Welcome back to The Tea! We hope you had an amazing Pride month. If you didn’t get a chance to check out our Community Pride issue, click here. We featured work from readers just like you! And just a reminder: This newsletter is intended to represent the depth and diversity of our community, so throughout each and every issue, we have opportunities for you to submit your work, nominate folks you feel we should highlight who are doing great things, and more! The Tea is a community space for us all.
Speaking of queer spaces, thats just what this month’s issue is about! We are excited to highlight and reflect on spaces in our community that allow us to feel safe, celebrate our lives, rest, get resources we need, and more.
In this issue, you will find a look back at one of the longest-running gay clubs in the United States; learn about an accessible luxury experience designed for Black and brown queer travelers; witness a conversation between a NYC-based queer collective founder and a leader of DC Black Pride; and read about our M4BL ecosystem comrades who are fighting against housing insecurity for Black trans folks.
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JEWEL’S CATCH ONE
Bars and nightclubs have always been an integral space for Black queer and trans people to gather, find community that help us feel affirmed in ourselves, meet lovers, and make lifelong friends. Dance floors are sacred spaces for us. In a world that tries to consistently deny our freedoms, these spaces are where we channel the most beautiful parts of ourselves. We get free on the dance floor, we wear what we want, and we express the most creative and beautiful parts of ourselves without shame. There is dignity in this kind of freedom.
Jewel’s Catch One was one of the longest-running queer nightlife spaces in history (open for more than 40 years). The bar was founded by Jewel Thais-Williams in Los Angeles and was also one of the first Black disco bars in the United States. Jewel was motivated to open the space after frequently being discriminated against by nightclubs in LA, for being a Black lesbian. At that time, Black queer and trans folks were often denied entry into spaces, or had to endure prejudice and racism in majority-white spaces, or were subject to being raided by police.
Jewel was quoted in the LA Times saying, “there was discrimination against blacks and lesbians and gays throughout [Los Angeles]. There was a restriction on same sex dancing, women couldn’t tend bar unless they owned it. The police were arresting people for anything remotely homosexual. We had them coming in with guns pretending to be looking for someone in a white T-shirt just so they could walk around. It didn’t stop until the AIDS crisis became such that they were afraid to come in. . . . But it never stopped them from parking outside.”
Due to systemic racism and homophobia, opening and sustaining a Black, queer-owned space over the years was met with many challenges. However, Jewel persevered and maintained the space for decades. Many coined Jewel’s Catch One as the Studio 54 of the West Coast, except instead of being hyper-exclusive, everyone from all walks of life was welcome—particularly, Black queer folks, who were being heavily impacted by the AIDS epidemic were the majority of Jewel’s patrons, and rarely had any other places to party.
The club was known for having amazing DJs; incredible fashion; packed dance floors; legendary performances (like Sylvester!); and eventually, celebrity appearances by folks like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, and so many others. In 2015, Array Films acquired the documentary (directed by C. Fitz) about Jewel’s Catch One. “The film includes interviews with Thais-Williams and Jenifer Lewis, Sharon Stone, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Madonna, Bonnie Pointer, Thelma Houston, Sandra Bernhard, Thea Austin, Rep. Maxine Waters and others.” The film pays homage to the space and legacy, while following Jewel’s journey in opening up a nonprofit health clinic next door to the club. Check out the trailer below:
After nearly closing in 2015, Jewel’s Catch One was purchased, and then later reopened under new management who briefly changed the name to The Union. It has since gone back to being named Catch One, to pay homage to its origin.
Who are some amazing folks in the TGNCIQ (transgender, gender-nonconforming, intersex, queer) community whom you’d like to see featured in The Tea? Living or Ancestors. Well-known or Unsung. Nominate them here.
APOGEO COLLECTIVE:
A SAFE HAVEN CENTERING BLACK QUEER TRAVELERS
SAN JUAN DEL SUR, NICARAGUA
Traveling while Black and queer can be challenging and often deters our community from seeing the world. Between the economic barriers to travel, discrimination, lack of education and resources, and unsafe conditions due to our identities, lots of us don’t feel comfortable exploring locations abroad.
“Apogeo Collective is a boutique hospitality experience centering queer and trans people of color travelers. Their goal is to provide guests with rustic luxury, encourage exploration, and provide safe and open spaces where guests feel like they can lean into their most authentic & powerful selves to leave feeling inspired, energized, and rejuvenated.” Apogeo Collective, founded by Sara Elise and Amber Drew, is a space that was thoughtfully conceptualized and designed specifically for us, and allows our community to experience travel in a safe and accessible environment.
From inquiry to arrival, they map out the journey for old and new travelers to feel informed and held throughout the vacation planning process, by: providing options such as arranging private transportation directly to their space from nearby airports; welcoming folks with a personalized experience that allows folks to feel comfortable, exceptionalized, and cared for; and offering itineraries and guided experiences that they often lead themselves.
