“Sharing a smoke outside the queer bar sometimes feels like a holy act. Whether it’s the deed itself, the setting, or the inebriation of those involved, the result is a circle of people enjoying a shared, simple pleasure while entering into conversations that seemed impossible just moments before. A smoke circle outside the bar holds the powers of a communal conversation circle with the frivolousness of a circus, a dichotomy that produces the amazing effect of no one taking themselves too seriously and, as a result, very raw expression. At times, this moment descends into mutual commiseration; a recognition of all the pain, problems and fears that consume us when we step away from this hallowed ground. In other moments, the circle becomes a sounding board for our grandest and silliest fantasies. This piece was born out of time spent smoking outside Cubbyhole on their trans nights, discussing everything from our wildest aspirations for the future to the silly little accessories we hoped to have once we got there (like a sexy cigarette holder). Queer flourishing is engaging in collective queer imagination, whether that be for grand future plans or even for something as simple as the nature of our future smoke sessions. Queer flourishing begins with dreaming alongside your community members about the future and what it could look like, regardless of the magnitude of importance. Perhaps even in defiance of the magnitude of importance, for achieving our smallest, silliest dreams allows us to believe in bigger dreams that we cannot yet see the road to. I view this piece as being born from this energy of collective imagination and an acknowledgement that, while I cannot deliver my community out of this hellscape we find ourselves in, I will never stop thinking of ways to effectuate the dreams I hear echoed in these circles. To dream of a future is to internalize that the future will exist, such that by our very wills we can imagine our (silly or serious) future into existence.”