Bi the way, 25 awesome LGBTQ Memphis happenings for this end-of-March event guide
Bi the Way is our biweekly event list where we share all the best local LGBTQ+ and queer-inclusive happenings in Memphis and the Midsouth in the next two weeks.
Let’s close out March with a bang with queer hoedowns, fascinating LGBT documentaries, Golden Girls in drag—and more!
Ongoing
Breaking the Rules: Paul Wonner and Theophilus Brown | Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Through March 31st | All ages | Free | These two artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1940s and early 1950s, met and became a couple in 1952. Paul Wonner (1920 – 2008) and William “Theophilus” Brown (1919 – 2012) both began as practitioners of a style that came to be known as Bay Area Figuration.
Drag Race Watch Party at DRUS Bar | Fridays, 7PM | 21+ | Free | Join iconic host India Taco as you cheer on your fave drag performers every Friday, til’ RuPaul crowns season 16’s winner!
Monday Happy Hour Karaoke | DRUS Bar | 3-10pm | 21+ | No Cover | Pick your favorite tune and get ready to belt this Monday (or next!). Oh, and don’t forget to take advantage of DRUS drink specials.
Movie Night at OUTMemphis | Out Memphis, YEC | 5pm | 18-24 | Free | OUTMemphis’ Youth Empowerment Center hosts fun, weekly movie nights every Friday. Coming up, you can see queer comedy Bottoms (March 22), then western drama Cowboy (March 29).
Shantay You Play Drag Queen Bingo | Moxy | 7pm – 9pm | 21+ | Free | Every Thursday, join phenomenal rotating drag hosts Imogene Azengraber, Moth Moth Moth, Krystal Karma, and Brenda Newport for a fabulous night of bingo at the Moxy. Come for the singing, dancing and fun, and you might even win a prize!
School of Ool | Clough-Hanson Gallery (Rhodes College) | Through March 22nd | All ages | Free | Multimedia artist Coe Lapossy revisits artifacts of queerness wedged within a seemingly straight world in this poignant gallery show at Rhodes College.
Zanna, Don’t: A Fairy Tale Musical| Emerald Theatre Company | March 15 – March 25, various times. | Tickets, $25 | Set in a colorful high school in Heartsville, USA, Zanna, Don’t is an upbeat campy musical comedy that takes place in a fictional world where being homosexual is the norm and being heterosexual is considered taboo.
Now, 18 totally new LGBTQ Memphis events to close out March 2024
Saturday, March 16
Southern Sapphic Hoedown | DRUS Bar | 9-1am | 21+ | No Cover | Join Sapphic Memphis for a “cuntry western-themed” dance party, equipped with line dancing and all sorts of bops from DJ Nico.
Sunday, March 17
St. Patrick’s Day Drag Bingo | DRUS Bar | 3pm | 21+ | No Cover | Come dazzling in your best green look as the amazing Imagene Azengraber hosts an epic drag bingo sponsored by Fantasy Zone, including fun prizes and killer performances by Imagene, herself!
Monday, March 18
Defending Our Bodies, Defending Our Rights | Benjamin L. Hooks Library | 5:30-7:30pm | All ages | Free, RSVP encouraged | OUTMemphis, ACLU-TN, Choices, Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), and TN HIV Modernization Coalition teamed up for a legislative review of recent LGBTQ+ and reproductive justice attacks. Learn how we can use our democratic power to preserve our rights.
Tuesday, March 19
Line Dancing with Q | DRUS Bar | 6-9PM | 21+ | No Cover | Tuesdays are for line dancing! Join the one and only Q or for helpful instructions, and a down right good time.
Wednesday, March 20
All We’ve Got Screening | Lamplighter Lounge | Doors 7:30, Film 8pm | 21+ | Pay What You Can | This documentary directed by Alexis Clements explores the history of LGBTQ women’s spaces and the many queer volunteer organizations struggling in the present political climate.
