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| 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. |
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| | Dear Friends, When a seed is planted, growth doesn't happen overnight. It takes care. It takes community. It takes people who believe in what is possible before they can see it fully bloom. At Bellingham Queer Collective, we are planting and nurturing something powerful: a future where LGBTQIA+ people across all backgrounds experience true belonging, equitable access, and the support they need to thrive. BQC was created to address a simple but profound need: everyone deserves a place where they feel seen, valued, and connected. Through inclusive programs, affirming spaces, and collective care, we are building a stronger, more resilient LGBTQIA+ community throughout Whatcom County and beyond.
Pride Season is here and our event calendar is filled with opportunities for our community to come together to celebrate, connect and show the world that we are here to stay! With the arrival of Pride Season also comes our annual giving campaign.
We know that meaningful growth happens collectively. Just as roots intertwine beneath the surface to support a thriving ecosystem, our community becomes stronger when we invest in one another. This year's theme, Growing Together, reflects our belief that none of us flourish alone. Every connection formed at the BQC Community Center, every barrier removed, every program offered, and every life touched is made possible through the generosity of people who believe in a more equitable and connected future.
With gratitude,
Michelle Harmeier
On behalf of the BQC Board of Directors
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| | Important Dates:LGBTQ+ Pride Month 6/1: LGBTQ+ Families Day 6/12: Pulse Remembrance Day 6/26: Anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court Legalizing Marriage Equality 6/27: National HIV Testing Day 6/28: Stonewall Riots Anniversary
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| | | | In This Issue:Growing Together Giving Campaign and Open House Share YOUR story with BQC BQC Volunteer Program Update Volunteer Appreciation Dance Party Benefit Film Screening: BQC Presents Two Eyes WWU Lavender Graduation Whatcom Museum Kicks Off Pride Season Voxel Gallery: Still Queer Exhibition Celebrate Pride on the Water at Community Boating Center The Art of Queer Friendship & Connection BQC Financial Wellness Workshop The New Trans Cinema: Pride at Pickford Join No Hate in Washington State for a Special Film Screening More Queer Movies! Juneteenth Celebration Generations of Pride: Queer Trivia Night
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| Celebrate Pride Season by Helping the BQC Center Grow! |
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| Will you make a gift today to help us continue growing? Whether your contribution is $25, $100, $500, or any amount that is meaningful to you, your support directly strengthens the foundation of community care, belonging, and opportunity that BQC provides. Together, we are cultivating a future where LGBTQIA+ individuals are not simply surviving, but thriving. A future where every person can experience the power of community, the dignity of belonging, and the freedom to be fully themselves.
Thank you for believing in this vision and for helping us grow a stronger, more inclusive community for all. In the words of one of our members, "Thank you for your help. You make this community a home." |
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| Join Us for a BQC Center Open House During the First Friday Art Walk! |
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| To celebrate our community and kick off our Growing Together giving campaign, we are creating an interactive art display in the BQC Center! Please join us during the First Friday Art Walk for a special Open House on Friday, June 5th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. We will have plenty of art by queer artists to enjoy, awesome folks to meet, and delicious snacks from Hela Provisions to eat. We also need your help creating leaves for our Pride tree!
Share YOUR BQC Story!People like you are what makes Bellingham Queer Collective so special, and storytelling is one of the best ways we can encourage donors to invest in our programs and services. Please help us show the impact our organization has in our community by sharing your story! We will have forms available at the open house or you can complete one online. |
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| BQC Volunteer Program Update |
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| Our dedicated BQC volunteers have been busy! Here’s a look at what they’ve been up to lately: 44 people volunteered this month 311 hours of volunteer time 66 events Our top volunteer gave 26 hours of their time this month We have 97 active volunteers 100 people signed in for events at the center this month
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| Volunteer Appreciation Dance Party!Join us on Thursday, June 11 at Marine Park |
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| It’s time to appreciate all of our amazing volunteers. If you have volunteered with us, this party is for you! Please join us at Marine Park on Thursday June 11th for food, dancing and games. Bring a blanket to hang beachside, water to hydrate after dancing and layers as the sun sets. |
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| BQC Proudly Presents Two EyesJoin us in-person or online for a benefit film screening |
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| Bellingham Queer Collective invites you to a special screening of TWO EYES, featuring Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, trans icons Kate Bornstein and Ryan Cassata, queer South African musician and actor Nakhane, Two-Spirit artist Samuel Jaxin Enemy-Hunter, and Kiowa Gordon (AMC’s Dark Winds) — along with Q&A conversations featuring filmmaker Travis Fine and legendary performer and longtime LGBTQ+ activist Alan Cumming.
