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| Bellingham Queer Collective connects, celebrates, unites, and advocates for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. |
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| September 2026 BQC Newsletter |
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| Dear Friends,
As we welcome September, the Bellingham Queer Collective wants to begin with a huge thank you to the community that showed up for us during Pride season! Together, community members, local businesses, and organizations helped us exceed our $30,000 Pride fundraising goal. We are deeply grateful for every donation, sponsorship, and word of encouragement.
Your support directly sustains the BQC Center and allows us to provide a free, queer, safe third space for LGBTQ+ adults ages 18 and above in Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County. Your donations help keep our grazing snack counter stocked with healthy and tasty snacks, our refrigerator filled with cold sparkling waters, and our coffee and tea always hot and ready to share.
Your generosity also supports our growing volunteer program. More than 100 community members contribute their time each month as Greeters, Affinity Group Leaders, and volunteers at outreach activities and special events. They are the heart of what makes the BQC Center welcoming, active, and connected.
We are proud to be the only nonprofit LGBTQ+ community center between Seattle and the Canadian border serving the five-county North Sound region. Your support makes this community space possible.
And we’re not done growing! We are currently seeking business sponsors who want to partner with us as we expand our programming and strengthen the resources available to our community. If your business would like to become a BQC sponsor, please email Michelle Harmeier at michelle@bellinghamqueercollective.org.
Celebrating Our Community and Our College Town
What a summer it has been in Bellingham! With beautiful weather and so many opportunities to get outside, our community has enjoyed kayaking on the bay, visiting the islands, walking through our lush forests, and hiking among the spectacular mountains of the Mount Baker region. We hope you’ve had opportunities to connect with nature, friends, and community along the way.
Now, as fall begins to settle in and students return to campus, we have another reason to celebrate: Western Washington University has earned an outstanding place in the 2026 LGBTQ+ College Index! WWU ranked #13 nationally out of 1,718 four-year colleges and universities — placing it in the top 1% nationwide — and #2 among 55 Washington colleges, behind only the University of Washington in Seattle. Western earned an impressive 80.5 out of 100, including a perfect score for campus policy.
This recognition reflects the hard work, advocacy, and commitment of LGBTQ+ Western staff and students. Thank you for helping make Western a place where LGBTQ+ students can learn, connect, and thrive! The BQC is proud to partner with Western and to be a resource and welcoming community space downtown for young adults from WWU, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and throughout our broader working community.
As a new school year begins, we look forward to welcoming students — and everyone else in our community — through our doors. There is always a place for you at BQC.
With gratitude,
Michelle Harmeier
Volunteer Executive Director
On behalf of the BQC Board of Directors
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| | Important Dates:September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day September 18: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day September 21: Gender Equality Week September 23: Bisexual Visibility Day September 20-26: Bisexual Awareness Week September 27: National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day September 30: National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
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| | | In This Issue:First Friday Art Walk Reception at the BQC Center Your Hair, Your Style: A Transfemme Hair Care & Styling Workshop New Intentional Living and Dying Well Affinity Group Generations of Pride Celebrates Queer History Month BQC Presents: WA Cares Fund Community Conversation September Fun Fridays and Watch Parties at the BQC Center Free and Queer-Friendly Woodworking Workshop at the RE Store Join No Hate in WA State’s Bellingham Coalition Party & Fall Kickoff Upcoming September Community Events
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| First Friday Art Walk on September 4Featured Artist Danielle Morgan-Scharhon | 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.
Our September featured artist is Danielle Morgan-Scharhon, a queer multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in Bellingham, Washington. Reflections in the PNW brings together three time-based nature projects created through month-long daily practice. Danielle’s work explores observation, memory, and the beauty found through sustained attention to the Pacific Northwest landscape. |
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| Your Hair, Your Style: A Transfemme Hair Care & Styling WorkshopSeptember 12, 6:00-8:00 PM at the Barber Shack |
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| Join the BQC community for a special evening at the Barber Shack, where owner Jared Jones and his talented staff will share their expertise and create a welcoming space for transfemme community members to explore hair care, styling, and self-expression.
Whether you’re just beginning your hair journey or looking for new ideas, this workshop will cover the basics, including: Hair care basics: Everyday washing, conditioning, maintenance, and choosing products that work for your hair. Tools of the trade: Learn how to safely and confidently use blow dryers, curling irons, and other everyday styling tools. Find your style: Explore hairstyles that reflect your vision, complement your face, and express who you are. Find your stylist: Learn what to look for when choosing a stylist who will listen to you, understand your goals, and make you feel comfortable and seen.
This is a FREE BQC-sponsored event created especially to support our transfemme community. Come learn something new, ask questions, share ideas, and enjoy being in community with others as you explore your next hair adventure!
The Barber Shack is located at 2500 Cedarwood Ave, just north of the RAINBOW Bridge. Parking is available behind the shop in the lot. |
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| Introducing our Newest Affinity Group: Intentional Living and Dying WellMeets on 2nd Tuesdays 3-5:00 PM @ The BQC Center |
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| We’re excited to invite you to join the brand-new Intentional Living and Dying Well affinity group! This group meets at the BQC Center on the second Tuesday of the month from 3 to 5 PM. We look forward to seeing you on September 8th at 3 PM for our first session.