I Heard it Through the Grapevine Screening | Malco Studio on the Square | 7pm | $12 | The 1982 documentary as part of Indie Memphis’ year-round screenings follows renowned writer and activist James Baldwin as he retraces his time within the 1960s Deep South civil rights conflicts.
Thursday, March 21
Burlesque Karaoke Night | Lamplighter Lounge | Sign ups 8:30, Show 9pm | No Cover, bring tips! | Who doesn’t love a night of karaoke served with a side of hot cakes? Onyx Davenport hosts this sexy, fun affair full of good music and moves.
Poetry Jam | OUT Memphis, YEC | 6pm | ages 18-24 | Free | Join other creative queer folks 18-24 in celebration of World Poetry Day at the Youth Emergency Center.
Friday, March 22
MidSouthCon 39 | Whispering Woods Hotel & Conference Center | March 22 – March 24, various times | Tickets starting at $40 | Explore Mid-South’s longest fan-run multi-genre science fiction convention, featuring over 200 hours of science fiction, fantasy, science, comics, horror, education, costuming, anime, and gaming programming over the span of one action-packed weekend.
Saturday, March 23
Cherry Blossom Picnic | Memphis Botanic Garden (MBG) | 10am – 4pm | All ages | Free with garden admission | Memphis Botanic Garden’s beloved annual event returns. See MBG’s Japanese Garden and celebrate spring with Asian-inspired food trucks, guided tours, and traditional Japanese crafts and activities against the backdrop of blooming cherry trees.
Transparency | DRUS Bar | 9pm | 21+ | $10 at the door | Come celebrate Mr. & Miss Trans Arkansas 2024 with Mid-South Trans Nation and Jenna on Fire Productions! It’s a show dedicated to trans advocacy featuring wonderful performances from drag artists from all over. All proceeds benefit Drag Out the Vote!
Sunday, March 24
Queer Memphis Hikes | T.O. Fuller State Park | All ages | RSVP for details | Join other awesome queers on a 3.6 mile hike around historic T.O. Fuller Park in South Memphis.
Tuesday, March 26
14th Annual Memphis Monologues | First Congregational Church | 18+ encouraged due to subject matter | Tickets starting at $25 | Taking its cue from Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, this annual event benefiting Planned Parenthood of TN & North MS and aptly held during Women’s History Month, brings attention to the many diverse experiences of women.
Thursday, March 28
Golden Girls: The Laugh Contines | The Orpheum Memphis | Show at 7:30pm | 18+ | Tickets starting at $44 | Reminisce at this play inspired by the “heartfelt hilarity” of TV show hit Golden Girls, written by Robert Leleux, directed by Eric Swanson, and performed in drag!
Friday, March 29
I Am Trans Resource Fair | The Junior League of Memphis | 2 – 7pm | All ages | Free | OUTMemphis and MidSouth Trans Nation join forces for the 2nd annual Trans Resource Fair in celebration of Trans Day of Visibility. Get access to free legal name changes, federal ID applications (with financial aid!), healthcare, cosmetic procedures, and more! Celebrate 2024 by eating, dancing, making friends, and connecting with us. Plus, everyone in attendance gets a complimentary copy of our debut 2024 Trans Best of Memphis Guide!
MidSouth Trans Gala | The Avenue Downtown | 7 – 10:30pm | 21+ | Tickets starting at $25 | MidSouth Trans Nation hosts a Trans Day Of Visibility celebration! This gala offers a safe and inclusive space for all trans and allied individuals to come together and elevate the beauty and diversity of the trans community.
Saturday, March 30
Gooetones, MothCat, Mystic Light Casino | Hi Tone, small room | Doors 8, show 9pm | 21+ | $10 | Indie band Gooetones, alt rock duo MothCat, and self-described “trashy/loud garage rock“ Mystic Light Casino rock out in Hi Tone’s small room.
Sunday, March 31
Trans Day of Visibility March | Cooper Ave | All ages | Free | MidSouth Trans Nation and Jenna on Fire Productions lead a march in honor of Trans Day of Visibility. Stay tuned for exact location announcements.
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