A communal sound-bath, meditation, massages, restful movement to release tension — these activities were all part of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s annual Black History Month celebration on Sunday, Feb. 23.
Billed by the center as a “love letter to LA’s Black queer community,” the packed event on Sunday focused on care, “holding space” and uplifting attendees, organizers said.
Hosted at The Works LA in Pasadena, the “Highly Loved: A Day of Care for Black Queer Folx” event was geared towards L.A.’s Black and LGBTQ+ communities who were devastated by the Eaton fire.
“Highly Loved is about caring for ourselves and being with each other,” said Giovanna Fischer, the center’s chief equity officer, on Sunday. “We chose Pasadena because… it felt important to bring these offerings of care closer to the part of our city that’s most impacted by the fires.”
In its fifth year, this Black History Month event was a spin-off of the center’s usual celebration “Highly Favored,” which takes on a more lively and celebratory mood, officials said. This year’s event included a dancing space, but also had areas for self-care and relaxation. Attendees also received health and wellness giveaways.
“This Black History Month, Black LGBTQ+ people need spaces for themselves to be cared for, especially in this political climate where there are attacks on all of these layers of identities,” Fischer, a 38-year-old Inglewood resident, said.
Amid attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, plus the reversal of federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, many attendees said they needed an event like “Highly Loved” to get away from all the negativity –even for a few hours.
L.A. resident Angel Chukwu said that walking through the venue’s doors of the venue, she felt the intentionality of the space.
“It’s easy to get lost in all the news, doom-scrolling and being worried about the state of the country, especially as Black queer folks,” Chukwu, 28, said. “But it’s really beautiful to see so many Black people in one space, eating good and feeling good about themselves.”
Remington Michel Stone, who uses they/them pronouns, said that they were able to access helpful job and health resources from the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
“They provided so many awesome resources and pathways to finding success in the city,” Stone, 24, said. “Being able to provide people with resources they need, especially in a time like this is really important.”
After enjoying the dance floor, attendee Winston Jean-Joseph said that living as a Black and gay person is a way of honoring ancestors and passing the baton onto the next generation.
“My source of Black and queer joy is my sole existence,” Jean-Joseph said. “I’m very aware og how many people like me were not allowed to exist — so I enjoy the audacity of living out loud.”