Hairpins is a pop-up space for queer women, trans, and nonbinary folks known for sold-out dance parties, karaoke nights, and gatherings celebrating sapphic communities. This week, the organization is trying something new.
“Pillow Talk” is a sexual health and education event for women-loving-women, trans, and nonbinary individuals. The free event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Nest in Little Rock, 112 W. Daisy Gatson Bates Dr., on Thursday, September 4.
Hairpins co-founder Viktoria Capek said the event is designed to equip attendees for conversations around sex and wellbeing in queer spaces.
“More often than not, queer individuals are left out of these conversations because sexual health, education, and awareness overall is already a taboo subject,” Capek told Little Rock Public Radio. She said there are many reasons why queer people may not seek out information regarding sexual health. Fear, trauma, and dysphoria can all impact decisions around sex education and wellness, Capek said.
“So our biggest goal with pillow talk is just to open up that conversation and give this community the space to feel like they can come into a place, start talking about their sexual health, their wellness, and their sexual pleasure, and just feel comfortable enough to move forward in these conversations so that they’re able to be the healthiest version of themselves that they can be."
“Pillow Talk” is a collaboration with Little Rock-based educator Lex Pettus, known online as “Lex Have a Sex Talk,” who Capek said came to Hairpins with the idea.
“This is her area of focus,” Capek said. “She has focused on sexual health specifically within the lesbian community over the past three or four years.”
The first hour of Pillow Talk will take the form of a mixer, with free food and resources from local health and wellness organizations. Capek said food will be donated by BCW, Lost Forty, and the Croissanterie. Organizations sharing resources including the UAMS Rainbow Clinic, Arkansas Abortion Support Network, the Utopia Center, and Arkansas Period Poverty Project.
Afterwards, attendees will hear from a panel of doctors and LGBTQ+ sexual health experts. Speakers include Dr. Kim Hill of Diversity Family Health in Little Rock, Dr. Lorraine Stigar, a public and LGBTQ+ health professor at Purdue University, and sexual health blogger Jimeya Mayes, known online as "The Pleasure Vessel."
The event is designed for attendees over the age of 18, but Capek said all are welcome to attend.
“We are going to encourage parental guidance if you are under the age of 18 for this event,” she said. “But sexual health and education and wellness is something that impacts all ages. Frankly, our younger people right now need to have access to this if they don’t feel like they have comfortable access at home or at school.”
Capek said Pillow Talk is only the start of Hairpins’ plans for education events. She said they want to host a panel of experts to discuss LGBTQ+ legal issues and advocacy efforts in the future.
“It kind of just goes to show that queer women and the things that we enjoy and the things that we want to put forward… we’re dynamic, right? We don’t just want to always party and drink and be messy with our friends — although there is a time and place for that — we want to also build community through advocacy and education, and that’s always been a goal with Hairpins from the start.”
Capek said the event compliments Hairpins’ start as a place for queer women, trans and nonbinary people to hang out and have a good time.
“While we want to have fun and we want to build community in that way, we know there is an important opportunity for us to get the community together in ways that can support one another, especially in years like 2025,” Capek said.
“Whether it's a queer women's community or truly any minority group, having a community based on education is truly only going to make us stronger.”
More information about Pillow Talk as well as future Hairpins events can be found online at droppinghairpins.com
