Imagine the style of New York Fashion Week, infuse it with the energy of a ballroom extravaganza and you might get a sense of Queer AF, an annual fashion-art spectacular that earns its mantle as the “Queer Met Gala of Massachusetts.” Last year, more than 700 guests filled Mechanics Hall in Worcester to ogle couture looks by LGBTQ+ designers, all served up by models representing an uplifting, community-based mission to smash antiquated beauty standards. The 2024 installment’s theme, “I’m With the Banned,” is an unapologetic retort to censorship of queer art across the country. Proceeds from the party, meanwhile, support parent organization Love Your Labels and its programs—including Threads, a fashion education and self-discovery initiative—here at home.