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TL;DR: Queer Nightlife explores spaces and social landscapes constructed ephemerally and under the cover of night, focusing on pleasure, performance, and collective labor by LGBTQIA+ individuals navigating systemic marginalization and ongoing social pressure.

Abstract: From expansive glittering dance halls to the ways cramped bathrooms and dressing rooms become undeniably intimate gatherings, Queer Nightlife journeys through spaces and social landscapes constructed ephemerally and under the cover of night — sites of pleasure, performance, and collective labor by and for LGBTQIA+ individuals navigating systemic marginalization and ongoing social pressure. This anthology explores the myriad ways queer communities emerge in daily life and endure frequently violent social and political economies that surround them. Contributions from 25 authors and artists in various disciplines examine nightlife as performance — a method of inquiry to establish how bodies “hold and repurpose history” (3). The collection is thoughtfully organized by tracing pathways through the night, including themes of “Before,” “Inside,” “Show,” and “After,” to temporally situate the diverse array of essays that are otherwise unbound by geographic location or a moment in history. Collectively, Queer Nightlife intentionally centers the voices of queer and trans people of color whose perspectives and labor have been historically underrepresented in academic literature.