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| Bellingham Queer Collective builds community and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals through inclusive programs, affirming spaces, and collective care. |
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| November 2026 BQC Newsletter |
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| Dear Friends,
We have BIG news to share: the BQC Community Center is growing!
We're expanding into the space next door, formerly home to Voxel Gallery, giving us a total of 1,770 square feet—more than twice our current space!
We’re grateful to Voxel Gallery owner Christine for being such a supportive neighbor and continuing to bring art to downtown Bellingham through pop-up experiences. And, we’re excited about the possibilities this new space creates for BQC and the broader community!
Since making our home at 310 W. Champion Street in March 2025, we've been working toward a simple but powerful goal: creating a place where our queer community can gather and connect seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Our 600-square-foot space has become a vibrant hub for affinity groups, drop-in social hours, morning coworking, our lending library, and countless meaningful connections. And the community is growing! We've run out of available evening space for new groups, our library is bursting at the seams, and some affinity groups regularly welcome more than 20 participants. We're ready for more room—and this opportunity couldn't have come at a better time.
So, what does more than twice the space mean? More opportunities to expand programming, host larger gatherings, welcome new groups, showcase queer art, and create experiences centered on arts, wellness, and education. Most importantly, it means more opportunities for LGBTQ+ people to find connection, build friendships, and experience belonging.
We believe belonging is preventative care. In a time when affirming spaces and meaningful connection are more important than ever, this expansion allows us to grow alongside our community and deepen the support we provide.
Help Us Grow Together
More space brings exciting possibilities—and new expenses and responsibilities. As an all-volunteer organization, we need our community's help to make this next chapter sustainable.
Support BQC financially. More than 125 community members already support us through recurring donations, helping cover rent and everyday expenses while keeping our programs free. Gifts of any size make a difference! One-time donations will also help us furnish the expanded space with tables, chairs, library shelving, and storage.
Local businesses, become a BQC sponsor! An annual $1,000 business sponsorship helps sustain the Community Center while giving us an opportunity to recognize and promote your business.
Learn more about giving opportunities at bellinghamqueercollective.org/donate.
Give a few hours of your time. We're looking for volunteers to help with: Cleaning and keeping our spaces welcoming Greeting guests at coworking, Fun Fridays, and special events Supporting affinity groups, wellness activities, and special events Sharing professional skills in areas like HR, legal support, and social media
We’re also looking ahead to future Board of Directors opportunities!
Start the volunteer application process here.
We know not everyone can contribute financially or volunteer, and that's okay. Being part of this community matters, too. Whether you give your time, talent, or financial support, you're helping build something bigger than a space: a place where LGBTQIA+ adults can find connection, belonging, creativity, and care.
This milestone belongs to all of you—our members, volunteers, donors, partners, and supporters. You helped us build a home—and now we're making that home bigger.
We can't wait to share this next chapter with you! Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us continue to grow together.
With gratitude,
Michelle Harmeier
Volunteer Executive Director
On behalf of the BQC Board of Directors
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| | Important Dates:November: Transgender Awareness Month November 1: Trans Parent Day November 8: Intersex Solidarity Day November 13-19: Transgender Awareness Week November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
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| | | In This Issue:Celebrating our Amazing BQC Volunteers! First Friday Art Walk Reception at the BQC Center Queersgiving at the BQC Center Transgender Day of Remembrance Event Generations of Pride Monthly Dinner International Day of Meditation Walk Upcoming November Community Events
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| Celebrating the Heart of BQC: Our Volunteers! |
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| On October 9, we celebrated our incredible volunteers with our quarterly volunteer appreciation party! We kicked things off with a delicious Mexican food feast from Jalapeños and Chipotle at the BQC Center, then headed up State Street to 21st Century Bowling. We took over two lanes, showed off our bowling form, and, of course, threw a few gutter balls along the way! There was plenty of food, fun, laughter, and community connection. While bowling and sharing a meal are fun ways to say thank you, this gathering represents something much bigger: our gratitude for our 76 active volunteers who are scheduled weekly or monthly and give so generously of their time, energy, and care to make BQC the welcoming community it is today. In just one recent month, our volunteers contributed 533 hours of service! Think about all the ways they make our Center thrive. They welcome members as greeters, lead affinity group meetings, facilitate Fun Fridays and watch parties, clean and care for our space, tend our plants, shop for and organize our grazing bar snacks, prepare our lending library for circulation, train new volunteers, and manage our POINT volunteer app and scheduling. Most of our regular volunteers are contributing a 3 hour shift each week and our top volunteers are average 20 hours per month! These are just some of the many behind-the-scenes tasks that keep our Center running and help our community feel at home. Every greeting, every snack restocked, every gathering facilitated, and every hour spent caring for our space makes a difference. Our volunteers are the reason we can operate a brick-and-mortar LGBTQ+ community center at a time when dedicated funding for centers like ours is scarce, and LGBTQ+ organizations across the country face growing challenges. We are building something remarkable through the generosity, commitment, and collective care of our own community. This is one of the many reasons we love living in Bellingham. We are part of a queer community that shows up for one another, builds meaningful connections, and understands that we are stronger together. To every BQC volunteer: thank you for sharing your time, talents, kindness, and heart. You make this community possible, and we hope you know just how much you are appreciated! And if you’ve been thinking about getting involved, there is always room for more helping hands. Whether you have a few hours to spare or are ready to take on a regular volunteer role, we would love to welcome you to the team. Here’s to our volunteers—the heart of BQC! 💜 |
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| First Friday Art Walk: October 2ndFeaturing Artist Crystle Loomos | 6-9:00 PM at the BQC Center |
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| 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.
