Black Leatherdyke Pop-Up Social

Wednesday, Sep 23

7:00pm

Hosted by

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Join The Exiles, Black Queer Dom Society (BQDS), and B.Tourmaline for a special Folsom Week gathering celebrating Black Leatherdyke visibility, representation, and community at the Women of the Black Panther Mural & Museum. An Evening of Community, Black Women Representation, and Leather to kick off Folsom Week This intimate evening invites attendees to explore the intersections of Black liberation, leather culture, and queer community through conversation, photographs, archival materials, and collective memory. Throughout the museum, guests will encounter a community-curated pop-up display of Black Leatherdyke photographs, digital images, and magazines presented alongside the extraordinary Women of the Black Panther exhibition. While this display represents only a small glimpse into Black Leatherdyke experiences, it reflects an ongoing effort to uncover, preserve, and share histories that have too often been overlooked or underrepresented in traditional archives. Whether you've been part of the community for decades or are discovering these stories for the first time, we invite you to spend the evening connecting with elders, community members, historians, and friends. Additional Details - including an optional tour Optional Guided Walking Tour Wednesday, September 23 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Open to everyone. No registration or Pop-Up Social ticket is required to join the tour. Before the social begins, join museum founder and curator Jilchristina Vest for a guided outdoor walking tour exploring the Women of the Black Panther Project. Beginning at the Dr. Huey P. Newton Sculpture (Mandela Parkway & 9th Street), the tour explores the history, artwork, and neighborhood before concluding at the museum. There is no attendance limit for the tour. To join the tour: Venmo Jilchristina directly and include “Exiles Tour” in the payment memo. No separate registration is required. Cost: Sliding Scale $20–$40 (Payment made directly to Jil Christina via Venmo @ West Oakland Mural Project Non Profit) https://account.venmo.com/u/WestOaklandMuralProject https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/westoakmuralproject Black Leatherdyke Pop-Up Social Wednesday, September 23 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Women of the Black Panther Mural & Museum 831 Center Street, Oakland, CA 94607 Advance tickets required through Forbidden Tickets. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided. Visit the BQD Pop-Up Shop Be sure to stop by the Black Queer Dom (BQD) Pop-Up Shop, featuring a variety of wellness products. Your purchases directly support BQDS's educational programming, cultural preservation, and community-building initiatives. Who Is This Event For? This event welcomes Black Queer Dom Society (BQDS), B.Tourmaline, and Exiles members. While the evening centers Black Leatherdyke history and Black queer experiences, everyone is welcome to attend in a spirit of respect, curiosity, and community. Still Want To Join Us? If neither ticket category applies to you, please add your name to the waiting list. The week of the event, we’ll open any remaining spaces to our waiting list. About Black Queer Dom Society Black Queer Dom Society (BQDS) is a community organization dedicated to uplifting Black queer Dominants through education, leadership development, cultural preservation, and community building. BQDS creates spaces where Black leather history, power exchange, and ancestral knowledge are honored while fostering the next generation of Black kink leaders. https://www.blackqueerdom.com/ About B. Tourmaline B. Tourmaline is a community created for and by Black queer and trans kinky people, cultivating spaces for connection, play, celebration, and collective belonging. Through gatherings, play parties, educational experiences, and community takeovers, B. Tourmaline brings Black QT kinksters together while building greater visibility and connection within the broader leather and kink community. https://www.instagram.com/b.tourmaline_/ About The Exiles Founded in 1997, The Exiles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and advancing leather education, history, mentorship, and community. Rooted in the legacy of Samois and Outcasts, The Exiles creates educational programming, social events, and community spaces centered on women, nonbinary, and transgender leather, BDSM, and kink communities. https://theexiles.org/ About the West Oakland Mural Project The West Oakland Mural Project is a community-led mural, museum, and educational initiative honoring the women of the Black Panther Party. Home to the world's first public art installation dedicated exclusively to the Women of the Black Panther Party, the project preserves and celebrates their enduring legacy through art, storytelling, education, and community engagement. https://www.westoaklandmuralproject.org/ About the GLBT Historical Society The GLBT Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of LGBTQ+ communities through archives, exhibitions, and public programming. As one of the world's leading LGBTQ+ archives, the Society safeguards photographs, oral histories, publications, organizational records, and personal collections that ensure our communities' stories remain accessible for future generations. https://www.glbthistory.org/ Explore the Full Festival These events are part of Unapologetically Black: Folsom 2026, a collaborative celebration organized by Black Queer Dom Society (BQDS) and produced in partnership with organizations and community leaders throughout Folsom Week. From educational panels to social gatherings, play parties and community events, Black Folsom highlights the richness, resilience, and creativity of Black queer leather communities. Visit Bennett’s Website for the full schedule. https://www.bolt-cutters.com/black-folsom