About BQC
Where we started
How do members of our local LGBTQ+ community connect, gather, and communicate in the Bellingham and Whatcom region? Where do we go for support and resources? These are the questions many of us were asking as we moved through the end stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2022. Many of us moved to the region during the pandemic and some were here for several years prior, yet we all still found it challenging to find community and support.
A small group of friends new to the area decided to host a documentary social film event at the Mount Baker Theatre in November, 2022. A diverse group of 125 LGBTQ+ people sold out the event and we watched Ahead of the Curve, where Franco Stevens, founder of Curve Magazine asked similar questions. After the film ended, we shared ideas of what we wanted our post-pandemic Bellingham LGBTQ+ community to look like and how it could better support our community. Over the next months, an advisory group formed, created the name, Bellingham Queer Collective, to include all of the diverse sexual and gender identities of our community.
Where we are today
Bellingham Queer Collective is now a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and opened the BQC Community Center in Downtown Bellingham in 2024. We have over 2000 members in our private FB group and email our monthly newsletter to over 1500+ members. Our website events calendar is updated daily with events to connect our community. We host several in-person events throughout the year, promote hundreds of community events taking place in our region, form affinity groups based on interests and identities, support queer owned/friendly businesses, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Our Mission and Vision
Bellingham Queer Collective builds community and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals through inclusive programs, affirming spaces, and collective care while intentionally working to expand access and equity across diverse and marginalized communities.
We dream of a future where LGBTQIA+ individuals across all backgrounds experience true belonging, equitable access, and the power of community to feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Our Values
Equity in Action
We actively work to ensure fair access, voice, and opportunity for all, including those most impacted by systemic inequities.
We center those most marginalized within the LGBTQIA+ community
We make decisions with intention, not assumption
We remove barriers to participation and leadership
Community-Centered Care
We create spaces where connection, belonging, and mutual support are at the core of everything we do.
We center lived experience and community voice
We build spaces where people feel seen, safe, and supported
We value relationships as much as outcomes
Collective Leadership
We share responsibility, power, and decision-making to build a more inclusive and sustainable organization.
Leadership is distributed, not concentrated
We create pathways for participation and growth
We communicate openly and make decisions transparently
Sustainable Growth
We build intentionally, aligning our capacity, resources, and priorities to ensure long-term impact.
We do not grow beyond what we can sustain
We prioritize structure, systems, and accountability
We balance ambition with realism
Holistic Wellness
We promote the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational, and spiritual well-being of our community.
We focus on connection, not just crisis
We create low-barrier, inclusive wellness spaces
We honor the full humanity of those we serve
Transparency & Accountability
We operate with openness, clarity, and responsibility to each other and the communities we serve.
We share information in a timely and accessible way
We hold ourselves accountable to our commitments
We align our actions with our values
Leadership
Bellingham Queer Collective (BQC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led entirely by volunteers. Our Board of Directors meets regularly to support and engage with our community so we can continue to grow and connect. Our Board Members represent the diversity of our LGBTQ+ and BIPOC community.
Are you interested in contributing your unique skills, perspective, lived experience, or professional background as a Board or Committee Member? Email info@bellinghamqueercollective.org to learn more about opportunities to get more involved.
Bellingham Queer Collective (BQC) is committed to fostering a community where individuals who are most impacted by systemic inequities are affirmed, supported, and empowered.
We recognize that the LGBTQIA+ community is not monolithic, and that experiences of identity intersect with race, ethnicity, gender, disability, socioeconomic status, spirituality, and other dimensions of lived experience. We are intentional in centering those who face the greatest barriers to access, visibility, and support. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Accessibility, Accountability, and Community (DEIB+A+A+C) is not only aspirational. It is operational.
We strive to:
Advance equity by prioritizing those most marginalized within our community
Foster inclusion and belonging by creating spaces where individuals feel seen, safe, and valued
Ensure accessibility by reducing barriers to participation in our programs, leadership, and services
Practice shared leadership by distributing power and creating pathways for engagement and decision-making
Strengthen community connection through intentional, responsive, and culturally affirming programming
We hold ourselves accountable by embedding these commitments into our governance, decision-making, resource allocation, and organizational practices.
BQC understands that this work is ongoing. We are committed to continuous learning, reflection, and growth in partnership with the communities we serve.
Our Commitment to DEIB+A+A+C
Support our work
Together, we can build a future where LGBTQIA+ individuals across all backgrounds experience true belonging, equitable access, and the power of community to feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Bellingham Queer Collective is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 92-3183105) and your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Thank you SPONSORS AND PARTNERS!
