Queer stories live everywhere. SLOTH exists to make space for yours.

Where do new relationships form? How often do you feel disconnected from the people around you? LGBTQ+ people report far higher levels of anxiety and loneliness, and we sought a way to bring people together in an alternative Friday night format.

Thus, two avid Moth listeners spun their own community event: THE SLOTH. An open mic with a central theme each evening, SLOTH encourages people to share authentic self-expressions through prose, poetry, song, dance, and conversational narrative. When we slow down, when we listen, when we hold space for one another, we find new bonds and new communities.

SLOTH has been running since late 2022 and regularly brings in new people and perspectives. We develop creative workshops, build an artist network with other queer collectives, and host events as far away as Cannon County, Tennessee.

SLOTH believes in a culture where every person has access to the resources needed to discover their true selves. We see an infrastructure made through affirming LGBTQ+ spaces, workshops, and networks that offer the tools to refine creative expression and individual prowess while building a sense of reliable, shared community.

Our values are simply designed through the acronym of SLOTH.

• S is for Slow Down: We give ourselves the space to reflect—to discover who we are and how we want to show up for ourselves and others.
• L is for Listen In: We channel our empathy through dedicated spaces to receive each other’s stories, sparking authentic connections.
• O is for Offer Yourself: Self-compassion is born of vulnerability. Through sharing our stories with others, we learn valuable aspects about ourselves.
• T is for Tell Stories: Storytelling is not created in solitude. We strike inspiration through conversation and from witnessing the world, and some of the best storytelling is collaborative.
• H is for Hold Community: Community is the crux of SLOTH, the very reason we exist. Relationships are essential to any community project, and we strive to create spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Suppose LGBTQ+ people have consistent local spaces and a reliable community with which they can openly express themselves. If they have this, they have the potential to experience a deeper sense of belonging, to increase their confidence, and to build networks of mutual support. This leads to stronger, more cohesive communities rooted in tangible creative skills and a more vibrant alliance of queer people across the nation.