Attend a Taylor Swift Dance Party, Go to the Dirty Show, See a Queer-Coded Art Exhibit, Join in a ‘Rocky Horror’ Night

Oh, beloved queerios, it’s only February, but this year already feels endless — I’m starting to understand why bears hibernate. (Forest bears, not gay bears — unless Scruff has a setting I missed.)
If you need a break from Executive Order-ageddon, why not dance with the Swifties, time-warp with “Rocky Horror” or check out some erotic (or not-so-erotic) art?
Nothing distracts from Project 2025's dumpster fire come to life quite like running into three exes on a first date. Dystopia is easier with community!
1. Attend a Valentine’s Day Taylor Swift Dance Party
You don't have to be a gaylor to join Ferndale Pride for a Valentine's Day Taylor Swift Dance Party at the Orchid Theater. Wear your best red and pink outfit (bonus points if this involves a Cardigan) to manifest the Love Story of your Wildest Dreams.
Ferndale Pride Executive Director Julia Music tells Pride Source the event will be welcoming to all attendees. "Whether you come alone, with friends, or with loved ones, everyone is welcome to sing and dance — no date required," she says. "Our events are all about creating connections, so come as you are."
If there's a Blank Space in your calendars, we hope to see you there! Tickets are selling out faster than Taylor's “1989” album so don't delay and risk being the Anti-Hero in your couple/friend group. Come ready to Shake It Off!
Feb. 14, 9 p.m., Orchid Theatre (141 West Nine Mile Road, Ferndale). Tickets are available now at bit.ly/4fVieNg.
2. Get Dirty at the 25th Annual Dirty Show
When the queer-inclusive erotic art exhibition Dirty Show started in 1999, the whole event could fit into the attic of an auto body shop. Now, 25 years later, producer Jerry Vile is putting on bigger shows that push boundaries further each year. Queer affirmation and inclusion is always at the center.
Highlights this year include numerous immersive art experiences with a Burlesque Extravaganza, film screenings at the Cinerotic Film Festival, food and drink and, of course, a spanking booth.
Feb. 14-22, Russell Exhibition Center (1600 Clay St., Detroit). Ticketing information at dirtydetroit.com/tickets25.
3. See a Queer-Coded Art Exhibit at MoCAD

If your heart has had enough actual reality for one day, don't miss The Clare Gatto and Kara Güt: Magic Circle exhibit, on display through Feb. 23 at MoCAD.
Fantasy role-playing video games inspire the exhibition, and the artists use the designs and themes from the games to imagine a different world and a mysterious "in-between" space where the lines between the virtual world and the real world blur.
Gatto and Güt have photography as their artistic root and use photos as raw material to build a layered space which will surely intrigue people interested in queer art or even those who simply wish to build a both/and instead of an either/or world.
Through Feb. 23, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit (4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit). Learn more at mocadetroit.org/clare-gatto-kara-gut-magic-circle.
4. Do the Time Warp Again
For those of us who've been queer since lesbian dinosaurs roamed in prehistoric Birkenstocks, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” screenings (and the wild audience participation) were our first taste of camp — no tents required.
While these screenings are nearly extinct, Detroit keeps the tradition alive thanks to the RHPS Preservation Society. With a full shadow cast, you’ll get a movie, a stage show and a chance to join the fun. Costumes encouraged. And costumes always make queers feel better.
You’ll laugh, cry (just me in 7th grade?), and yes, there’s toast!
Second and fourth Saturdays, 11:15 p.m.-2:30 a.m., Wayne State University Theatre (35164 Michigan Ave., Detroit). Learn more at michiganrhps.org.
5. Find Your Focus

If you’ve been doomscrolling under the covers, eating ice cream from the carton with a candy bar as a spoon (purely hypothetical, of course), you might wonder: Can I stay in fight-or-flight mode for four more years?
Maybe, but it’s exhausting. Try an intermittent media fast — like the straight coworker diet plan, but without the hangry vibes. Then focus on key issues you care about. As a nurse, I follow Jessica Halem’s Substack breaking down Project 2025’s threats to queer health. It’s doom, but manageable.