Bellingham Queer Collective will be hosting two exclusive in-person screenings of this amazing film — followed by a virtual streaming window for those who can’t make it in person. Tickets are $12.00 and BQC will receive 50% of the ticket sales for in-person and virtual screenings!
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS:Sunday, June 28th at 6:00PM PDT at the BQC Center
Wednesday, July 22nd at 6:00PM PDT at the BQC Center
YOUR TICKET INCLUDES: An in-person screening of TWO EYES on the date of your choice Unlimited streaming access to rewatch the film anytime from July 23rd through July 26th — on your smart TV, computer, or mobile device Exclusive pre-recorded Q&As featuring Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, Two-Spirit artist Samuel Jaxin Enemy-Hunter, trans icons Kate Bornstein and Ryan Cassata, and legendary performer and longtime LGBTQ+ activist Alan Cumming SPECIAL LIVE Q&A: A 45-minute live Zoom conversation with filmmaker Travis Fine following each in-person screening — Sunday June 28th at 7:45PM PDT and Wednesday July 22nd at 7:45PM PDT. Open to all ticket holders who purchase prior to each live event.
Please note: In-person seating is limited. Please be sure to reserve your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
VIRTUAL STREAMING:Available anytime from July 23rd through July 26th — on your smart TV, computer, or mobile device.
TWO EYES was made by and for LGBTQ+ people and allies — people who understand that this community has always existed, in every culture and throughout every era of history. By bringing this film directly to communities like yours, we’re helping ensure the money raised stays exactly where it belongs — with the organizations and people doing the work every day. |
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| WWU Lavender GraduationThursday, June 4 | 6:00 - 9:00 PM | Viking Union MPR |
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| Congratulations to our WWU graduates of 2026! Join our queer elders as we stand in and show up for our queer young adults to celebrate our college grads at their special Lavender Graduation Ceremony. Graduates will be celebrated with a special certificate and rainbow chord as well as former WWU graduates. Special recognition will go to graduates and honored community members for their contributions to and support of the queer community on and off campus.
If you have been attending Generations of Pride this year you may know a graduate, and will also know how important it is for elders to show up to celebrate and support our queer young adults! There will be complimentary dinner, outreach tables and lots of opportunities to connect with the community. Be sure to stop by the BQC booth and say hello! |
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| Whatcom Museum Kicks Off Pride Season with a Full Day of Activities!Friday, June 5 | 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM |
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| Kick off Pride season with our local museum! Join the Whatcom Museum on June 5 for a full day of color, creativity, and community — and it's all free.
Whether you're bringing little ones for morning music and gallery time, dropping in to craft a pride pin, or dancing the evening away at their silent disco, there's something for everyone. Come as you are and celebrate loud and proud.
What's happening: Baby & Toddler Music Classes with Little Sapling Music | Studio | 10:30 & 11 AM Sweet Art Tour: Personal to Political | Gallery | 10:15 AM Community Chalk Gallery | Courtyard | 12–5 PM Felt Pride Pins | Old City Hall Rotunda | 2–4 PM Rainbow Hair Ribbons | Studio | 3–5 PM Community Corner: Pride Tabling | Old City Hall Rotunda | 3–6 PM Face painting with the Art & Happiness Fairies | Lightcatcher Lobby | 5–7 PM Pride Silent Disco with DJ Dancing Dana Carr | Courtyard | 5–8 PM Docent-Led Gallery Tours | Gallery | 1 & 6 PM
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| Voxel Gallery: Still Queer ExhibitionFriday, June 5 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM |
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| Voxel Gallery presents Still Queer, a group exhibition bringing together a diverse range of artists to reflect on the endurance, evolution, and everyday brilliance of queer life. On view from June 5 through June 27, the exhibition centers on what it means to remain—boldly, tenderly, and defiantly—queer across time, space, and circumstance.
The exhibition invites artists to consider how queerness informs the body, the home, the landscape, the archive, and the imagination. Works explore themes of chosen family, intimacy, protest, softness, transformation, humor, memory, and futurity. Rather than prescribing a singular narrative, the exhibition embraces a wide spectrum of perspectives, highlighting the diversity and complexity of queer expression. |
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| Celebrate Pride on the Water at Community Boating Center |
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Pride Paddle | June 5, 12, 19, 26 | 5:30 PM -7:30 PMPride Paddle invites our queer community to get comfortable on the water using a kayak or stand up paddle board. Every Friday through October!
