Over 50 people celebrate “Love Letters to The Faerie Playhouse”

Over 50 people attended “Love Letters to the Playhouse,” an event held to commemorate Valentine’s Day and the importance of preserving queer history in New Orleans. The event featured an activity known as “heart bombing,” which is promoted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Each February, people across the country show their support for saving historic spaces by making paper valentines, posting them at historic sites, and sharing them on social media with the hashtag #IHeartSaving Places.

Visitors learned more about the house and its significance to local LGBTQ+ history and enjoyed a performance by the Pair A Dice Tumblers. Participants also made valentines to show their love for The Faerie Playhouse which were shared with the families of Stewart Butler and Alfred Doolittle, former residents of The Faerie Playhouse, the following weekend at the late couple’s private inurnment.

“Valentine’s Day was Alfred’s favorite holiday. It was a perfect way to share with a broader audience the love between Stewart and Alfred, as well as to honor the legacy of love for the LGBTQ community that this house has represented for over forty years,” said Jean Henry, Doolittle’s niece and a representative of The Faerie Playhouse.

Friends of The Faerie Playhouse who were unable to join in-person were able to send Virtual Valentine’s which can be seen below or here.

The event was generously supported by the John Burton Harter Foundation.

Miss the event? Post your Virtual Valentine to share what preserving historic queer space means to you here.