A group of Radical Faeries in Brooklyn is organizing its first-ever “gatherette” from June 20-22, envisioned as weekend “rooted in queerness, creative expression and deep connection.”
The Radical Faerie movement itself began in the 1970s as a space for “queer spirituality and political frameworks” outside traditional institutions. Since then, it has evolved into a loosely- affiliated community that embraces fluidity, resistance and collective care.
Organizer Sam, who uses she/they pronouns and declined to give their last name, described the Brooklyn gatherette as “an attempt to provide a community-based resource for people who identify as Faeries or who are curious about it.”
“Faerie culture offers an interesting answer to what it means to gather,” Sam said. “Especially around ideas of community, spirituality and mutual care from a non-consumption-based framework.”
While historically composed mostly of white gay men, those who identify as Faeries have become increasingly diverse over time.
“There are a lot more people of color and trans people than there were initially,” Sam said. “There were always trans people and people of color, and there was always a radical orientation towards resisting patriarchy and racism from the foundations of the Faerie organization.”
The idea of the urban gatherette took root during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a small group of Brooklyn faeries hosted a ritual in Prospect Park’s Rose Garden. That moment, Sam said, planted the seed for something bigger.
The upcoming Summer Solstice event will include a variety of community-sourced workshops, heart circles, shared meals and a dance party. Organizers hope this will create space for “ecstatic pleasure and radical connection.”
Unlike most public events, however, faerie gatherings are intentionally non-commercial and invitation-based. But, Sam shared plans for a party as part of the event, which will be “more accessible to more people.”
“We grow by association,” Sam explained. “Faerie gatherings aren’t a ticketed thing, they’re something you get invited to.”
Still, the party component of the weekend will be more open and accessible. It will include workshops like listening circles, yoga and other ways to “gather and relate in a specific way.”
To keep the event open to all, the Brooklyn Radical Faeries launched a GoFundMe that has already raised over $4,000 toward their $6,969.69 goal. The funds will cover venue space, workshops, accessibility support and more.
Sam hopes the event not only gathers the local faerie community but also introduces people to the collective vision and relate in a different way.
“There’s a lot of New York space that’s built around going to bars, etc.,” they said. “One of the big challenges here is trying to find space, and we’re trying to create community space.”
