BELFAST — Left Bank Books, in downtown Belfast, invites the public to meet Chloe O. Davis, a Broadway dancer, actor, choreographer, and author of The Queens’ English on Tuesday, July 11, at 5:30 p.m. The Queens’ English is a landmark reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community’s contributions to the English language—an inclusive, playfully illustrated glossary featuring more than 800 terms and phrases created by and for queer culture.

The book comprises a guide to modern gay slang, queer theory terms, and playful colloquialisms. It provides an in-depth look at queer language, from terms influenced by celebrated lesbian poet Sappho to New York’s underground queer ball culture in the 1980s to today’s celebration of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Queens’ English is supported by full-color illustrations and photography throughout, as well as real-life usage examples for those who don’t quite know how to use “kiki,” “polysexual” or “transmasculine” in a sentence, according to Left Bank, in a news release. A series of educational lessons highlights key people and events that shaped queer language—readers will learn the linguistic importance of pronouns, gender identity, Stonewall, the Harlem Renaissance, and more.

The Queens’ English has been featured on BBC and was a Barnes and Noble Pride Book Pick. Davis has led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conversations with Apple, University of Kansas Medical Center, and others. She writes: “I believe this dictionary is a starting point for the important conversations around inclusivity, sexuality, gender expression, and identity.”

In addition to her work as an author, Davis is a Broadway performer whose work has taken her to all fifty states and internationally. She has performed at premier theatres across the country including New York City Center, the Apollo Theater, and the Kennedy Center. She has appeared on PBS Great Performances with Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC. Other credits include Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Broadway’s Paradise Square (Dance Captain), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix original movie), and the Amazon Prime TV series, Harlem.

Choreography credits include a feature on “Late Night with Seth Myers,” For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide (Public Theater, 2022), and the Broadway musical Paradise Square (2022). Davis is a graduate of Hampton University and Temple University.

Reservations for this free event can be made by calling the shop (207.338.9009) or emailing: info@leftbankbookshop.com. Ample free parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent public parking lot.