In partnership with Beacon Hill Friends House
MAKING QUEER QUAKER HISTORY:
LEARNING, RESISTANCE & RENEWAL
for QUEER QUAKERS AND ALLIES
with Brian Blackmore and Jennifer Newman
October 17-19, 2025
(Friday to Sunday)
Program Description
Facilitators
Registration information
MAKING QUEER QUAKER HISTORY
Join us for a weekend of deep learning, spirited resistance, and gentle renewal as autumn colors blanket the hills of western Massachusetts.
This retreat invites queer Friends and allies into a cozy, spacious gathering to share the untold histories of queer inclusion, struggle, and resilience within the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Together, we will honor the past, wrestle with the present, and imagine liberatory futures, while tending to our own spirits in the embrace of community and nature.
What to expect:
- Lively presentations on queer Quaker history and activism;
- Reflective workshops on queer approaches to the Inner Light, worship, and resistance;
- Nourishing meals, fireside conversations, and time for rest; and
- Walks through autumn woods, open sky, and worship
Whether you’re new to Quakerism or long-steeped in its practice, you are welcome here. Come as you are—with your questions, your longings, your grief, your joy.
Come make queer Quaker history with warmth, courage, and community this fall.
FACILITATORS:
BRIAN BLACKMORE, JENNIFER NEWMAN, and GUEST LEADERS
Brian Blackmore
For over a decade, Brian has been researching both the evolution of unprogrammed “liberal” Quakerism towards becoming a more inclusive and welcoming religious community for LGBTIAQ+ people and the role many Quakers played in the advancement of the gay rights movement. He is the author of To Hear and To Respond: The Quakers’ Groundbreaking Push for Gay Liberation, 1946-1973 and a handful of essays about queer Quaker history. He currently serves as the Director of Quaker Engagement at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
Jennifer Newman
Jennifer Newman (she/her) is a dynamic and experienced facilitator and program designer. Jennifer is queer, a Quaker, and holds a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she focused her studies on Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. She is currently the Executive Director of Beacon Hill Friends House.
REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
See below for more information about registration, cost, meals, accommodations, and other logistics. Or you can proceed directly to REGISTER HERE.
COST & REGISTRATION
The standard rate for the workshop is $300, with a sliding scale of $150-400. The fee includes program, lodging and food from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Commuter rate (meals included) is $150. We are committed to financial accessibility: please pay what fits in your personal budget (at whatever amount), encourage your faith community to financially support your participation if that is appropriate, and let us know if you have additional questions related to fees.
A non-refundable deposit of $50 is required to hold a space for a program unless otherwise arranged. If you need to cancel, the deposit can be applied to a future workshop within 18 months. The balance is due at the beginning of the workshop.
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
Plan to arrive after 4:00pm Friday afternoon, in time for dinner at 6:00. The workshop will end by 2pm on Sunday. We are centrally located in western Massachusetts, close to both I-91 and Route 2. For those arriving by car, we will send directions prior to the event. Please let us know if you’d be interested in car-pooling. The nearest Amtrak train station is in Greenfield (MA), ten minutes drive away. Vermont Transit and Greyhound bus lines also stop in Greenfield. Please contact us in advance to see if we can arrange a ride from these stations.
ROOM & BOARD
We offer simple lodging (typically double occupancy) with shared bathrooms. Our rustic cabins have electricity, woodstoves and outhouses. The meetinghouse and the first floor of the main building are wheelchair accessible; please indicate your accessibility needs when you register. We serve nourishing, home-cooked meals and always offer vegetarian options. Please let us know your dietary restrictions when you register. Part of the community building at each retreat includes the joyful sharing of meal chores and final clean-up.
WHAT TO BRING
Please bring toiletries, towels, and bedding (sleeping bag or sheets/blankets or comforter). Pillows are provided. Pack cozy clothing layers for fall and comfortable indoor and outdoor footwear. You might also like to bring a flashlight, journal, art supplies, and anything that helps you feel at home.
Please do not bring pets or candles.
We have limited internet access and cell phone reception; we invite you to unplug and be fully present.
COVID PROTOCOLS
You can read Woolman Hill’s general Covid guidelines here. Please contact us if you have questions.