James Hardin
‘Pride & Play’ bringing queer joy to Sara’s Secret in Denton
CAROLINE SAVOIE | Staff Writer
carolinelsavoie@gmail.com
DENTON — Comedy, storytelling and queer joy will take center stage at Pride & Play, a free Pride Month event at Sara’s Secret in Denton on Saturday, June 21. The 18-and-old event kicks off at 6 p.m. and promises laughs, libations and community inside the inclusive adult store.
James Hardin, a 42-year-old gay storyteller and comic from San Marcos, said he stacked the night’s lineup with queer comics and storytellers from across Texas. With nearly a decade of experience in comedy and storytelling, Hardin recently produced his first queer variety show, Queer Factor, in Dallas, and he said he wanted to keep the momentum going.
“I love giving queer storytellers and comics a space to share their art,” Hardin said. “It’s rare for beginners to be paid anything. We maybe get a drink ticket if we’re lucky. But for this, every comic is getting $50 for an eight-minute set. That kind of support means a lot.”
The show will feature performers from the Dallas comedy scene as well as local voices like Matt Solomon, a Black queer comic based in Denton. Other comics include Jamie Zeske, Bryan Zavala, Kinsey Ford and Stefan Newman.
The venue, Sara’s Secret, is not queer-owned, but Hardin said he decided to participate because Kim Holden, a producer he’s worked with before, agreed to compensate artists and create a space of intentional allyship.
Holden, a Fort Worth-based intimacy coach and digital media specialist for Sara’s Secret, said she pitched the idea after seeing a lack of queer representation in the company’s outreach. Though she said some initial hesitation came from concerns about customer reactions, Holden pushed forward.
“I told them, you’re not serving a whole group of people,” she said. “If we’re going to talk about pleasure, let’s talk about it for everybody. You don’t have to be queer to support the community well, and the owners of Sara’s know that.”
For Holden, Pride & Play is a personal and professional evolution. At 60 years old, she’s spent the past decade leading events focused on emotional and physical connection, often working with couples navigating intimacy. She said that her work emphasizes accessibility and openness.
“I had to learn how to be an ally because of the people I love,” Holden said. “It’s been humbling and beautiful. This event feels like things are coming full circle.”
Sara’s Secret has a long history of navigating resistance. The original store, Condoms to Go, was founded by a woman named Sara who entered the industry after experiencing her queer friends die of AIDS. The rebrand to Sara’s Secret helped the company expand in suburban areas that rejected explicit names and products.
“Everybody loves sex,” Holden said. “Everyone deserves pleasure. This event is about joyful, funny, active community around our sexuality — no matter your identity.”
Guests can expect luxury, toys, lingerie and laughter, plus free beer and wine and 20 percent off in-store purchases.
While the event is free, space is limited. Hardin said attendees should come early, shop, sip and settle in before the show.
“Pride & Play is a proving ground for future LGBTQ events at the store,” Holden said. “I want folks to leave with a new sex toy and a smile, saying, ‘When’s the next one?’”