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).

AADL welcomes the Jim Toy Center's Drag Storytime for Ann Arbor Pride!

Ann Arbor Pride presents storyteller Avalisa Davenport, who will read Dazzling Travis and I Am Jazz as part of the 2023 Ann Arbor Pride festivities.

AADL is excited to be part of Ann Arbor Pride again this year! Pride takes place on Main Street this year in Downtown Ann Arbor!

First celebrated in 1995, Ann Arbor Pride (previously known as OUTFest) is a weekend festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer identities, community, and allyship hosted by the Jim Toy Community Center. Ann Arbor Pride brings entertainment, community, vendors, fun, and most importantly, Pride. 

More information here.

Join us for 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.

Join AADL, Dr. Jennifer Tang, and her colleagues from Everwell Counseling in discussing The Big Gay Read 2023, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. We will take a look at the book through the lens of a mental health professional and dive into the core themes represented therein.

This event is part of the 2023 Big Gay Read, featuring Last Night at the Telegraph Club. For all Big Gay Read events, see aadl.org/ thebiggayread.

AADL welcomes local Drag Kings for a night of performance, followed by a panel discussion about the art form, drag king culture, and queer celebration.

This event is part of the 2023 Big Gay Read, featuring Last Night at the Telegraph Club. For all Big Gay Read events, see aadl.org/thebiggayread. 

This event is now taking place in the 1st Floor Lobby of the Downtown Library.

 As a transwoman and a professional maintenance technician, Mercury Stardust has discovered (the hard way) that we live in a world with much to fear. If you've ever felt panicked about opening your home to strangers in order to fix a maintenance issue, her book is for you.

Local author Caroline Huntoon will read from their debut novel Skating on Mars, followed by a Q&A. Life isn’t easy on twelve-year-old Mars. As if seventh grade isn’t hard enough, Mars is also grappling with the recent death of their father and a realization they never got to share with him: they’re nonbinary. But with their skates laced up and the ice under their feet, all of those struggles melt away. When Mars’ triple toe loop draws the attention of a high school hot shot, he dares them to skate as a boy so the two can compete head-to-head.

In conjunction with the Big Gay Read, join us as we share our favorite recipes found in he AADL Community Collections with special guest, Jacob.

This year's Big Gay Read is Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, set in the 50's of San Francisco's Chinatown. Check out this event (and many more) to enrich the reading experience of The Big Gay Read 2023...or if you'd just like some more wonderful recipes!

Cartoonist Rob Kirby discusses his graphic memoir, Marry Me a Little, a celebration of a romantic partnership between two men and a personal account of a momentous and historic moment in the fight for gay rights. Rob has been making comics since 1991. He is the author of Curbside Boys and the creator and editor of several anthologies, including the series THREE, for which he received the 2011 Prism Queer Press Grant, and the Ignatz Award-winning QU33R (2014).