Black Queer Excellence
December 5, 2019
On December 3, 2019, MAX Ottawa, The Aids of Committee of Ottawa, and Somerset West Community Health Centre hosted ‘Black Queer Excellence.’
This BQE party was for all Black, African, Caribbean, Afro-Indigenous, Afro-Latinx, and other members of the African Diaspora 2SLGBTQ+ community members and allies. The 27 Club graciously hosted us as we centred Black queer people’s lives as healthy, well, and worth celebrating! We also recognized the increased amount of Black Queer programming people have organized and attended this past year. Organizers included:
- Robert Alsberry MAX Ottawa’s Communications and Outreach Coordinator,
- Lydia Collins Somerset West CHC’s ACB HIV Strategy Worker,
- Keegan Prempah Somerset West CHC’s Anonymous HIV Testing Outreach Worker, and
- Taib Boyce, ACO’s MSM Ethno-Cultural Resource Coordinator
They supplied outreach supplies, safer sex and partying kits, and information on how to connect with culturally competent resources. As a result, attendees were able to leave more empowered to take charge of their health and wellness needs. Feel free to contact them for information about HIV and other sexual health testing, community resources, and other health and wellness needs.
The mix and mingle social affair also featured local performances from:
- DJ Seizzmik, an Ottawa based DJ and producer,
- Aimee Yonce Shennel, an Ottawa’s Drag Queen originally from the Dominican Republic,
- Saffron St. James, Ottawa’s Hourglass and a Half Burlesque performer, and,
- Anthony aka lonelyboyxxo, an Ottawa native expanding his talents within the R&B genre
All are available for future bookings.
Equally important, a special thank you to MAX volunteers who assisted with the approximately 90 guests who attended the event. We also thank The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity whose contribution helped make the event even more special.