BQC Community Center
Our BQC Community Center provides a critical inclusive third space—a community space outside of home and work—for our 18+ intergenerational LGBTQ+ community members to gather downtown. All events and activities are free at the BQC Center.
The BQC Center opened in June 2024 and is the first ever nonprofit LGBTQ+ community center space between Seattle and Canada.
Our Center hosts:
Affinity group meetups; common interests or identities
Workshops, classes, game and movie nights
A book lending library and a quiet reading/work space
Co-working space and socializing space
Meeting space for other queer organizations
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The BQC Center is located in the vibrant Downtown Arts District of Bellingham, across the street between the Pickford Film Center and the new Pickford on Grand. We are in the historic 100 Prospect Building, next door to Voxel Gallery: 310 West Champion Street, Bellingham WA 98225
Co-Working Cafe
Monday through Friday | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.
This time is reserved for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community. We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies.
BQC Center Schedule
Volunteer greeters are scheduled to support the programming and events at the Center throughout the week. Our goal is to utilize our space for a variety of needs and wants that have been suggested by our community. Below is a short description of each program on the schedule.
Co-Working Cafe: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. This time is reserved this time for quiet time for those who would like to work/read/study in a quiet space with the community. Visit our Co-Working Cafe page to learn more.
Affinity Groups: Evenings and Weekends as scheduled. Volunteers pair up to start social groups that share a common interest or identity and meet about once a month or more for a couple of hours. Most groups meet in the Center, while some meet out in town. Visit our Affinity Group page to learn more.
Fun Fridays: Each Friday night from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM members will host a community drop in night to play games, watch a movie, learn an art/craft, maybe read some poetry or sing karaoke.
Social Hours: Drop in to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack. Check out our Center calendar for upcoming drop-in times.
Upcoming Events at the BQC Center
BQC Sacred Misfits: Spirituality on the Margins is a peer-led group for anyone interested in exploring spiritual practices outside of dominant religious frameworks. We center queer, trans, and other marginalized voices while creating space for self-inquiry, sacred play, and community connection. We gather to study divination, explore our weird spiritual selves, encourage stepping outside the mainstream, and find community beyond the binary, the dogma, and the gatekeeping. All genders, paths, and vibes welcome. No specific beliefs or experience required—just openness and respect.
The Mindfulness Meditation Group welcomes both inexperienced and experienced meditators to a weekly offering that will be hybrid-- both online and in person. It is facilitated by Jill Stansbury, the BQC Wellness Coordinator, who is a trained Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction facilitator through Brown University. This group meets weekly.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
This group is a welcoming and affirming social group created specifically for transfeminine people to connect, share experiences, and build community in a supportive environment. Open to anyone who identifies with transfeminine experiences—including trans women, transfeminine nonbinary people, and those exploring gender—this group offers a space for casual conversation, mutual support, creative expression, and friendship. Whether you're looking to meet others with similar identities, talk about gender journeys, or just hang out in a space where you feel seen and celebrated, BQC Transfemme group is here for you.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Drop in to the BQC Center to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, listen to music, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack, and more!
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Drop in to the BQC Center to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, listen to music, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack, and more!
This BQC Affinity group meets at the BQC Center on the 4th Thursday of each month from 6-8pm. Join us!
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Join us for a different activity every Friday night at the BQC Center! Just drop in and join the fun.
This week we will be playing Fishbowl! There will be plenty of snacks so be sure to bring your appetite.
Connect with other members of the Latinx community to help with navigating some of the unique challenges of being queer in Latinx culture.
Join us for a Queer as Folk Watch Party at the BQC Center! We will have plenty of pizza and snacks so be sure to bring your appetite. FYI, we will be watching Season 2 Episodes 13-15).
The Mindfulness Meditation Group welcomes both inexperienced and experienced meditators to a weekly offering that will be hybrid-- both online and in person. It is facilitated by Jill Stansbury, the BQC Wellness Coordinator, who is a trained Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction facilitator through Brown University. This group meets weekly.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Drop in to the BQC Center to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, listen to music, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack, and more!
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Drop in to the BQC Center to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, listen to music, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack, and more!
This group is designed for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals and allies who are curious about or committed to enhancing their well-being through mind-body practices. Whether you're new to the wellness space, just learning to meditate, or you're an experienced energy worker or yoga enthusiast, this space is for you.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Each month, we showcase the work of a local queer artist by hosting a reception during the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s First Friday Art Walk, and then displaying their work on the walls of the BQC Center in a month-long exhibition.
Join us for Advocacy Hour as we come together to discuss and amplify critical issues affecting our community.
No matter what you're working on or where you are in the process, we offer space and community to support creativity.
The Mindfulness Meditation Group welcomes both inexperienced and experienced meditators to a weekly offering that will be hybrid-- both online and in person. It is facilitated by Jill Stansbury, the BQC Wellness Coordinator, who is a trained Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction facilitator through Brown University. This group meets weekly.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
The Intentional Living and Dying Well group was inspired by the heartfelt and transformative conversations we had during a Rainbow Elders led book club focused on The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler. We found it invaluable to be able to discuss living according to our values through life changes, aging, and, ultimately, death. And we appreciate how helpful it is to discuss navigating life choices with a group of friends who also understand what it is to be queer in today's America.
PFLAG Bellingham/Whatcom County hosts a community support meeting on the first Tuesday of every month. We currently meet in-person at the BQC Community Center, or via Zoom, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm.
Join us in person at the BQC Community Center, 310 W Champion Street, Bellingham or via Zoom [click here].
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Drop in to the BQC Center to visit with friends, make a new friend, hang out on your own, check out a book (soon), play a game, read, listen to music, help yourself to a hot or cold beverage and snack, and more!
Whether you’re completely new to the modern tabletop gaming world and want to check it out, or you’ve got a game or two that’s been sitting on your shelf waiting for the right group to try it out, or you’re just interested in meeting other queer people and sharing some screen-free fun and conversation, this is the place for you!
The BQC Center is reserved on weekday mornings for quiet time for those who would like to work, read, or study in a quiet and safe space with the community.
We invite you to take advantage of our free Wi-fi, snacks, drinks, book lending library and office supplies while you are working.
Volunteer in the Center
The BQC Community Center is staffed by dedicated volunteers who have completed training in customer service, de-escalation, and other important skills. We are always looking for volunteers to help with:
Greeting visitors
Leading Affinity Groups
Hosting Fun Friday social activities
Leading wellness classes and activities
Making Costco runs for snacks, drinks, and supplies
Cleaning and organizing
Maintenance projects… and more!
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