Pride Parade on the Water | Saturday, June 13 | 11:00 AMThe Pride Parade on the water is a chance to decorate your boat and yourself and get out on the water to celebrate with our queer community and allies! The community boating center has everything you need or you can bring your own kayak or paddle board. There is also a chance to use the giant stand up paddle board that holds up to 8 people, so grab some friends and join us at the Community Boating Center close to the Fairhaven Ferry Building. |
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| Join us for a Special Workshop: The Art of Queer Friendship & ConnectionAt the BQC Center | Sunday, June 7 | 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM |
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| Ruth L. Schwartz, author of the Amazon bestseller Conscious Lesbian Dating & Love, is coming to town! Ruth is founder and director of the Conscious Girlfriend Academy, the leading global resource helping lesbians and queer women date wisely, prevent heartbreak and love well, and also has a background in poetry, sex coaching, and shamanism.
Join Ruth for a fun, empowering, introvert-friendly workshop designed to help you create more of the friendships and love you really want in your life. Real connection doesn’t have to be hard to find. It just takes skills you can build. Learn how to deepen your conversations so you actually feel safe, seen and heard, and others do, too. Gain skills for navigating romance, including how to make a move (and how to know whether you should), and how to stay connected even if love isn’t in the cards. Leave with a nourished heart, feeling more connected to yourself and to everyone who attended.
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BQC Financial Wellness WorkshopFriday, June 12, 6-8:30pm at the BQC Center |
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| New Trans Cinema: Pride at PickfordJune 18, June 24, July 2, and July 9 | Pickford Film Center |
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| This Pride, Pickford Film Center is honored to present a series unlike any other, four films by and for an interconnected community of trans and queer artists making urgent, alive cinema right now.
“The New Queer Cinema” was a term that critics and journalists began using after an influx of hot queer filmmakers made waves at the Sundance Film Festival in the early 90s. These films from directors such as Marlon Riggs, Todd Haynes, Cheryl Dunye and Gregg Araki, among others, rose after a time of hostility and negligence from the American government during the HIV-AIDS crisis. The contradiction of queer American cinema flourishing during what many felt was an extinction event was not lost on these filmmakers. Their films were challenging, playful, angry, sexual, and, most importantly, alive.
Time has a funny way of repeating itself: the United States once again has a media personality for a president and queer people (specifically those who are transgender) have been at the mercy of cruel and uncaring legislation, and, once again, a dynamic and explosive valve of queer cinema has risen up. |
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| Join No Hate in Washington State for a Special Film Screening at the Pickford!
Pickford Film Center | Thursday, June 18 | 7:30 PM |
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| You are invited to a special evening at the Pickford Theater in support of No Hate in Washington State. We will be joining in community for a special screening of Heightened Scrutiny in Bellingham — followed by brief remarks and organizing opportunities from local leaders — as part of the statewide film tour supporting No Hate in WA State (Vote No on IL26-001 & IL26-638). This event is hosted by Indivisible Bellingham, Indivisible Skagit, Bellingham Queer Collective, and other local leaders.
Please RSVP Here. This is a private screening and will not be on the Pickford Ticket site. |
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| But Wait, There’s More Queer Movies! |
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Juneteenth CelebrationSaturday, June 20 2:00-6:00pm at Maritime Heritage Park |
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Join us on the afternoon of Saturday, June 20 at Maritime Heritage Park to celebrate Juneteenth!
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth celebrations are a platform for encouraging the acceptance of diversity and offer an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the sacrifices and challenges enslaved Africans endured to achieve freedom. We celebrate our African-American community members and commit to working together toward equity for all. |
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| Generations of Pride: Queer Trivia!Wednesday, June 24 at 5:00 PM | At the Bellingham Senior Activity Center |
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| Generations of Pride is our intergenerational community dinner centering LGBTQ+ people and allies in the Bellingham/Whatcom community. We gather on the last Wednesday of every month at Bellingham Senior Activity Center at 315 Halleck St. Each month we have a different topic for discussion with breakouts to help connect LGBTQ+ people across generations.
The free dinner event is hosted by Western Washington University's LGBTQ+ Western, Bellingham Queer Collective, and the Bellingham/Whatcom Chapter of PFLAG, and was inspired by research from Western's Psychology Department's Listen Lab.
Thanks to the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund, we do not need any more potluck items. We thank the efforts of PFLAG, Bellingham Queer Collective, Generations of Pride, LGBTQ+ Western, the Centers, and staff and attendees for making this possible. |
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| | | | 2025-2026 Sponsors/Partners |
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| | | | Support Bellingham Queer CollectiveWill you consider becoming a BQC Partner by making a small contribution each month or year? Recurring donations are the cornerstone of our fundraising efforts. We are a community funded organization. A gift of $5, $10, or $20 monthly or annually may have a modest impact on your giving budget, but it has a HUGE impact on covering our operational costs of running an all volunteer organization. Thank you BQC Partners! |
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