Gay for Decay - Queer Death Cafe

Whats a Death Cafe? A "Death Cafe" is a social franchise hosted globally - a simple format created to help engage conversation around death and dying. Our space is intersectional, designed and hosted by LGBTIQA+, Indigenous/First Nations and disabled folk, allies are welcome.

At Queer as Death Collective, we are ‘Gay for Decay’. Gay like - excited and honoured to be in community with you. Decay like - the animating processes of life, death and transformation. 

Affirming the aliveness of dying and death puts into bleak contrast the grim extinction we are witness to… ecological grief wells up in many of us.

Overwhelm at the magnitude of destruction and loss. 

Apprehension for our human and non-human futures. 

Isolation from our entanglement in ecosystems that are being stripped, not tended. 

Exhaustion from building walls to keep this all at bay. 

Bring this grief and sow it into our garden, our holder of stories.

This Grief Garden is our tool and companion with lineage of its own: a living, earth‑bound place to anchor reflection, witness decay as transformation, and tend the feelings that rise with death, loss and ecological sorrow.  

We're offering multiple ways to engage in this event with option to switch between activities at half time.

-Walking meditation & chat (Bring comfy shoes and sunscreen)

-Creative crafting - help us build a mosaic for our Grief Garden (no experience required)

-classic yarning circle style with facilitator (bring your stories or just listen/draw) 

Event happenings

• Meet, greet and welcome -please arrive on time, or DM/email us if running over 20min late

• Introduction to activities

• 2 x 45min sessions with a half time break-refreshments provided

• Closing words 

Never been to a death cafe? Looking for someone to attend with? DM us and we’ll greet you at the front door

Attendance is free - with option to donate.

Masks are encouraged but not mandatory. If you are unwell or have any symptoms, please stay home to keep our disabled & more vulnerable community safe. - full access info below.

Our guides to share space

• In our conversation space, please only share what feels comfortable.

• Respect and inclusion are central to our conversations.

• We ask details of peoples stories are kept confidential, share only your learnings not their details

• We are peers not councellors, here are some suggested support resources.

• Queer as Death offfers monthly Bereavement peer support, register here O.U.R Bereavement

Accessibility Information - NECCHi East Coburg 

• Seating is floor or chairs, yoga mats available, please byo cushions if needed

• Small air purifier will be operating, masks and sanitizer provided

• We don’t have designated quiet space at this event 

• Venue is one level house

• Main entrance off the main road, down Glengyle Street

• Street parking only.

• One disability car park outside the front of the building on Glengyle Street.

• A nature strip then a double footpath small step down or wheelchair over nature strip to path from car onto nature strip

• Ramp access to the front door.

• Door handle - left hand turn to open. Door opens inwards and to the left

• Internal hallways and doorways a narrow fit. Fits most wheelchairs

• One accessible toilet with baby change table

• Low pile carpet throughout except for Sunroom (floorboards) and kitchen (tiled)