Co-founded by lesbian book lovers Judi Komaki and Piper Olsen. \n\n\nFor our December 13th meeting\, we’ll read Hijab Butch Blues\, Lamya H. (Dial Press\, February 6\, 2024\, paperback\, $20). Purchase a copy before December 13th\, and receive a 15% discount ($17 instead of $20). Just mention the lesbian book club when making your purchase. \n\nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \n\n\nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nRegistration is not required.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/lesbian-book-club-december-edition-2025/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bgsqd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/hijab2-Piper-Toohey-Olsen.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Bureau of General Services%E2%80%94Queer Division":MAILTO:contact@bgsqd.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251213T160000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251201T200526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T180517Z
UID:16030-1765638000-1765641600@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Book Launch: The Best Bi Erotica of the Year\, Volume Two (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:All are welcome to attend the launch of The Best Bi Erotica of the Year\, Volume 2. This event will include readings from the anthology by contributing authors Eskay Kabba and Maeve Blackhead\, as well as with editor Christian Pan. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. \n  \nTo reserve a copy of The Best Bi Erotica of the Year\, Volume 2 please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve Best Bi Erotica for December 13 event” in the subject line. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n  \nChristian Pan is the author of 24 previous books of erotic fiction\, including The Diary (with Jenna Citrus)\, Wilding (Passionate Plume Finalist in Erotic Fiction – Long)\, Reunion (Passionate Plume Finalist in Erotic Fiction; International Impact Book Award Winner in Romance)\, Stockholm Syndrome (Passionate Plume Finalist in Erotic Fiction)\, At the End of the World (Star Recommendation for Erotica – Literally Lovesick; Golden Pigtails Finalist for Dark/Taboo Erotica)\, among others. He edited both volumes of The Best Bi Erotica of the Year\, is a Creative Producer for Incision Press\, and hosts the Pulse Session segment for the monthly podcast All the Filthy Details. \n  \nMaeve Blackhead lives in New York City. \n  \nEskay Kabba Wife\, mother\, partner\, daughter\, sister\, friend\, social worker\, life skills coach and part-time erotic romance novelist\, Eskay Kabba finds the complexity of human nature and creates romantic and erotic love stories. Eskay pens erotic romance novels that celebrate the LGBTQ community\, people of color\, and interracial relationships. When not writing about the throes of passion\, Eskay finds joy in spending time with her family and loved ones\, reading dystopia and fantasy series\, and binging a popular show from a streaming app. \n 
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/best-bi-erotica-of-the-year-volume-two/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bgsqd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/December-13-Best-Bi-Erotica-banner-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Bureau of General Services%E2%80%94Queer Division":MAILTO:contact@bgsqd.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251214T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251214T180000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251204T155828Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T164800Z
UID:16040-1765724400-1765735200@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:The Fig Thief Book Launch Party (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:The Fig Thief : Gabriella M. Belfiglio’s Debut Poetry Book Bash at the Bureau\, Sunday\, December 14th\, 3-6pm. \nPlease join us as we celebrate with readings\, antics\, and all-around fun\, featuring the poet and special guests Donna Minkowitz\, Annie Lanzillotto\, and JP Howard! \n  \nTo reserve a copy of The Fig Thief (Guernica Editions\, October 1\, 2025\, paperback\, $17.95) please write to us at contact@bgsqd.com with “please reserve a copy of The Fig Thief for Dec. 14 event” in the subject line. \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us! \n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \n\n\nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \n\nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \n\nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \n\nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n\n  \nGabriella M. Belfiglio is the author of the poetry collection\, The Fig Thief. She is a winner of the W.B. Yeats Poetry Contest. Belfiglio has writing published in the award-winning anthology Poetic Voices Without Borders\, The Potomac Review\, Folio\, The Monterey Poetry Review\, The Centrifugal Eye\, and Lambda Literary Review\, among other places. \nShe is a queer artist and teacher and mother living in New York City.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/the-fig-thief-book-launch-party/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services–Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bgsqd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/December-14-Fig-Thief-banner-REV-1-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Bureau of General Services%E2%80%94Queer Division":MAILTO:contact@bgsqd.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251217T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251119T231339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251130T180058Z
UID:16006-1765998000-1766001600@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Radical Queer Reading Group: Assata (in person only)
