Trans and gender-expansive people are leaders, full stop. They may not always hold formal leadership titles or positions, but they’re the ones building the resources and supports they need to exist and thrive. They’re the ones mentoring and coaching one another, formally and informally. And they’re the ones often pushing for change in their workplaces, communities, and personal lives. 

They are leaders, yet too often, their leadership isn’t recognized or encouraged by cisgender-dominated institutions and systems. So, if nobody else is going to invest in trans leaders, they’ll need to do what they’ve always done as a community: come together to lift each other up.

If Not Us, Who? Building the Next Generation of Trans Leadership is is a half-day conference created by and for trans and gender-expansive people to explore how their lived experiences shape the ways they lead, the communities they cultivate, and the care they offer along the way. Through speakers, interactive workshops, community partner resources, and opportunities for networking and connection, participants will reflect on their own leadership journeys while learning alongside trans and gender-expansive peers from across Greater Boston.

Participants will leave with an expanded network, deeper insight into their personal leadership approach, and resources to support what comes next. Wherever you are in your leadership journey – organizing your community, navigating change in your workplace, or still learning to recognize the leader within yourself – this gathering is an invitation to connect, learn, and imagine what we can build together.

Coffee and lunch will be provided. 

T‍QNC is proud to be a community partner for the upcoming Intersex Awareness Day Documentary Screening at BPL Roslindale with MRKH Intersex Organization.

This compelling film shares the incredibly personal journeys of three intersex individuals who have transformed childhoods shadowed by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries into vibrant, thriving adulthoods. Following the screening, we invite you to participate in a discussion led by Esther Leidolf, founder of the Jamaica Plain MRKH Organization and intersex activist. Esther will delve deeper into the themes of the film and share insights from their book, "Not Uncommon, Just Unheard Of."

Schedule of Events:

• 1pm-1:20pm- Community Connection & Networking

• 1:30-3:00pm Documentary Screening of "Every Body."

• 3:15-4pm Discussion & Resource sharing

Don't miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding, engage in meaningful dialogue, and show your support for the intersex community.

About the Facilitator:

Esther Leidolf is a semi-retired carpenter and medical sociologist with a background in public health data management. Their essays have been published internationally, and Esther has appeared in a number of documentaries, including the award-winning Intersexion. Esther currently works as a consultant on federal and local levels, hoping to make their experience and community less “unheard of.”

Just like Boston runs on Dunkin', our small grassroots organization runs on queer human power!

We are seeking more volunteers to support our mission and vision through various capacities. WE WANT YOU! We have opportunities for you to show up behind the scenes in our organizational process and also on the ground at our events engayging other queer folks.

So we're launching our Volunteer Mixer and Info Session, with virtual and in-person options!

• Part I: (in-person) Mixer & Info Session: Thursday October 22 6:30pm -7:30pm

• Part II: (virtual) Info Session Only: Monday November 2 6pm - 7pm

Get to know more about TQNC while, mixing and mingling with other queer people like you!

🌈 Open Streets Roslindale is back, and TQNC will be there to host a dedicated community resource table and meetup hub at this event!

📍Come find us, connect with neighbors, and enjoy the day! 🏳️‍⚧️

Open Streets Boston is a collection of vehicular-free, family friendly events offering programming across a wide spectrum of interests—from wellness activities and performance art to artisanal crafts and “kids zones” (and much more!) During these events, the City of Boston will close major thoroughfares to motor traffic, instead opening the roadways up for pedestrian use that will include walking, rolling, biking and other modalities. Special programming and activities, including a fantastic community marketplace and musical entertainment, will be featured throughout the day from 10:30am - 3:00pm.

TQNC is a grassroots nonprofit fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health. Find us on Instagram & Bluesky @tqncboston or TQNC.org.

TWO AVAILABLE DATES: Join us IN-PERSON -OR- VIRTUAL

• Virtual session will be Thursday October 8th from 6- 7:30 pm.

• In-person Session October 15th 12:30 Lunch Circle starts 1:00pm- 3:30pm space to be determined. 

LGBTQ+ organizational leaders will actively engage in circle discussions to confront pressing challenges and collaboratively develop effective strategies that ensure sustained health and wellness within our organizations. Leaders will learn about radical foundations that support smaller organizations and activists in maintaining their impact within communities.

