About Us
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ItsQwere is an international conversation and event series highlighting Black and Brown queers, transgender and non-binary folks from all stripes of life. Through an ethnic lens, we explore and center the experiences of queer culture and its relationship to LGBTQ representation in media.
Since April 2018, we’ve engaged queers and allies in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Paris, Istanbul, Bucharest, and the limitless virtual world.
Our community is global and multidimensional, from drinking-age folks to septuagenarians. Our eclectic cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, gender and sexual identities, career paths and coming out journeys all contribute to the richness of ItsQwere spaces.
Moderator Tony Taylor is a writer, photographer, editor, and proud Black male creating spaces that push the queer agenda.
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Selected appearances include
New York Times bestselling author Robert Jones, Jr. (The Prophets)
Award-winning poet and Boston’s poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola–
Comedy trailblazer Sampson McCormick–
Disability rights activist Alice Wong
New York Times bestselling author Naima Coster (What’s Mine and Yours, Halsey Street)
Singer, model, actor, influencer Laith Ashley
Synth pop duo TWINKIDS
ONGOING + PREVIOUS EVENTS
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MIGHTY REAL
Our annual live event, inspired by the 1978 hit of disco icon Sylvester, occurs the first weekend in November.
Learn More >>
POETRY READING
In partnership with At The Door, we presented Worlds Between Words: A Virtual Poetry Session. The lineup of award-winning writers from across the country addressed themes of sexuality, decolonization, gender, social justice, and healing.
Watch the readings >>
Book Club
In May 2021, our monthly book club discussed reactions to On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, a novel by queer poet and thought-leader, Ocean Vuong. This event was in partnership with Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room, the nation’s longest-operating LGBTQ bookstore.
Join the book club >>
Panel Discussion
In partnership with SF BiCon, we invited five knowledgeable queer Bay Area “sexperts” to field questions in a space where nothing was too taboo.
FILM SCREENING
In August 2018 we presented VOID, a Turkish docudrama highlighting the transgender experience in Istanbul. Movie refreshments were served and a live Skype Q&A followed with director Asya Leman.
Networking mixer
For our first mixer, we partnered with civic-social event space Manny’s in the heart of San Fransisco’s Mission District. The action event named Queer Community Connection aimed to plant social seeds for future collaborations.
SPONSORS + SUPPORT
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Victoria Monet, Kaytranada, Grace Jones, Chappell Roan, plus the fashion, booze, and food inside San Francisco's popular music festival, Outside Lands.