We’re celebrating the work of local artist Crystle Loomos this month! Join us for a reception during the First Friday Art Walk on November 6, 6-8:30 PM. Crystle will be at the event to chat with guests and her work will be displayed at the Center through the end of the month. |
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| Transgender Day of RemembranceFriday, November 20, 4:00-6:00 PM @ WWU |
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Join LGBTQ+ Western, Bellingham Queer Collective, and PFLAG Whatcom/Bellingham as we honor the lives of trans and gender expansive people who have died from violence in the past year. Our vigil and celebration of life will include a reading of names, speakers, and more. |
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| Queersgiving at the BQC CenterNovember 26, 2:00-6:00 PM @ 310 W. Champion St. |
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| Looking for a way to celebrate the season with your queer community? Join us at the BQC Center for Queersgiving, an afternoon of good food, games, laughter, and connection!
Whether you’re hoping to share a favorite dish, meet new friends, reconnect with familiar faces, or simply enjoy a welcoming place to spend the afternoon, there’s a seat at our table for you. Come as you are, bring your appetite, and let’s create some warm community together!
🥗 A Vegetarian Potluck to Share: Bring a favorite vegetarian entrée, salad, side dish, or dessert to share with the group. Vegan and gluten-free dishes are especially welcome, too! Please bring a small card listing your dish’s key ingredients, including potential allergens such as dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, or others, so everyone can make informed choices. While we welcome gluten-free options, please note that we cannot guarantee an entirely gluten-free environment for those with celiac disease.
🎲 Food, Games, and Maybe a Waterfront Walk! Plan to arrive around 2 p.m. so we can settle in and enjoy our potluck together. After we eat, we’ll bring out the tabletop games for some friendly fun! If the weather cooperates, we may also take a leisurely stroll down to the waterfront. Bellingham weather being Bellingham weather, bring your rain gear just in case we decide to brave the drizzle!
📍 Join Us at the BQC Center We encourage you to park in the Commercial Street parking garage or the WorkSource lot on Prospect Street if street parking is difficult to find. Questions? Email us at info@bellinghamqueercollective.org.
Come hungry, bring something to share if you can, and join us for an afternoon of queer joy, chosen family, and community connection. Everyone is welcome, and you don’t have to bring a dish to belong. We can’t wait to gather with you! 💜 |
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| Generations of Pride Monthly DinnerDec. 2, 5:00 PM @ Bellingham Senior Activity Center |
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| Please join Bellingham Queer Collective, PFLAG Whatcom, and LGBTQ+ Western for our November Generations of Pride dinner at Bellingham Senior Activity Center (315 Halleck St). We gather monthly for a free catered dinner for folks 18+ with breakout discussions to help connect LGBTQ+ people across generations. This will be our last Generations of Pride event until the new year. Join us! |
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| International Day of Meditation WalkSaturday, Nov. 28, 11:00 AM @ Fairhaven Park Pavilion |
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| On Saturday, Nov 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM, 120 communities around the globe in 27 countries are participating in the International Day of Meditation of 2026. This year the theme is Planting the Seeds of Community. A group of community members are hosting a local gathering here in Bellingham and everyone is welcome to participate whether you are a lifelong meditator or have never tried a mindfulness practice before. Location: Fairhaven Park Pavillion (Free Parking) Time: Gather 10:45 AM to set intentions for the 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM walk Post Walk: Bring a warm drink and snack to enjoy while we talk after the walk. Contact: Bee Oldham for more information at brianmarkoldham@gmail.com.
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| LGBTQ+ Scholarship Opportunities! |
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| Considering college? Check out these new scholarship opportunities!
The GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund strives to uplift rising LGBTQ+ and actively allied leaders from Washington State as they pursue their post-secondary education. To our scholars, we offer financial awards, typically between $5,500-$10,000, educational programming, networking events, field trips, job shadows, a summer weekend retreat, and a supportive community – whether you're working towards a certificate, 2-year degree, or 4-year degree.
The Pride Foundation Scholarship program supports supports LGBTQ+ students who are leaders—in their own lives, in their families, in their home communities, in their fields of study, in their workplaces, or in our movements for justice. Scholarships are available for LGBTQ+ students pursuing post-secondary education and funding priorities include students with lived experience of discrimination, rejection, and financial hardship |
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| More November Community EventsCheck out what’s happening around Bellingham! |
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| Here are some upcoming events you may enjoy that are hosted by our partner organizations and local queer friendly businesses: |
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| | | Meet our 2026 Sponsors and Partners |
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| | | | | Support Bellingham Queer CollectiveWill you consider becoming a BQC Community 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 Community Partners! |
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