Circle Structure:

• Participants sit in a circle signifies continuous self care and the evolving nature of collective healing

• We use a Talking Piece: An object (like a stone, feather or Crystal) is passed around, allowing only the person holding it to speak, ensuring everyone has a chance to share without interruption.

• Active Listening: We ask you to remain present during as participants are sharing.

• Confidentiality: What's shared here stays here, be a vault.

• Shared Responsibility: We encourage you to support each other and contribute to the collective healing process.

• Focus on Connection and Belonging: We aim to build strong relationships and foster community. 

Community Altar:

We will have a community altar as a part of this community session. Community altars serve as a space for remembrance, collective grieving, and healing. You are welcome to bring an item to add to the altar. 

TWO AVAILABLE DATES: Join us IN-PERSON -OR- VIRTUAL

• Virtual session will be Thursday October 8th from 6- 7:30 pm.

• In-person Session October 15th 12:30 Lunch Circle starts 1:00pm- 3:30pm space to be determined. 

LGBTQ+ organizational leaders will actively engage in circle discussions to confront pressing challenges and collaboratively develop effective strategies that ensure sustained health and wellness within our organizations. Leaders will learn about radical foundations that support smaller organizations and activists in maintaining their impact within communities.

Circle Structure:

• Participants sit in a circle signifies continuous self care and the evolving nature of collective healing

• We use a Talking Piece: An object (like a stone, feather or Crystal) is passed around, allowing only the person holding it to speak, ensuring everyone has a chance to share without interruption.

• Active Listening: We ask you to remain present during as participants are sharing.

• Confidentiality: What's shared here stays here, be a vault.

• Shared Responsibility: We encourage you to support each other and contribute to the collective healing process.

• Focus on Connection and Belonging: We aim to build strong relationships and foster community. 

Community Altar:

We will have a community altar as a part of this community session. Community altars serve as a space for remembrance, collective grieving, and healing. You are welcome to bring an item to add to the altar. 

🌈 Open Streets Mattapan is back, and TQNC will be there to host a dedicated community resource table and meetup hub at this event!

📍Come find us, connect with neighbors, and enjoy the day! 🏳️‍⚧️

Open Streets Boston is a collection of vehicular-free, family friendly events offering programming across a wide spectrum of interests—from wellness activities and performance art to artisanal crafts and “kids zones” (and much more!) During these events, the City of Boston will close major thoroughfares to motor traffic, instead opening the roadways up for pedestrian use that will include walking, rolling, biking and other modalities. Special programming and activities, including a fantastic community marketplace and musical entertainment, will be featured throughout the day from 10:30am - 3:00pm.

TQNC is a grassroots nonprofit fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health. Find us on Instagram & Bluesky @tqncboston or TQNC.org.

Carrying the weight of current politics while raising a family can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to navigate it alone.

Join us for Community Circle Up, an intergenerational healing circle for trans, queer, and LGBTQIA+ parents and caregivers.

Through solidarity and understanding, we can transform shared experiences into inspiring insights, fostering resilience and collective strength.

Let's unite to challenge the forces trying to erase us and create a future rooted in support, reflection, and empowerment.

TWO AVAILABLE DATES: Join us IN-PERSON -OR- VIRTUAL

• Virtual session will be Thursday September 10th from 6- 7:30 pm.

• In-person Session September 17th 12:30 Lunch Circle starts 1:00pm- 3:30pm space to be determined. 

LGBTQ+ organizational leaders will actively engage in circle discussions to confront pressing challenges and collaboratively develop effective strategies that ensure sustained health and wellness within our organizations. Leaders will learn about radical foundations that support smaller organizations and activists in maintaining their impact within communities.

Circle Structure:

• Participants sit in a circle signifies continuous self care and the evolving nature of collective healing

• We use a Talking Piece: An object (like a stone, feather or Crystal) is passed around, allowing only the person holding it to speak, ensuring everyone has a chance to share without interruption.

• Active Listening: We ask you to remain present during as participants are sharing.

• Confidentiality: What's shared here stays here, be a vault.

• Shared Responsibility: We encourage you to support each other and contribute to the collective healing process.

