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Creating Community For Black And Brown Queer Folks In LA — At Home And On The Dance Floor
Matthew Brinkley, at center with an orange beret, and his fiancée and best friend co-host Sissy Stroll, a night where they invite BIPOC folks to party and connect in WeHo at popular bars. They’re pictured here at Revolver.
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Matthew Brinkley
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Topline:
Every month, How To LA host Brian De Los Santos and Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido share what’s happening around Los Angeles for the segment “Social Calendar.”
Why it matters (to L.A.): Brian and Antonia speak with Matthew Brinkley, a licensed psychotherapist and a relationship and queer life coach in L.A. He also co-hosts the web show Sissy That Psyche, where he and his co-hosts talk about the latest RuPaul’s Drag Race tea and deconstruct the awkward moments and fights through a mental health lens. As part of his work, Brinkley hosts regular events, like the Sissy Stroll, throughout L.A. to help connect Black and brown people in the queer community. In the How to LA episode, Brinkley talked about why he feels the need to carve out this space for folks. He said, unlike other big cities, it’s hard to find specifically Black queer events in L.A.
“We're bringing the essence of community from the East Coast to the West Coast, in how we are building this community for Black queer folks, Black and Brown queer folks, honestly, BIPOC folks,” Brinkley said. “We are just really wanting everyone to be in our spaces.”
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His social calendar pick: Naturally, his own event, the Sissy Stroll is on the top of his list. It’s a night of bar hopping at popular WeHo bars and clubs. “It’s so much fun and it's really about building community,” Brinkley said. “We want folks to go away meeting someone new, exchange that Instagram, get that contact because we want this to continue growing.”
Favorite Matthew Brinkley quote: “The term sissy is, we're trying to recoin that because, it's very controversial," Brinkley said. “You can use your feminine energy to be the most powerful being in the world. I love the fact that I can show up as my authentic self and have fun and be vibrant, flamboyant, and just make people feel comfortable.”
Brinkley's other events:
- Feb. 8: The Lovers Ball, a party in downtown L.A. with house, vogue and Afro house beats. Event listing says to “bring out your sexiest red looks.”
- Feb. 10: SXTPS Reboot, a party that’s meant for “Black and Brown kids of the underground”
- Sissy With An S: A house party that he and his friends throw and invite people in the community and build space and hold space for them to be themselves and make friends. (Check Brinkley’s Insta for more details.)
Listen to the episode: Listen to the latest How To LA podcast episode to learn about what events Brian and Antonia are checking out this month.
Listen
20:41
Social Calendar: Sissy That Nightlife
How to find Matthew Brinkley online:
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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