Charis welcomes Chloe Davis in conversation with Forrest Evans for a celebration of The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases. Do you know where "yaaaas queen!" comes from? Do you know the difference between a bear and a wolf? Do you know what all the letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for? Queen's English is a  landmark reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community's contributions to the English language--an intersectional, inclusive, playfully illustrated glossary featuring more than 800 terms and fabulous phrases created by and for queer culture. This event is co-hosted by the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. This event takes place on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform.

The Queens' English is a comprehensive guide to modern gay slang, queer theory terms, and playful colloquialisms that define and celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture. This modern dictionary provides an in-depth look at queer language, from terms influenced by celebrated lesbian poet Sappho and from New York's underground queer ball culture in the 1980s to today's celebration of RuPaul's Drag Race.

The glossary of terms is supported by full-color illustrations and photography throughout, as well as real-life usage examples for those who don't quite know how to use "kiki," "polysexual," or "transmasculine" in a sentence. A series of educational lessons highlight key people and events that shaped queer language; readers will learn the linguistic importance of pronouns, gender identity, Stonewall, the Harlem Renaissance, and more.

For every queen in your life--the men, women, gender non-conforming femmes, butches, daddies, and zaddies--The Queens' English is at once an education and a celebration of queer history, identity, and the limitless imagination of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Chloe O. Davis is a proud Black bisexual woman and debut author who works in the entertainment industry in New York. A graduate of Hampton University and Temple  University, she has centered her creative platform on amplifying the narratives of Black culture and heightening the awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community. Davis’s work as a  dancer, actor, and creative has allowed her to travel to all fifty states and internationally.  In addition to performing at premier theaters across the country, such as New York City  Center, the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center, the Muny, and the Berkeley Repertory  Theatre, she has appeared on PBS Great Performances with Porgy and Bess at the  Metropolitan Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC, and Southern  Landscape performed by the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!).

In tandem with performing, Chloe O. Davis has spent fifteen years researching, writing and creating The Queens’ English, The Dictionary for LGBTQIA+ Lingo and Colloquial Phrases. She believes this dictionary is a starting point for important conversations around inclusivity, sexuality, gender expression, and identity.

Forrest Evans is an Atlanta-based, licensed librarian working at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Evans has worked in various libraries from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the south to special collections and television. The avid DC Comic Book collector combating under education, and fighting for gender equality. Their love for reading fuels my passion to circulate Black and Queer Literature, and resources.

The low country native, also known for her published poetry in Pen+Brush, Lavender Review: Lesbian Poetry and Art,  TQ Review: A Journal of Trans and Queer Voices, and The Apogee Journal.  When the poet is not in the library, they are with their Queer Tribe combating xenophobia or sharing joy. For more information about Evans, visit favoritelibrarian.com or their official social media. Pronouns: They/Them or She/Her.

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/CharisCircle?code=chariscirclepage

We will be archiving this event and adding closed captioning as soon as possible after airing so that it will be accessible to deaf and HOH people. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we begin this new way of connecting across distances.

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The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases--Chloe Davis in conversation with Forrest Evans