From the Supreme Court’s Mahmoud v. Taylor decision to the hundreds of bills censoring LGBTQ+-inclusive education which have been introduced in state legislatures around the country, LGBTQ+-inclusive education is under attack. LGBTQ+ stories and history are being pushed out of mainstream educational institutions at all levels from library story hour to higher education.
In the face of these attacks, it is the duty of LGBTQ+ business owners, educators, and nonprofit and community leaders to take action and become stewards of LGBTQ+ history outside of traditional educational settings.
Since opening its first coffee shop in Tempe, Arizona in 2021, the LGBTQ-owned Brick Road Community Corporation has made creating spaces that center LGBTQ+ people and honor and promote LGBTQ+ history a core part of its mission. Working with local educators, academics, independent historians, and artists, Brick Road has turned its two locations into vibrant alternative educational spaces centering LGBTQ+ history and culture. But this has not come without risk, as offering these educational programs has brought political attacks and threats of violence.
This workshop will feature a panel discussion on Brick Road’s past and present LGBTQ+ historical programming. Moderated by Arizona State University professor and Brick Road Historical Programming Consultant David Boyles, the discussion will feature Brick Road co-owners Gabe Hagen and Jesse Shank; and independent historian Hannah Boese.
This panel discussion will serve as the springboard for a discussion of how Brick Road’s history programs can be used as a prototype for similar creative LGBTQ+ programming in LGBTQ+ coffee shops, bars, community centers, nonprofits, and other community spaces.
Participant Bios
Gabe Hagen is the co-owner of Brick Road Community Corporation, the parent company to Brick Road Coffee, with locations in Tempe, AZ, and Mesa, Arizona. Gabe is a nationally recognized small business advocate dedicated to building inclusive spaces and equitable economic opportunity.
Since opening Brick Road Coffee in 2021 alongside his husband, Jesse Shank, Gabe has transformed the shop into far more than a café; it’s a community anchor where conversations spark connection, advocacy fuels empowerment, and everyone is welcome.
Jesse Shank, co-owner of Brick Road Community Corporation, brings a wealth of experience from the financial services and food and beverage industries.
His work at Brick Road Coffee, draws heavily on his experiences working in and benefiting from queer community spaces in the 1990s and 2000s to design a unique and exciting event calendar that transforms the coffee shop into a lively community hub for the post-pandemic era. His commitment to inclusivity and creating exceptional customer experiences has been instrumental in establishing Brick Road Coffee as a welcoming sanctuary for marginalized communities.
Hannah Boese is an independent historian and community advocate from Tempe, AZ. She works with the Chandler Museum, local school districts, and my community to foster connection and ensure that their stories are heard and preserved for future generations. Her research focus is on queer history, particularly in the United States and Arizona, and how it affects the lives of queer people today.
David Boyles is a faculty member at Arizona State University and an advocate and community leader in Tempe, Arizona. Their work focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ youth and preserving and educating about LGBTQ+ history. They are a co-founder of the Arizona chapter of Drag Story Hour and previously served as board president of the national Drag Story Hour network. For the past five years, they have produced community education programs on LGBTQ+ history and culture at Brick Road Coffee.
Queer History is Everywhere: Cultivating Queer Spaces as Stewards of LGBTQ+ History is organized by Brick Road Community Corporation as part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival, presented by One Institute.
Brick Road Community Corporation exists to build the brave spaces we once needed and still need today. We center LGBTQ+ people and everyone seeking a place they can show up fully, because when queer community thrives, everyone thrives.
We create boldly inclusive spaces online, in our cafés, and everywhere our beans travel, so queer joy is visible, belonging is non-negotiable, and community remains the heart of everything we do.
We are proving that coffee can turn daily rituals into collective acts of courage. A movement you can hold in your hands.