A monthly aerial silk arts class is empowering queer and transgender folks in the Lawrence area to convene for community-building and a creative form of exercise.
In a time when the queer community is facing increasing discrimination in political, social and athletic spheres, this monthly class allows LGBTQIA+ people the opportunity to take a new sport seriously in a nonjudgmental environment.
Taught by Monroe Hanson, an organizer with Trans Lawrence Coalition, the workshop is hosted in the home studio of Sikha Ann Destroy, owner of The Last Carnival school.
The studio could have looked like a typical living room — walls bedecked with paintings of clowns, and a copy of “Jane Fonda’s Workout Record” displayed on the mantel beside a stuffed circus elephant — if it weren’t for the star of the show, a large rig with the silks connected that runs along the peak of the A-frame ceiling.
She previously operated up to two commercial spaces simultaneously. Once the pandemic hit, she had a structural engineer install an industrial trust system in the living room. Now, all classes are taught in her home, as her cat weaves between students’ legs or her partner cooks in the kitchen.
“I just like the community feel of it, having it in my home,” Destroy said. “It’s a different environment than what you would think of as a gym, and, you know, students stay and hang out and talk.”
Hanson started the class with warmups and introductions. The aerialists-in-training went in a circle, sharing their names, pronouns and experience with the art.
Annabelle, president of the aerial arts club at KU, struggled when she first took up the sport as a child, despite an extensive athletic background. She said that Hanson provides handholds for all students to improve.
“The way that Monroe teaches lets you experience things on the ground, meaning you’ll be able to accomplish at least something on your first day, which I think is very important for people to continue with sport,” Annabelle said.
Hanson began practicing aerial arts in January 2022, and by November 2023, they were teaching classes. First, they led the TLC-affiliated trans silks class, which then evolved into a queer and trans space more broadly.
“I’m trans, I’m nonbinary, and I have tried a lot of different physical activities and felt not included, not supported, misgendered in those spaces, and trying to break into those and make a space can be so defeating,” Hanson said. “I found this studio, which was fantastic … and I just wanted to shout it out, like, this is a trans and queer space. If you have felt excluded from other athletic spaces, if you have not felt that you can show up as yourself and be supported and appreciated, you can come here. I wish I’d had a lot more spaces like that, and so I want to make more spaces like that.”
Hanson taught the group inversions and demonstrated how to hang upside down on a silk hammock without falling. When they focused on a single student, correcting leg placement or demonstrating shoulder blade movement, more experienced practitioners would step up to guide the newbies.
Attendee Max Galitzer practiced dance for 14 years before transitioning to aerial a year and a half ago when Hanson started teaching.
“I really like having a group work together,” Galitzer said. “It’s fun to encourage each other.”
As a queer business owner, Destroy knew that she wanted to cosign Hanson’s vision for an encouraging exercise environment.
“I think there’s a difference between saying you’re a queer-safe training space and actually making people feel safe,” Destroy said. “So I wanted to be part of helping create that.”
Hanson, too, sees the necessity of intentional space-making to help trans people thrive. Hence, they joined the Trans Lawrence Coalition when it was still No SB 180 in 2023.
“I think it’s really important to have a trans-centered advocacy and social group,” they said. “I think, unfortunately, sometimes in queer spaces, trans people still get pushed to the edges. And this is a space that we have made. Trans Lawrence Coalition is of trans people, by trans people, for trans people, with our allies.”
Queer advocacy, for Hanson, goes hand in hand with affordability. While aerial silks classes with the studio are typically $25 per hour, the queer and trans workshop is offered at a discounted rate of $10.
“I know that cost is often a significant barrier to participating in physical activities, and I want to reduce that barrier as much as possible,” Hanson wrote in an email. “Additionally, TLC is committed to hosting low to no cost activities and events, because we understand how much our community is impacted by financial hardship.”
Both Hanson and Destroy hope that folks don’t let intimidation get in the way of an inclusive, joyful exercise experience.
“I think sometimes people get intimidated by coming into fitness classes,” Destroy said. “Sometimes because they think, like, you have to already be in shape, or be a certain type of person, or whatever preconceptions people have to come into a fitness class. I kind of just leave those at the door.”
The trans and queer aerial silks workshop is hosted on the second Wednesday of every month. The next class is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13 for $10. Students can register at this link.
For more queer community events, TLC posts a monthly calendar on their website here.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
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