Who We Are & Our Origin Story
QommuniT (or QT’s for short — because queer and trans people are cuties) is a love project created by Daniel-José Cyan to create spaces and events that are sober-friendly and centers trans and queer communities.
Why "sober-friendly"?
QT's aims to be intentional with the wording we use. At its core, QommuniT aims to create third-spaces that are substance-free. There is a big and rich history of queer nightlife that stems from our community's legal history and creating spaces for ourselves where we could be ourselves. The culture can feel ostracizing for folks who do not engage in substance use or who use in limited fashion, and QommuniT hopes to make more spaces that push back against the narrative. The use of the words "sober-friendly" as opposed to saying "sober" is because there might be limited options in venues we can use and if we partner with bars, we will aim to ensure that the space feels comfortable for folks who do not wish to use substances. The founder, Daniel-José, is openly alcohol-free (and uses THC and mushrooms in his personal life), but understands the importance of finding space and community that doesn't revolve around alcohol.
"Ethereal": the origin/the first unofficial event
The event that inspired QommuniT was an art show called “Ethereal” - a project that Daniel-José fundraised, produced, and sold art at.
“Ethereal: An Art Show” was created to center the artistic voices of folks living in the intersections of being BIPOC, trans/gender-expansive, and immigrants/first-generation.
QommuniT was a seedling idea in 2024 with no name, but Ethereal was the first unofficial event.