THIS IS HAIRPINS
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THIS IS HAIRPINS 〜
Hairpins is a queer, community-centered events platform and organization for lesbians, queers, transgender and non-binary people, and other gender-diverse individuals. Our work spans nightlife, education, and mutual aid — all designed to foster connection, safety, and queer joy in regions where these spaces are limited, missing, or have never existed.
The name Hairpins comes from queer history. “Dropping hairpins” was long used as coded language across queer communities — a way to quietly signal identity, interest, or belonging in times when visibility wasn’t safe. At the Stonewall uprising in 1969, those quiet signals didn’t stay quiet anymore. What had been private became collective — a moment often referred to as the “hairpin drop heard around the world.”
Hairpins carries that history forward by creating intentional spaces for people to find each other now — openly, visibly, and on their own terms. In cities where spaces centered on lesbians, queers, and gender-diverse people are rare, gone, or never existed, we build gatherings that make community visible, shared, and real.
WHY THIS SPACE MATTERS
In the 1980s, there were more than 200 lesbian bars in the United States.
Today, there are fewer than 40.
At the same time, there are more than 800 gay bars nationwide — highlighting not a lack of queer space overall, but a lack of space specifically centered on lesbians and people of marginalized genders, particularly outside major cities.
Hairpins was created in response to that gap — to build connection, cultural programming, and care for communities that have historically had fewer places to gather, be seen, and belong.
OUR MISSION
Dropping Hairpins Project builds space, community, and visibility for lesbian, queer, transgender non-binary, and other gender-diverse individuals through public programming, education, and community support. We create inclusive environments in response to the global absence of spaces specifically for these communities.
OUR VALUES
Access Over Exclusivity
Queer community shouldn’t be limited by geography, cost, or who feels welcome. We build spaces that are open, intentional, and reachable — especially outside major cities.
Community Beyond Nightlife
Bars have long been one of the few places queer people could find each other. Hairpins builds connection through nightlife and through education, gathering, and care beyond the bar.
Visibility With Intention
Being seen matters, but only when it’s chosen and affirming. Our spaces prioritize safety, consent, and care alongside visibility.
Building What’s Missing
We don’t wait for permanent spaces to exist. We respond to absence by creating gatherings that make community tangible, shared, and real.
THE HAIRPINS STORY
Hairpins began with a simple question: where are we supposed to go?
After moving to cities known for their LGBTQ+ communities, Hairpins co-founder Viktoria Capek still struggled to find spaces centered on lesbians and queer women. In places like Los Angeles — often described as a “gay meccas” — dedicated lesbian spaces were rare or nonexistent — a reality reflected nationwide as lesbian bars continued to disappear.
When Viktoria moved to Little Rock with her partner, co-founder Whitney Butler, that absence became impossible to ignore. Instead of waiting for a space to appear, they decided to build one — not as a permanent bar, but as something flexible, intentional, and rooted in community.
The first Hairpins event took place in July 2024. It sold out.
What started as one gathering quickly became something larger: proof that people weren’t missing interest — they were missing space.
MEET THE HAIRPINS WIVES
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MEET THE HAIRPINS WIVES 〜
VIKTORIA CAPEK
Co-Founder / Executive Director
Viktoria (she/her) is a writer, community-builder, and cultural organizer originally from Atlanta who now calls Little Rock home. With a background in journalism and storytelling, her work centers queer spaces, art and cultural history, and building intersectional community infrastructure that helps people feel less alone.
WHITNEY BUTLER
Co-Founder / Creative Director
Whitney (she/her) is a photographer, filmmaker, graphic designer, and visual storyteller from Arkansas with over a decade of experience in creative direction and brand-building. She shapes the visual identity, marketing, and atmosphere of Hairpins — translating values into spaces that feel intentional, welcoming, and alive.
DROPPING HAIRPINS PROJECT (501(c)(3)) BOARD MEMBERS
Whitney Butler, President (she/her)
Taylor Johnston, Treasurer (she/her)
Chacey Schoeppel Wilcox, Secretary (she/her)
Mimi San Pedro (she/her)
Ken Parks (they/them)
