Quinn Bishop

Quinn Bishop is the ultimate history nerd when it comes to the New Orleans queer underbelly. From lesbian street gangs in the sex industry to drag queens under mafia employment to the rise of modern gay nightclubs, such are the gems to be discovered on her Queer Underground Tours, founded in 2019. Bishop also creates videos for her social media spotlighting lesser-known stories of queer history in the South, and penned the play Dixie’s Holiday Bar about an iconic 1950s gay club. “The most rewarding part of my work has been seeing how many people have been able to connect with the stories,” says Bishop. “Film is such a collaborative medium that I have learned to slow down and bring my team with me, which has also given me some true friends for life.” She is often stopped on the street by people who have connected to NOLA’s queer history through her work, including queer elders who lived through the very stories that Bishop guides others through. Bishop aspires to create a feature film adapting her tour for the big screen. “Queerness is central to everything about my work; it colors the kinds of stories I am able to tell.” But as a transgender woman, she has found that her work has been taken less seriously at times. In response, she created “a deeply silly persona as a kind of armor,” a character that ultimately allowed her to imagine herself as happy. Over time, “I learned to become so,” she says. –MH