AADL offers an array of events and activities year-round that celebrate our LGBTQ+ community, but in recognition of Pride Month in June and Ann Arbor Pride in August, AADL is listing a ton of in-person events, online recordings, exhibits, web features, and so much more. Stay tuned as we add to this list as the summer goes on!
In-Person Events for June 2026
Friday, June 5 | 1:30 - 2:30 PM | Downtown Library
Historical Perspectives on Queer Detroit: Narratives of the Motor City
Join the LGBTQ+ History Association for this Pride Month event featuring three writers whose work explores Detroit’s queer histories. Curtis Chin will read from his memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, which explores his experiences as a gay Chinese American child growing up in the Motor City during the 1980s. Mix Mann will present their research on the life of the Detroit-based Black lesbian activist Ruth Ellis, and Tim Retzloff will read from Come Out! In Detroit, a non-fiction comic book he co-created to tell the story of Michigan’s first pride celebration held in 1972.
This event is in partnership with the LGBTQ+ History Association.
Friday, June 5 | 6 PM | Downtown Library
Concert with Out Loud Chorus
Enjoy a family-friendly concert by Out Loud Chorus, Washtenaw County's original mixed LGBTQ+ chorus.
Saturday, June 6 | 6:30 PM | Downtown Library
Author Event | Chuck Tingle
Chuck Tingle presents The Bury Your Gays Book Tour Spectacular! Chuck will perform a one-time revival of the Bury Your Gays book tour, now arriving in Michigan for the first time! Join Chuck for a one-man show of games and revelations, with a Q&A to follow.
Friday, June 12 | 6:30 PM | Downtown Library
Drag Revue
Join us for a fantabulous evening filled to the brim with family-friendly drag performances from Austin D. King, Vivian Aphrodisia, Dante Gabbana, and Hershae Chocolatae.
Friday, June 19 | 6 PM | Malletts Creek
Joy as Resistance: Navigating Invalidating Systems with Clarity and Confidence
Join Dr. Charmeka Newton and Barika L. Pace for an event designed especially for individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds who are navigating complex and, at times, invalidating systems.
During the event, we will explore practical strategies for strengthening self-trust, honoring lived experiences, and engaging systems with clarity, confidence, and cultural grounding. We will also discuss the intentional cultivation of joy as a critical protective practice in the face of systemic invalidation, positioning joy as the guiding overlay for how we sustain ourselves. This event will have opportunities to learn and practice joy and self-protection strategies.
Saturday, June 27 | 3 PM | Downtown Library
Drag Bingo
Join Drag Queen extraordinaire Jadein Black for a fantastic session of BINGO with music, prizes, and lots of fun! All are welcome.
Monday, June 29 | 6 PM | Downtown Library
Elegy for the Aut Bar: A Film Screening and Discussion
Join us for a screening of a short documentary film about one of Ann Arbor's most beloved LGBTQ+ hangouts, the Aut Bar. Directed by Peter Sparling, the film introduces the bar's founders, Martin Contreras and Keith Orr, and their role in creating a vital space for Ann Arbor's queer community.
After the screening, Martin and Keith will share their reflections on Ann Arbor's queer scene, past and present. They will be joined by former Braun Court business owners Linda Lombardini and Sandi Smith, who are also featured in the film.
The Big Gay Read
In its sixth year, The Big Gay Read features a title chosen by AADL staff annually that the whole city can read, accompanied with events pertaining to the work's themes, and highlighted by an event featuring the author themselves.
The Ann Arbor District Library presents the 2026 Big Gay Read: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle.
You can choose your favorite way to read the Read this year:
The Gayest Generation | An AADL Podcast
Through heartfelt interviews and personal stories, The Gayest Generation steps into the colorful history of LGBTQ+ activism and resilience, shining a light on the remarkable contributions of LGBTQ+ elders and the progress made over the decades. Whether you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally seeking to deepen your understanding, The Gayest Generation is a tribute to the past, present, and future of queer resilience and activism.
Subscribe and download new episodes all year long!
AADL Trans Day of Visibility Zine
Since 2020, AADL has created a community-produced zine to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility. You can view and download past zines here.