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we read radical leftist texts with a focus on queer liberation\, anti-capitalism\, and anti-colonialism. For December 17th\, we’re reading Assata by Assata Shakur (Lawrence Hill Books\, November 1\, 1999\, paperback\, $19.99).\n  \nWe’ll meet on Wednesday\, December 17th at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division in room 210 of The LGBT Community Center in the West Village\, 7-8 PM.\n  \nCopies of Assata by Assata Shakur (Lawrence Hill Books\, November 1\, 1999\, paperback\, $19.99) are available to purchase at the Bureau. Purchase the book before December 17th and receive 15% off ($16.99 instead of $19.99). Just mention the Radical Queer Reading Group when you check out.\n  \nThank you for supporting the Bureau by purchasing books from us!\n  \nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nRSVP here \n(not required) \nVote on our January book here. \n​ \nStarting in January 2026\, the Radical Queer Reading Group will meet on the second Wednesday of every month: \n​January 14 \n​February 11 \n​March 11 \n… \n  \nThe Bureau will solicit donations at the beginning of the event—we especially encourage donations from those who do not plan to purchase any books. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \nEven better: sign up to make a monthly tax-deductible donation to the Bureau! \nThank you for committing to sustaining this vital project! \n  \nAbout the organizers: \nIra Berkley and Elaina Rahrig are public defenders in New York City. They share a love of reading and are excited to have this space to discuss radical texts through a queer lens.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/radical-queer-reading-group-assata/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bgsqd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/December-17-2025-RGRQ-flyer-Assata.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Bureau of General Services%E2%80%94Queer Division":MAILTO:contact@bgsqd.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251220T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251220T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251208T153345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T202455Z
UID:16059-1766257200-1766260800@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:TELL: Above and Beyond (in person & live-streaming)
DESCRIPTION:TELL is a monthly queer storytelling show hosted and curated by Drae Campbell. It is the longest running event at the Bureau! 11 years and going. Each month there is a different theme and a different line up of queer artists who tell true stories from their lives on a theme. \nThe theme for December 20\, 2025 is Above and Beyond\, featuring storytellers Cara Francis and Angie Salazar. \n\nThis event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center\, 208 W. 13th St.\, NYC\, 10011. \nRegistration is not required. Seating is first come\, first served. \nAlso live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel: \nyoutube.com/@bgsqd \nSuggested donation to benefit the storytellers and the Bureau: $10. \nAll are welcome to attend\, with or without a donation. \nWe will pass a bag for donations at the start of the event\, but we can also take credit card donations at the register or on Venmo @BGSQD \n  \nDrae Campbell is the host and curator of TELL\, an award winning podcast that can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts. \nTheater: The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater\, Woolly Mammoth Theater & National Tour\, Lortel Nominated)\, Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater)\, Only You Can Prevent Wildfires (Teatro Circulo)\, My Old Man (Dixon Place)\, Storm Still (DirectorFest\, Drama League)\, La Cage Aux Folles (Barrington Stage Company). \nFilm and TV:Senior Escort Service\, Blunderpuss\, It’s Very Common\, TOW. \nTV: Bull\, New Amsterdam. \nBFA\, The University Of The Arts \nIg @draebiz and @tellqueerz \n \nCara Francis (Francis\, they/them) is a multidisciplinary writer and performer combining drag\, music\, comedy\, installations and alter egos. Personas include Fantasy Grandma\, Earls2Gearls\, and Bob Voyage. Performances: Carolines\, Ars Nova\, Joe’s Pub\, Zanies\, the Hollywood Improv\, Stonewall and Bushwig. Installations and residencies: Brooklyn Museum\, Metropolitan Museum of Art\, New Museum\, Knockdown Center\, Banff\, NACL. Francis was an ensemble member of the New York Neo-Futurists from 2008–2018 and was a Drama Desk Nominee for The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill. Press: Village Voice\, The New York Times Critic’s Pick\, Time Out NY\, The Wall Street Journal\, Vice’s MOTHERBOARD\, ARTFORUM. Upcoming: Synthesis at Triskelion Arts\, March 2026. \n \nAngie Salazar (she/they) is a queen based stage manager\, archivist\, and artist. She has worked a range of community theatre\, regional\, workshops\, tour\, and off-broadway. (SoHo Rep\, The Bushwick Starr\, Breaking the Binary\, National Queer Theatre\, Broadway Cares\, and Denver Center of The Performing Arts.) Usually does traditional art\, but as of this year they have been exploring writing. They been published in Malflora Collective Magazine\, dedicated project to lives and legacies of Latina/e Lesbians. They current run a photo project of archive carabiner culture of the now (@thecarabinerproject).
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/tell-above-and-beyond/
LOCATION:Bureau of General Services—Queer Division\, 208 West 13th Street\, Room 210\, New York\, NY\, 10011\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bgsqd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/December-20-TELL-Above-and-Beyond-banner-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Bureau of General Services%E2%80%94Queer Division":MAILTO:contact@bgsqd.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251225
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251226
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251130T181828Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251214T183312Z
UID:16026-1766620800-1766707199@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Closed Christmas Day
DESCRIPTION:The Bureau will be closed on Thursday\, December 25th\, 2025\, for Christmas.\n\nThe Center will observe holiday hours:\n5 to 9 PM\n  \nHoliday hours:\nThe Bureau will be closed on\nThursday\, December 25th\nFriday\, December 26th\nWednesday\, December 31st\nThursday\, January 1st
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/closed-christmas-day/
LOCATION:NY
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251226
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251227
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251214T183150Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251214T183150Z
UID:16078-1766707200-1766793599@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Closed on December 26
DESCRIPTION:The Bureau will be closed on Friday\, December 26th. \nHoliday hours:\nThe Bureau will be closed on \nThursday\, December 25th\nFriday\, December 26th\nWednesday\, December 31st\nThursday\, January 1st
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/closed-on-december-26-2/
LOCATION:NY
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251231
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260101
DTSTAMP:20260428T011627
CREATED:20251208T163401Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251214T183435Z
UID:16063-1767139200-1767225599@www.bgsqd.com
SUMMARY:Closed New Year's Eve
DESCRIPTION:The Bureau will be closed on\nWednesday\, December 31st\, 2025\nand\nThursday\, January 1st\, 2026\n  \nWe will resume regular hours on\nFriday\, January 2\, 2026.
URL:https://www.bgsqd.com/event/closed-new-years-eve/
LOCATION:NY
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=:
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR