SAY GAY PLAYS: A Call for Theater Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights

SAY GAY PLAYS was conceived in 2023 in response to the passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Since then, a tidal wave of legislation has swept across other states using Florida’s bill as a template for bigotry, especially targeting the trans community.

Offering a counternarrative to this hatred, Voyage Theater Company commissioned 10 established and emerging playwrights to write short plays on LGBTQ+ themes.

On May 13, 2024, a kickoff fundraising event presented all 10 SAY GAY PLAYS in New York City in an evening of queer theater to benefit New Alternatives for Homeless LBGT Youth. Hosted by the mult-talented multi-hyphenate Peppermint.

SAY GAY PLAYS 2024 playwrights included Fernanda Coppel, Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, Ty Defoe, Marquis D. Gibson, Nina Ki, Derrick Edgren Otero, Harrison David Rivers, J. Harvey Stone, Lucy Thurber, and Doug Wright.

SAY GAY PLAYS 2025  will be presented June 30 at Judson Memorial Church, as a benefit for Judson Commons. We will be announcing our playwrights soon!

The entire SAY GAY PLAYS portfolio is now available royalty-free to not-for-profit theaters, colleges and universities, and community organizations across the nation. To find out more please visit www.saygayplays.org.