When artist and poet Ayanna Tibbs was a teenager, she remembers going to The Ten Bar, a women-owned gay club near the Harrison Center. The club closed in 2014.
“The Ten was that girl … iconic. Every person of color … all LGBTQ+,” she said. “You do The Ten and then the ballroom scene.”
Since the bar’s closing, Tibbs, 36, — who identifies as LGBTQ+ — has felt the absence of a space for diverse queer women in the city. A space that culturally aligns with her and other Black women, where consent is a priority, and where there’s music to enjoy.
In July, she attended Les Go Outside’s Soft Launch mixer at Untitled… in Fountain Square. Her favorite part of the event were the ice breaker comment cards.
“I’m happy it’s happening … just to have a place where we feel like we belong,” Tibbs said.
Tibbs is not alone. Indianapolis is seeing a surge of social clubs designed for Black women, dedicated to centering belonging, friendship and wellness.
Follow these clubs to stay in the loop of upcoming events.
Les Go Outside
Precious Jewel and Tierra Radford said there aren’t a lot of queer spaces and events that are not catered to white queer men.
“The Black lesbian community is so underserved in Indianapolis. There aren’t spaces made specifically for us,” Jewel said. “The overlap of being Black, a woman and queer is a unique experience so it deserves a unique space.”
Jewel and Radford, who are also in a relationship, started Les Go Outside, a social club designed for Black women across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The content creators said they’re building a community where you won’t have to tone down your Blackness or sexuality.
On July 12, their first event, Les Go Outside the Soft Launch mixer, was sold out.
But they are just getting started. They plan to host movie nights, couples and singles mixers, dinner parties and markets in the future. Their next event, Pretty Please, is Sept. 27 at 10 East Arts Hub. Tickets will go on sale soon.
Indy Black Lesbian Journal Club
The Indy Black Lesbian Journal Club was founded by artist and writer TK Ellison. She admired the clubs that exist in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia, and wanted to bring it to Indianapolis.
Ellison said journaling is sacred and often done in your bedroom. Ellison hopes the club helps others feel compelled to share and reflect on their writing over snacks and drinks. But there’s no pressure to share.
“I grew up journaling. It’s something I want to be able to do around people that look like me and have the same experiences,” she said.
The club launched in July with its first event at Re:Public. Their next event is 1-3 p.m. Sept. 13 at Ujamaa Community Bookstore.
As Indy Black Lesbian Journal Club stands today, it is focused around Black lesbians but plans to expand to the entire queer community if needed.
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Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
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