A California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation

Building queer community through art, music & each other.

Something Queer Music and Arts Collective is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) public charity, founded in May 2021.

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The annual gathering

Something Queer 2027

May 14 – 17, 2027

Visit the gathering site →

About us

First gathering: August 2021 · about 150 people
Gatherings today: 300–350 people
Events each year: Annual gathering + 2–3 more
Attendance grants: 120+ given
Art grants funded: $40,000+ to queer artists
Status: 501(c)(3) public charity

Something Queer began in 2021, near the tail end of the COVID pandemic, when two friends set out to bring the queer community back together.

The goal was to create a space for uniqueness, art, community, and music — one that brings together all parts of our queer community in a shared and meaningful way.

Our first gathering, Re:Connection, took place in August 2021 at Saratoga Springs, with about 150 people. We've been going ever since. Our gatherings now typically welcome 300 to 350 people, and we host two or three more events each year, like dance party nights.

Along the way we've given more than 120 grants to help people attend our events and funded over $40,000 in art grants to queer artists. Working with other organizations in the area, we've made sure no queer person is turned away from our events, and that we keep supporting each other through community.

We are a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation, led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Our mission

To build queer community through education, art, music, culture, social support, self-expression, and civic engagement.

We do that through an annual retreat for members of the queer community, by creating opportunities to connect, by providing scholarships and other funding, and by sponsoring events and activities that promote community-building and mentorship.

We're committed to being fully transparent — our governing documents are public.

For queer artists

Queer Art Grant Program

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Learn more & apply

Board of Directors

An all-volunteer board manages the affairs of the organization.

Justin P. Boren, Ph.D.

Chief Magic Curator

Justin co-founded Something Queer. He's an activist, researcher, scholar, and music lover who believes queer community deserves spaces as unique as the people in it, and he curates the magic from the first spark of an idea to the last song of the night.
John Kinsella, CPA

Minister of Coin

By day, John is an accountant. At Something Queer, he keeps our finances balanced, transparent, and in excellent order, so every dollar goes where it matters most: community, art, and making sure no one is turned away.
Darrell Nguyen, J.D.

Minister of the Fine Print

By day, Darrell is a high-powered litigation attorney. For Something Queer, he makes sure the magic stays perfectly legal, reading the contracts, bylaws, and footnotes so the rest of us can get back to dancing.
Violet Victoria Peterson

Wise Sage & Keeper of the Tea

Violet is a community activist who brings perspective, heart, and a steady hand to every board conversation. Violet also keeps the tea well steeped, in every sense of the word.
Rebekah Waites

Minister of Creativity and Art

Rebekah is an artist and art gallery curator who champions the artists at the heart of Something Queer. If something at a gathering makes you stop and stare, Rebekah probably had a hand in it.
Ariel Vegosen

Minister of Glitter

Ariel is a community activist and co-founder of GenderBlender, Burning Man's first gender-expansive camp. Ariel makes sure there's always a little more sparkle in the room, because everyone deserves to shine, and glitter, like joy, is meant to be shared.