A one-of-a-kind celebration made BY and FOR queer youth here in St. Louis
Coming January 2026, Amplify the Arch: A Conference BY and FOR Queer Youth will mark the first city-wide gathering of its kind, created with and for LGBTQ+ high-school students across the Greater St. Louis area. This free, one-day celebration of queer creativity, community, and empowerment is presented by the Amplify the Arch Executive Directors and Board in partnership with the Fourth City Sisters, Abbey of the Glittering Arch and flagship sponsor It Gets Better Project.
For safety and privacy reasons, including the protection of our youth participants, the specific date and location will be released this winter, once all background checks and security logistics are finalized. We’d tell you now, but as it’s spooky season, we like a little mystery with our glitter.
What to Expect (Besides Fabulousness)
From the moment you arrive, you’ll know this space was built for queer youth. The opening ceremony will set the tone for an event filled with music, movement, and messages of hope from the Amplify the Arch Executive Directors and Board and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence—known for turning compassion into art, joy into advocacy, and volume knobs firmly to “turn it up.”
Throughout the conference, you’ll find something for every spark of curiosity and every corner of
identity:
- Inspiring Workshops led by community partners, nonprofits, educators, and support
groups. Explore queer history, artivism, mental health, trans rights, and how to build safe
spaces in unsafe times. - The Youth Art Exhibition, a dazzling showcase of paintings, photography, sculpture, and
digital art from queer student creators and professionals. Every piece tells a story of
resilience, discovery, and joy—proof that art really is just activism in heels. - Performances That Slay, featuring high-school and college poets, musicians, drag
artists, and local legends. Expect laughter, pride, and maybe a few tears (the waterproof
mascara kind). - The Resource Fair, connecting queer youth to affirming colleges, inclusive employers,
community organizations, and queer-owned businesses ready to support your future.
Whether you’re looking for your next step after graduation or just trying to find your
people—this is where you turn it up and find your place.
Why It Matters
Everything at Amplify the Arch is grounded in one simple truth: queer youth deserve to thrive. In a time when young voices are too often silenced, this conference is a joyful act of resistance where we will turn it up for queer youth. It’s a celebration of identity, connection, and possibility. It’s not just about surviving; it’s about becoming…and maybe becoming a little extra while we’re at it.
Families and allies are welcome too! Sessions will help parents and supporters learn how to uplift LGBTQ+ youth with love, understanding, and advocacy. Together, we’ll build bridges, connect generations, and remind the world that Pride doesn’t end in June—we turn it up all year-round!
And the best part? It’s completely free. Thanks to dedicated volunteers, local partners, and generous donors, cost will never be a barrier to belonging.
Meet the Hosts: The Fourth City Sisters
The Fourth City Sisters, a house of the international Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, are a vibrant, community-centered collective of queer and trans individuals dedicated to advocacy and joyful public engagement. Their events range from Earth Day celebrations and Pride Festivals to Drag Story Times and University GSAs and all share one fabulous spirit: visibility, compassion, and laughter.
Their mission: to spread universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt. Whether they’re reading to kids in sequins, marching with families at Pride, or showing up where love needs a microphone, the Sisters remind us that joy itself can be a radical act of love. And if you can’t be a beacon, at least be a disco ball.
The Impact: Affirming Spaces Save Lives
Across the U.S., LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionate risks for depression and suicide compared to their peers. According to The Trevor Project, queer youth who have even one affirming space are 35% less likely to attempt suicide, and those with one accepting adult are 40% less likely to engage in self-harm.
Creating affirming, welcoming environments isn’t just kind. It’s life-saving. And that’s exactly what Amplify the Arch aims to do: build a space where every queer youth knows they are safe, seen, celebrated, and empowered to turn it up.
Thank You to Our Flagship Sponsor
A heartfelt thank-you to the It Gets Better Project, whose Changemakers Grant made this event possible. Their work uplifting LGBTQ+ youth nationwide laid the foundation for this conference.
With their support, the Amplify the Arch Executive Directors and Board have implemented full volunteer background checks, on-site security, and youth-first planning protocols. These steps ensure that every young person, their fierce Aunties, chosen family, and drag moms can celebrate without fear.
Sponsorship opportunities are still open for those who want to help make the event as fabulous as our beautifully diverse St. Louis queer community. Translation: your money helps us turn it up.
Email [email protected] to become a sponsor or donor.
How You Can Help
We’re calling on volunteers, vendors, artists, colleges, trade unions, trade schools, inclusive employers, and performers to get involved.
- Trade unions or trade schools that champion diversity? Host a booth!
- Inclusive employers? Come meet your future workforce!
- Colleges or universities with active queer student orgs? Bring them with you!
- Drag artists, musicians, and creators? Come turn it up and inspire the next generation!
- Community members who want to turn it up? Come and serve as a volunteer!
Can’t attend? Donate and help make this event as radiant as the city under the Arch.
Stay Connected
Follow @AmplifyTheArch on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and more for updates, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and glittery chaos.
Visit www.fourthcitysisters.org/amplify-the-arch/ to sign up to participate, volunteer, present, or donate.
Because when queer youth rise, and when we all turn it up, the whole city gleams brighter under the Arch. So come help us become
