Oakland gaypartiesfridays

Sarahfe Harris Juarbe, a. Bruja Fe, dances at the Marimacha dance party in Oakland on Feb. Marimacha is among an exciting new surge in queer parties right now in downtown Oakland. On any given Friday or Saturday night, clubgoers can walk from drag show to queer cocktail lounge to Afrobeats night to house music party, all within a half-mile radius.

Even more queer events oakland speed dating, kink workshops, board game nights, open mics and food pop-ups — offer a wealth of weeknight and evening options for those who want more than oakland and dancing. Oakland now boasts at least eight queer venues, many of which opened in the past year.

Queer nightlife in Oakland has always been more diverse across race and gender than in San Francisco, whose gayborhood, the Castro, has skewed white and male since becoming a mecca over 50 years ago. And while Oakland has long been a haven for queer and trans people of color, pre-pandemic hangout options were slim; brick-and-mortar establishments one could visit any night of the week numbered at less than a handful.

Another landlord dispute forced Bianco-Chaidez and her partner in work and life, Mar Mendoza, who DJs as Dreamsto close their underground venue El Afters last fall, though they continue to produce events under that banner. Queer-owned cocktail lounge Friends and Family — open to all, but known as a sapphic safe space — launched with to-go service when COVID restrictions began to lift, and now makes a thriving hub on 25th Street for gaypartiesfridays chefs, vintners and mixologists.

Across from Que Rico is Nectar Social Clubwhich celebrated its opening last fall with a sprawling block party produced by Oaklashthe progressive drag festival that champions trans performers as well as racial and disability justice. On a recent Friday afternoon, Nectar, which operates as a coffee shop by day and a bar by night, is filled with clusters of friends working on laptops, drawing and gossiping over lattes.

After dark, DJ Romii and friends spin house oakland as a couple makes out in the corner and dancers bop around sipping espresso martinis and mocktails. With vintage erotic art adorning the walls, it welcomes the kinky and curious. As the name might suggest, its programming leans heavily, though not exclusively, queer.

In our age of Tinder, Feeld and Hinge, it turns out meeting in person is back in style. I definitely think that the popularity of mixers gaypartiesfridays speed dating in queer communities can speak to that. Hooks, a longtime Oakland resident who grew up in Fremont, started Queer In Oakland because she struggled to find queer community herself after returning to the Bay from a brief stint in Seattle.

The project began with oakland humble Google calendar of event listings in After throwing some entrepreneurial mixers — and online events during COVID shutdowns — in Hooks turned her focus to producing parties, which have now flourished into some of the most eclectic queer events the Town has to offer. A singles night for queer and trans people of color called Tease is slated at Sessions on 15th on March 14, followed by a queer cowgirl party called Wild West co-produced with Reverse Cowgirl at Fluid on March Nectar Social Club is certainly doing its part to strengthen the community on and off the dance floor.

Rapper and activist Aima the Dreamer, who co-produces the long-running day gaypartiesfridays Soulovelyrecently launched an open mic night and artist showcase called Groove Gallery, where the night begins gaypartiesfridays a ritual and freewriting prompt, followed by music and poetry focused on Black and Brown, queer and trans liberation.

One of those people is Brump, a.

The Night Owl in Oakland

Princess Dxddy. The model and fashion-show producer started DJing last year. Earlier this year, Brump debuted Spirit, an Afrobeats, amapiano and global dance music party at Nectar. Even with all this new activity, downtown Oakland does feel sleepy these days. The First Friday street fair — a major foot traffic driver for businesses — went on hiatus from January to March, citing financial strain.