Bae Black Boy Fosters Community for Bay Area Black Queer Men

When it comes to social activities for the LGBTQ+ community in the Bay, Oakland has you covered – especially in the dance party department. We love a dimly lit dance party for queer femmes and it’s hard to say no to a cute QTBIPOC day party, but did you know we are also home to a thriving community centered around joy and connection for Black, queer men?

 

Enter Bae Black Boy, which began as meetups in Founder Warren Logan‘s living room to help build bridges between different groups of SF Bay Area Black, queer men.

 

Currently run by lead organizers Andrew Rayner (he / him) and Charles Hawthorne (they / them), Bae Black Boy is on a mission to create a space for Black, queer Men in the bay to connect and love on each other. Bae Black Boy hosts and incubates events for all who the label “boy” is resonate, including Black men, Black transmen, Black nonbinary folks and sometimes allies.

 

 

While there is so much joy that can be found at the intersection of being Black and gay, the importance of a community that provides a safe space to acknowledge the difficulties and tribulations that come with walking through the world as a Black, gay person can’t be overstated. “We need more spaces to revel in each other’s joy and identities, but to also come to terms with some of the things we need to work though with each other,” says Andrew. “Spaces like this are so healing.”

 

If you’ve never been to a Bae Black Boy event, one thing is for sure – expect to receive warmth and love. “There are opportunities to mingle and meet folks that you might not normally meet walking down the street,” says Andrew. “Name tags are also a thing,” says Andrew, explaining “it’s so important to know each other’s name.”

The Bae Black Boy community has bonded at a variety of wellness and creativity centered events in both Oakland and San Francisco, including Free Hot Yoga, an exclusive Renaissance viewing for Black, queer men and QTBIPOC at the New Parkway Theater, and an exclusive viewing of Kehinde Wiley’s exhibition for Black, queer men at De Young Art Museum. 

 

The Bay Area has long been known for its diversity, and Rayner wants to ensure the Black Queer community in particular gets a proper spotlight too. “There’s this perception that the Bay can get left off of some people’s mind as a place where a lot of Black, queer people congregate,” says Andrew. “But there is such a vibrant community of Black queer people that need uplifting and augmenting. We want to help provide that space.”

 

Bae Black Boy also seeks to partner with other organizations focused on providing resources and community experiences to Black, queer folks. If you are interested in getting involved with Bae Black Boy, reach out to them via Instagram.