After 18 months of Zoom meetings and distanced communication, Seattle's People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) finally held its first in-person Black Pride event since the start of the pandemic.
On Friday, October 29, POCAAN's board members met at Rotie Cellars in SoDo to celebrate the first night of the highly anticipated event.
"I'm very excited about this weekend. It's an opportunity for Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ community members to get together, uplift, and celebrate, something we have not been able to do since COVID started. And we miss supporting each other," said Chris Porter, a member of POCAAN and attendee.
"We're just so privileged to be able to do Black Pride once again," said Steven Sawyer, POCAAN's executive director and co-founder of Pacific Northwest Black Pride. "Last year, we were unable to hold the event at all. For marginalized communities, that gathering and connection [is so important]."
This year the activities were pared down and COVID compliant, "but they're geared to center Black and Brown folks and to talk about their experiences," said Sawyer. "In the morning, there will be a host of events talking about COVID-19, particularly in the Black and Gay community, sexual health, and issues plaguing Seattle, especially about equity and empowerment. Everything is free and hybrid this year. We are also having a Kiki Ball, free HIV testing, and pop-up COVID-19 testing."
The weekend was made possible by generous sponsors, including Rotie Winery, which donated the space for Friday's venue and a portion of profits made from its Pride wine to POCAAN. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation was also a sponsor, and provided free HIV testing all weekend.
After the kickoff dinner and wine tasting, Rotie also sponsored a sip-and-paint event, where participants got to dine on delicious wine and craft unique masterpieces.
Workshops
The festivities were in full swing by Saturday morning, with the first two-hour workshop by JoJo DeRodrigo, a somatic sex and intimacy coach, "Relationships and Agreements: The Language of Pleasure." Using sexological bodywork, breathwork, movement, and coaching, DeRodrigo challenged participants to practice using their voices, with requests for clear communication in relationships.
Following that , Me'jour Mook, Bryanna A. Jenkins, and Derek Baugh hosted a Black Trans symposium, which challenged people to ask, "What can we do to create an inclusive community?" Speaking from their own experiences, panel members conversed about the importance of Black Trans visibility and the disparities that the intersectional community faces. Civil rights attorney Bryanna A. Jenkins provided crucial details, shifting perspectives and challenging patterns of thought.
In the afternoon was a talk by Dr. Stephaun E. Wallace on "COVID-19 in the African American Community" and its disproportional impact. Dr. Wallace presented staggering facts about the pandemic and how it has been ravaging Black communities. He also discussed the lack of equal access to quality healthcare, treatment, and resources during this time.
Following that talk, the Rt. Rev. Edward Donalson III gave a seminar on Queer spirituality titled "Thinking Healthy Spiritually: Healthy Queer Spirituality." Rev. Donalson dissected myths surrounding spirituality and called on listeners to participate in healthy spirituality that critiques all systems of power and domination that oppress and marginalize anybody. He used affirmations to uplift listeners and remind them that worth is never diminished by identities.
The final seminar of the day was provided by Kink 4 The Culture and moderated by Phareaux Onyx. It included several panel members from Seattle's kink and leather community. The panel shared stories about the Black kinksters and leather legends of Seattle, and fun, personal stories from their own kink experiences. The panelists had a bit of something for everyone, with tips on toys, language, and etiquette for newcomers and fun stories and questions for experienced kinksters.
The weekend was a great success. POCAAN was able to bring people together for two days of fun, festivities, and learning. On top of all the sexy seminars, the event was also able to provide crucial testing and information to members of Seattle's LGBTQ community.
This weekend's events also celebrated some of the dedicated people who have worked tirelessly to combat AIDS/HIV in Seattle, provided educational opportunities, and helped test and educate LGBTQ community members. Most importantly, it provided a space for Black and Brown LGBTQ+ folks to gather and celebrate everything that makes their communities so vibrant.
Since 1987 POCAAN has worked to combat HIV/AIDS in some of Seattle's most marginalized communities while also advocating to help people struggling with other factors that contribute to STDs, such as substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness, racism, sexism, and homophobia. Today, its mission is to provide "comprehensive, multicultural awareness and prevention messages aimed at addressing health disparities experienced in marginalized communities."