The Queer 26 has certainly been on an exciting journey since it began, and it all wouldn’t have been the same without the contributions of Soleil Burgess! Soleil (they/them) helped co-found the Q26, with a singular mission in mind: to create and foster a creative space for QTBIPOC that celebrates the joy and abundance of queer bodies and experiences. 

Born into a family of artists–dancers, actors, and writers alike–Soleil has always been drawn to the arts, and encouraged to explore them. However, their most fundamental introduction to writing was through fanfiction, specifically during the heyday of the show Glee. Soleil found that the support they got through the fanfic community encouraged them to keep developing their writing further (whether they were working with a “crackship” or otherwise). As well as this, their profuse love for movies and television only continued to fuel their imagination, which then naturally translated to a love for theater. 

Eventually, Soleil met Camille Ora-Nicole in college via their local theater scene. The two remained friends after graduating, and when Camille decided to create what would eventually become the Q26, Soleil’s input and contributions proved to be instrumental. Having spent their first few post-grad years gaining expertise as an executive assistant, they helped organize the more business-oriented side of the operation, acting as admin support. As well as this, they took part in the org’s earliest skits, fondly recalling “Coffee With Queers” in particular. 

As time went on, Soleil started to dabble more with their creative writing and screenwriting skills, both independently and within the Q26. The first major culmination of these efforts was “The First Time”: an animated short film written by Soleil, centering around the anxiety of telling your girlfriend you love her for the first time. Though it was only a minute or so, it perfectly conveyed the anxiety and sweetness of such a situation, and was thusly praised by news outlets–a true testament of Soleil’s writing talents! 

Regarding Passion of X, Soleil was a natural choice as producer, considering their rich experience in so many different aspects of the creative process. They admitted to me that, because they’re currently based in Albuquerque, NM, they felt a little removed from the whole process–when in reality, they were truly the core of the process! Soleil helped coordinate everything, from set design to wardrobe choices. It takes a village to make a film, and no village is complete without its producer making sure everything goes smoothly. Overall, they considered their role in the project to be a valuable learning and growing experience, as well as an exciting step in the Q26’s journey as a community. 

Now, they want to push themself even more as a writer and creator. Just recently, they submitted an application for a screenwriting residency within a major television studio. However, they don’t necessarily see themselves working for a major studio down the line: they mostly wanted to test themself, and see how they would manage putting together such a massive portfolio in such a short amount of time. And when they found how easily they could do it, they were filled with even more confidence! 

Looking ahead, we can expect to see Soleil’s latest written triumph in an upcoming pilot via the Q26. Inspired by an old fic they wrote, the pilot will center around vampires, and how they can act as allegories for consent. While many of the details are still hush-hush, it was clear that Soleil was incredibly excited about this project–and honestly, so are we, it sounds like a thrilling idea for a series! We can’t wait to see how it turns out, and to see more of Soleil’s writing in the future!