Once settled in the space, you may meet other Black and brown queer and trans travelers. Some folks are traveling alone for the first time, while others are with partners, family, chosen family, or friends. Some folks make friends with each other in the space and spend time together exploring the country. Others stay on the property the entire time, enjoying perfect sunsets and resting. Whether you are an adventure seeker or just need to take time to rest, Apogeo is a safe haven.
In order for the space to be accessible, and to expand the offerings our community has to share, folks can apply to be Work Fellows for a discounted stay. Fellows are encouraged to bring whatever expertise they feel would be valuable to guests’ experiences. In the past fellows have cooked large community meals, built herbal apothecaries, facilitated cuddle workshops, and so much more.
Apogeo Collective currently operates in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, in their flagship space. In their ethos they talk about being non-natives of Nicaragua, but still being “intentional with how we take up space and the ways we integrate ourselves into a place that we’re not from that makes what we’re doing different (versus just saying that we won’t travel or own property so that we don’t contribute to tourism).” Some of this looks like “partnering with people from Nicaragua, employing people from Nicaragua, and giving ownership to people from Nicaragua of the project itself.”
Apogeo Collective fully acknowledges that “Nicaragua is a multi-ethnic place, with indigenous native tribes (mostly native to the Mosquito Coast), Africans, Europeans, Asians, and people with Middle Eastern origins. This place is a home for many. And no, this is not our direct home (if your definition of home means having been born in the place you are claiming). But we do feel, as Black Americans that are exploited worldwide and constantly displaced and forced to migrate, that our sense of home is a lot more nuanced.” Want to support? Apogeo Collective is crowdfunding for the continued evolution of this project (click here to donate and learn more!). They are also open for booking for their November/December 2022 and March/April 2023 community pop-up experiences!Click here to learn more about the Pop-up experiences this season. You can also follow them on instagram: @ApogeoCollective
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BLACK QUEER + TRANS SPACES
BKLYN BOIHOOD IN CONVERSATION WITH DC BLACK PRIDE
bklyn boihood, co-founded by Ryann Holmes, is a Black queer and trans collective who creates spaces for our community to bloom. Since 2009, they’ve lovingly held space in New York City and beyond that centers celebration, art, collaborations, writing, conversations, retreats, & gatherings.
Kenya Hutton has dedicated close to 20 years working in social justice, equity, HIV prevention, and the facilitation of behavioral interventions among communities heavily impacted by HIV in NYC and Washington, DC. Kenya started off as a volunteer for DC Black Pride, became a board member, then president of DC Black Pride. Now as the Deputy Director of the Center for Black Equity, he is solely responsible for the execution of the annual DC Black Pride Weekend, held every year during Memorial Day weekend.
Check out this conversation between Ryann and Kenya on M4BL’s Instagram that rounded out Pride month. They talk about queer nightlife, ballroom culture, Black pride, and why its so important for queer spaces for Black folks to exists.
Follow @bklynboihood, @dcblackpride, and @ctr4blackequity on IG to stay connected to their work!
What are the issues that are most important to you in the Black TGNCIQ community that you’d like to read more about in The Tea? Tell us what you care about here.
SAFE “T” HOUSING
By Brayland Brown and Valencia Gunder, Co- Founders and Co-Directors, The Smile Trust
“The Smile Trust is anchored by a queer Black woman & Black man of trans experience. And since the start of our organization we have always centered and serviced the most marginalized populations including Black trans women & Black trans men.
Housing insecurity has increased exponentially since we’ve started our work and in our post pandemic era housing insecurities have disproportionately affected the Black trans community. As an organization that is fighting to eliminate housing insecurity, we’ve specifically allocated safe housing resources via our Rent Gap Program to assist our local black trans sisters and brothers.
We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a local black trans led organization, TransInclusive Group to launch South Florida’s first trans safe house. We understand that we can’t do this work alone. Through the alignment of strategy and resources we will continue to expand our housing program.
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home free from the judgment and scrutiny that the black trans community faces on a daily basis.
One person at a time, one life at a time, one SMILE at a time… we will continue to fight against housing insecurity and build black resiliency. Together we can serve many.
Safe housing is basic human needs and everyones deserves access. We’re preparing to scale our Rent Gap Program and we are working really hard to create more housing for the Black Trans Community and we need your help, not next week, not tomorrow, NOW!
To help us to continue to serve our communities and expand our impact please donate to The Smile Trust at: www.TheSmileTrust.org”
WHAT WE’RE VIBING TO
Each month we feature our favorite LGBTQGNCI folks from our community who are doing amazing things. Nominate folks we should feature in this section with this form!
Dua Saleh made a lasting first impression in 2019 with their debut Nūr EP, receiving critical acclaim from Pitchfork, The FADER, COLORS, and more. Born in Sudan and raised in the Midwest, Dua is queer, gender nonconforming, and is addressed with they/them pronouns. Dua invites listeners into an undefined space through full-sensory lyricism and the singularity of their distinct voice.
