A reading for queer and trans poets.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH
DOORS @ 7:30PM + SHOW @ 8PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN
Alexa Vallejo
Alexa Vallejo is a transfemme child of Filipino immigrants living in West Philadelphia. Her writing has appeared in Illuminations, Discount Guillotine, swamp pink, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and TriQuarterly, among others. Her first chapbook, Girls Love, was recently published by Bottlecap Press. Alexa is also a musician who performs in musical theater pit orchestras and cabarets throughout the Philadelphia region, as well as the goth band Morgue Arcana. She grew up in Newark, Delaware.
Allen Means
Allen Means is a queer, trans poet from Boulder, CO, currently living in Philadelphia with his partner, Carlos, and cat, Chihiro. He holds an MFA from the University of Miami, where he was a James A. Michener Fellow. His work appears in South Florida Poetry Journal, Voicemail Poems, Variant Lit, and Seventh Wave Mag, among others. He hopes that his poems leave you with delight and hope for something new.
Emily Rose Reed
Emily Rose Reed is a queer trans chaotic mess of a DIY musician, writer, and all around sweetie from Philly/South Jersey who makes music under the name How I Became Invisible. If you have a band she’s probably in it, and she might also be your girlfriend. Find her music at howibecameinvisible.com, and everywhere except Spotify because they’re a garbage company.
Viveca
Viveca loves to write and is just happy to be here.
Mateo Souada
Mateo Souada (they/them) is a Queer Muslim poet whose experiences as a gender non-conforming child of immigrants, eldest daughter, and survivor color their work. Using poetry, Mateo asserts the fact that Queer Muslims, trans people, and BIPOC often work tirelessly to curate safe environments and provide space for the marginalized to move beyond survival. Mateo is a 2019 Pink Door fellow, Collegiate Union Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) 2017 Co-Champion, Feminine Empowerment Movement Slam 2018 Runner-Up, and currently performs with the Philly Pigeon poetry collective. They have been published in What Are Birds Journal, Rigorous Journal, Ghost Heart Literary Journal, Colorbloq Mag, and more. Recently, they won the Leeway Transformation Award from the Leeway Foundation in Philadelphia.
Mariah Ayscue
Mariah Ayscue (he/him/king) is a Black, Trans, Intersex, Artist, Activist, and mental health advocate from Montclair NJ. He also identifies as a Christian Witch, Disco Ball Dyke, Pansexual pancake, and a Demisexual dream that is expressed through his poetry. His full-length book WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN is published with Beyond 28 Publishing. King was also chosen to perform his poetry for the 2024 Dodge Poetry Festival with NJPAC. He is also the founder of the Bearded Lady Rebellion Collective which focuses on reclaiming the narratives, education, and healing of Trans and Intersex people with an emphasis on QTBIPOC lives. It is the work he wants to do for the rest of his life.
Tyrell Brown
Tyrell Brown (They/Them) is a Philadelphia-based advocate, organizer, and community leader who has served as the City’s Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs and as Executive Director of GALAEI. They are the Founder and current Executive Director of Philly Pride 365, where they reimagined Pride as a year-round movement centered on inclusivity, cultural vibrancy, and community care. Through their work, Tyrell continues to build spaces where joy, justice, and representation thrive for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Sara Guiang
Sara Guiang, (she/they/siya) is a queer, FilAm writer snd art therapist in training with a strong passion for youth work. Sara’s writing mainly focuses on belonging, identity, and memory.
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What’s Up at TMoms:
• Tuesdays, 4-10pm | it’s tacos. it’s tecate. it’s tuesdays. what more can we say. $1.50 beef or bean tacos every Taco Tuesday + $3 tecate!
• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!
• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.
• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.
• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.
Introducing the second edition of Collage Jawn: A Collage Social @ Tattooed Mom! 
Poets and wordsmiths welcome too—cut up your old lines or find new ones in a pile of forgotten pages.
