Brady Pappas is a trans non-binary artist and photographer based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They use the camera as a tool to explore queer identity, community, and visibility in small-town and rural contexts, with a particular focus on South Central Pennsylvania.
Pappas is best known for Tulle Queer, an ongoing portrait series and annual Pride Month exhibition that began in 2022. Combining elements of fashion and portrait photography, the project honors the lives and legacies of LGBTQ+ individuals across the 717 region. Using tulle fabric as a recurring visual motif, the portraits offer a vibrant meditation on chosen family, representation, and queer resilience.
Another central aspect of their practice is nightlife photography, documenting the underground queer scene in bars, drag shows, and dance parties throughout the region. Together, these bodies of work serve as both archive and celebration—centering queer joy in places often overlooked.
Pappas’ work has been exhibited across South Central Pennsylvania and has garnered a growing following in the digital realm. Building on their practice, in 2024 they began developing Amish Country Queer, a short documentary now in production as a feature-length film. The film follows Pappas as they document the vibrant queer and drag communities of Lancaster, offering a celebratory and nuanced portrait of queer life and resilience in a region more often associated with tradition than transformation.
Press
Lancaster Online: 'Tulle Queer' Celebrates Local LGBTQ+ Community
Local Wolves Magazine Spring 2024 Fearless Issue
Lancaster Changemakers Collective: In Conversation with Brady Pappas
Fox 43: Tulle Queer Photo Exhibition Celebrate LGBTQ+ Community
Fox 43: 'Amish Country Queer' finds LGBTQ+ community in unexpected places
For inquiries, contact brady@bradypappas.photography
about
“In front of their lens, everyone is a muse, everyone feels empowered, everyone feels like themselves...”
TULLE QUEER
ABOUT
TULLE
QUEER
ABOUT TULLE QUEER
ABOUT
TULLE
QUEER
ABOUT TULLE QUEER
★ Resident Photographer & Social Media Coordinator for High Fever in Lancaster, PA since 2022.
★ Creator of Instagram AR filters “Disposable” and “Good Days,” which collectively garnered 2.3M saves and 203M impressions.
★ Honored with the Rising Star Award by the Central PA LGBT Center in October 2022.
★ Recognized as a "History Maker" in the York County History Center since July 2024.
★ Manager of dapperQ's Instagram and TikTok during NYFW at the Brooklyn Museum since September 2024.
★ Curated and exhibited Tulle Queer at seven galleries across South Central Pennsylvania since its debut in June 2022.
★ Presented at the LGBT Center of Central PA’s Annual GSA Summit—a two day workshop for queer youth in April 2o24.
highlights
QUEER NIGHTLIFE IS SACRED
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Explore My Nightlife Portfolio
“Brady’s work helps us realize how art can forge powerful connections with our hometowns and the people around us.”
There's a lot more to Amish Country than farmland & buggies...if you know where to look.
Meet Brady Pappas: a talented photographer who's been capturing the magic of Lancaster Pennsylvania’s underground queer scene and redefining what it means to belong. Experience queer joy in Amish Country Queer- a short film now in the festival circuit.
★ Best Documentary at Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival
Follow along on @amishcountryqueer
@bradypappas
@bradypappas
Search @bradypappas on Giphy extensions like Instagram Stories