30 Days of Pride
Get inspired with quotes, poems, crafts, and more!
See the whole series here!
Teen Pride Book Talk
In the AADL YouTube series, Lucy recommends LGBTQ+ focused books for teens. Dig into 73 episodes of Teen Pride Book Talk featuring authors like Adib Khorram, Anna Kopp, James Ramos, Madeline Dyer, and Saundra Mitchell.
A Selection of Past AADL Events
Black Lives Matter Discussion Series: A Dash of Salt and Pepper (2022) by Kosoko Jackson
Enjoy this episode of this ongoing discussion series where staff talk about the 2022 novel A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson, a gay romance written by a gay author.
Come Out! In Detroit: Telling the Story of Michigan's First LGBTQ+ Pride
A conversation with illustrator Isabel Clare Paul and historian Tim Retzloff, who teamed up to create the comic “Come Out! In Detroit,” in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Christopher Street Detroit ’72, the first LGBTQ+ pride celebration in Michigan. Free copies of the comic book will be available for all who attend.
George M. Johnson: Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known
George M. Johnson comes to AADL to discuss their new book Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known. In Flamboyants, Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose sexualities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer – and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.
Nico Lang: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era
For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities, American Teenager paints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.
Drag King Revue
AADL welcomes local Drag Kings for a night of performance, featuring a panel discussion about the art form, drag king culture, and queer celebration.
Transgender Day of Visibility 2025: An Interview with Rachel Crandall-Crocker
Join us for our five year anniversary of Transgender Day of Visibility events at the AADL! We'll be interviewing therapist, advocate and pioneer Rachel Crandall-Crocker. Rachel and her spouse, Sarah Crocker, have been long-time organizers of the trans community, under the organization Transgender Michigan.
Rachel started the Transgender Day of Visibility as an international holiday to contrast with Transgender Day of Remembrance — together we'll discuss community, history, and the ever-increasing scrutiny that trans lives have received in recent times.
Author Event | Queer Nature
A conversation with the editor and three contributors to Queer Nature: A Poetry Anthology. Poets Tamiko Beyer, Joy Ladin, Amber Flora Thomas, and Michael Walsh will discuss the role of "nature" in queer and trans lives and in poetry. What is queer nature? Who gets to be natural or unnatural and why? How queer or trans is the earth's flora and fauna? Does straight nature exist and could it be a false myth? Who gets to belong in a land or to a place and how do people do so without colonizing? How weird can a nature poem get?
The Big Gay Read 2024 Author Event | Samantha Irby
Get ready! Samantha Irby is coming to AADL as part of the Big Gay Read! Join us for a talk and Q&A!
Big Gay Read 2023 | Spaces For Us
A panel discussion looking back at the history and importance of LGBTQ+ spaces in Ann Arbor. Speakers include historian Tim Retzloff, the former owners of the Aut Bar, Keith Orr and Martin Contreras, and one of the original owners of Common Language bookstore, Lynden Kelly.
What Makes a Work of Art Queer?
A conversation with Sean Kramer about Oh Honey…A Queer Reading of the Collection, UMMA’s first exhibition of queer art. But what makes art queer in the first place? And how does one go about curating a queer art exhibition? What does it mean for our community to engage with queer art?
Politicizing and Queering Game Mechanics with Avery Alder
Game designer Avery Alder opens this talk with a question: Whose politics and experiences are we building our games around? After examining the importance of queer representation in games, this keynote will take a critical look at why representation isn’t enough. From there, Avery will explore how game mechanics and systems can be queered, subverting common structural assumptions in order to reflect a greater range of lived experiences. Examples will be drawn from the past two decades of independent tabletop roleplaying game design.
A2CAF: Small + Indie Press Queer Comic Creators Panel
LGBTQ+ representation has evolved over the years as artists have increasingly felt more comfortable sharing their stories with audiences. Local comics creators Anne Haddox (SQUiRT, CRUSH), Emma Jayne (LSBN, Trans Girls Hit the Town), and Nick Stellanova (The Dazzle) will discuss their creative process and queer representation in comics. This panel will be moderated by Connor Good (Karmada Arts and author of Epic Cosplay Costumes).