SAY GAY PLAYS: Theater Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights

SAY GAY PLAYS offers royalty-free short plays by queer playwrights to not-for-profit theater companies, arts organizations, and educational institutions for local activism and fundraising for LGBTQ+ communities across America.

The initiative was conceived in response to the 2022 passage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Since then, more than 520 state bills attacking LGBTQ+ rights have been introduced, with more than 75 becoming law. In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. for the first time in history.

SAY GAY PLAYS is a multi-year initiative to combat the harmful narratives being used as justification for discriminatory legislation with theater activism and solidarity.

In May 2024, the first 10 commissioned stories by LGBTQ+ playwrights were premiered at a special event at the NYU Skirball Center. Playwrights include 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.

These short plays are now being shared with theater-makers around the country for their own events.

With your generous support, we can continue to offer these plays royalty-free to theatre-makers everywhere, and show our solidarity and support for LGBTQ+ rights.

Thank you for your support!