This new 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.
Our monthly meetings will focus discussion around a wide array of topics that fall under the umbrella of Intentional Living and Dying Well. Taking a multi-media approach, we will often find inspiration and ideas in literature, films, art, or music to launch discussion and activities, such as: creating a life bucket list & achieving your goals; downsizing; building & rebuilding queer social networks; celebrating accomplishments with a “to done” list or life inventory review; or preparing for end of life.
We invite you to come and share community with a group of like-minded people who possess dozens of lifetimes of experience about how to navigate life changes from the beginning of adulthood to the end of life as a queer person.
Come to learn and to teach. Come as a stranger, alone or with a friend, and leave as a part of an intentional community.
(Just a friendly reminder: We are a non-expert discussion group and are not capable of addressing or providing therapy for abusive or traumatic situations.) |
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| Generations of Pride Celebrates Queer History MonthSep. 30, 5:00 PM @ Bellingham Senior Activity Center |
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| Please join Bellingham Queer Collective, PFLAG Whatcom, and LGBTQ+ Western for our September 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 month we are celebrating Queer History Month!
Save the Date and Start Planning Your Costume! Generations of Pride Halloween Dinner and Costume Contest on Wednesday, October 28 @ 5:00 PM | Bellingham Senior Activity Center |
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| BQC Presents: WA Cares Fund Community ConversationOct. 29, 6:00 PM @ Bellingham Senior Activity Center |
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| The BQC is partnering with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to bring culturally relevant information to the queer community about the WA Cares Fund. This is an earned benefit that most working Washingtonians contribute to automatically through their employer that is designed to help folks age independently in their own homes, deal with short-term illness, or get care and support when disabled. Come learn about what the benefits of this new program are and how to qualify for them. Benefits can be used for any covered services from a WA Cares provider (friends and family providing care can become providers and get paid for their work) including care in your home or a facility, home modifications, home-delivered meals, adaptive equipment, and more.
Join us for a Community Conversation with an expert on the WA Cares Fund on Thursday, October 29 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Bellingham Senior Activities Center located at 315 Halleck St. in Bellingham. The program is for working Washingtonians of all ages. Come learn if you might be eligible for WA Cares Fund benefits, ask your questions, and/or share feedback about the program.
Registration in advance is required. We’re looking forward to seeing you there! Contact Jill Stansbury, our Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, jill@bellinghamqueercollective.org for more information. |
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| Sept. Fun Fridays and Watch Parties |
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| Drop in and join us for some fun activities on Fun Fridays and other Watch Party dates during September! We invite you to also enjoy a bite to eat now that we can provide tasty treats from some of our favorite places around town like Cheba Hut, Leaf and Ladle, Fiamma Pizza and more. Friday, Sep. 11 - 6PM - Queer As Folk Watch Party (S2 E7-9) Friday, Sep. 18 - 6PM - Queer As Folk Watch Party (S2 E10-12) Friday, Sep. 25 - 6PM - Game Night! (Fishbowl) Saturday, Sep. 26 - 6PM - Queer As Folk Watch Party (S2 E13-15)
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| Free & Queer-Friendly: Woodworking Workshop at the RE StoreSep. 11th | 3-6 PM @ The RE Store (2309 Meridian St) |
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| Blake Hansen and Cee Cusack, owners and operators of Haska Projects and members of the LGBTQ+ community, are excited to teach you how to use basic carpentry tools properly and safely to build a plant stand out of salvaged lumber.
This workshop is a safe space to be yourself. You’ll be introduced to hand tools, power tools and elementary woodworking skills that can serve as a base for you to build off of. Blake and Cee will patiently guide you through the steps to build a plant stand out of salvaged materials, all the while building the confidence (and audacity) to take on more DIY projects!
Topics Covered: Measuring and marking accurately Using power tools: drills and drivers, circular saws Sanding: grit and grain (what you need to know) Levels, squares and hand saws
Who is this for? This workshop is for woodworking novices ages 18 and older. |
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| Join No Hate in WA State’s Bellingham Coalition Party & Fall Kickoff!Sep. 15, 6:00 PM @ The Blue Room (202 E Holly St #301) |
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| Live music, drag, community, and a whole lot of joy. Join No Hate in Washington State and our community partner Community First Whatcom for a big community celebration featuring live performances from two local bands and three drag performers, refreshments, activities, and a chance to meet the people and organizations coming together across Whatcom County.
As we head into the final stretch before November, we’re bringing volunteers, local organizations, supporters, and community members together to celebrate what we’ve built and kick off the next phase of our fall organizing. Whether you’ve been involved for months or are just learning about these campaigns, you’re invited. Meet the coalition, connect with people doing the work across Whatcom County, learn how you can get involved this fall, or simply come enjoy the performances and celebrate with your community.
This event is for all ages, and everyone is welcome! |
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| More September 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:
Save the Date for these October Community Events! |
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| | | Meet our 2026 Sponsors and 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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