• Focus on Connection and Belonging: We aim to build strong relationships and foster community. 

Community Altar:

We will have a community altar as a part of this community session. Community altars serve as a space for remembrance, collective grieving, and healing. You are welcome to bring an item to add to the altar. 

🌈 Open Streets Mattapan is back, and TQNC will be there to host a dedicated community resource table and meetup hub at this event!

📍Come find us, connect with neighbors, and enjoy the day! 🏳️‍⚧️

Open Streets Boston is a collection of vehicular-free, family friendly events offering programming across a wide spectrum of interests—from wellness activities and performance art to artisanal crafts and “kids zones” (and much more!) During these events, the City of Boston will close major thoroughfares to motor traffic, instead opening the roadways up for pedestrian use that will include walking, rolling, biking and other modalities. Special programming and activities, including a fantastic community marketplace and musical entertainment, will be featured throughout the day from 10:30am - 3:00pm.

TQNC is a grassroots nonprofit fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health. Find us on Instagram & Bluesky @tqncboston or TQNC.org.

Beyond Survival: Building a Boston Where Trans and Gender-Expansive People Thrive
A Kuumba Conversation on Solidarity, Power, and Collective Action

As attacks on trans and gender-expansive communities intensify nationally and locally, Greater Boston faces an important question: what would it truly take to build a city where trans and gender-expansive people — especially Black, Brown, immigrant, and low-income community members — are not simply surviving, but thriving?

This installment of Kuumba Conversations, convened in partnership with Representative Samantha Montaño, will bring together community leaders, organizers, advocates, care providers, and elected officials for a roundtable discussion centered on collective vision and action. During this conversation, we’ll explore such questions as:

• What does a Boston where trans and gender-expansive people can thrive look like?

• How can we all – grassroots organizers, institutional leaders, funders, care providers, and legislators – work together to make progress towards this future?

• Across sectors, roles, and systems, what does solidarity look like, and how can we practice it with each other? How can we build trust, collaboration, and shared strategy?

Grounded in the spirit of Kuumba — creativity, collective responsibility, and community-building — the conversation aims to foster deeper connection, alignment, and sustained collective action across movements, sectors, and organizations. The event is envisioned as a participatory experience that centers dialogue and engagement over a traditional panel format, with opportunities for attendees to contribute ideas, identify priorities, and shape future collaborative efforts.

Audience members will include organizers, LGBTQ+ advocates, healthcare leaders, youth-serving organizations, philanthropic partners, elected officials, and community members committed to advancing equity and liberation for trans and gender-expansive communities across Greater Boston. 

Funding for this event generously provided by the Equality Fund at the Boston Foundation.

Facilitated by Representative Sam Montaño (she/they) and YW Boston’s President & CEO Aba Taylor, this event will bring together a small group of Boston-area trans community leaders for a facilitated conversation focused on working together, across sectors and roles, to create a more liberatory Boston for the trans community. The panel will include:

• Lakia Doncheva (she/her), Executive Director, Trans Emergency Fund

• Dallas Ducar (she/her), Chief Strategy Officer, Fenway Health

• Finn Gardiner (he/they), Director of Advocacy and Organizing, Mass Trans Political Coalition

• Jullieanne Doherty Lee (she/they), Executive Director, Boston Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement

• Nicholas McCaskill (he/they), Interim President, Trans Resistance MA

• Grace Sterling Stowell (she/they), Executive Director, BAGLY

Join us for an intimate conversation with Forbes 30 Under 30 founder Tiana Tukes as we explore what it means to build organizations, navigate leadership, and create impact. Together, we'll discuss the realities of entrepreneurship beyond the headlines, from overcoming structural barriers to understanding personal journeys.

Entrepreneurship is often portrayed as a story of individual success. In reality, who gets access to opportunity, capital, mentorship, and visibility is deeply shaped by systems of race, gender, class, disability, immigration status, and other intersecting identities.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, student, creative, or simply curious about creating meaningful change, this conversation will offer practical insights alongside honest reflections on leadership and purpose.

Where? in person! Rose Kennedy Greenway, Parcel 8, 2024 Freedom Trail, Boston, MA 02113
When? Wednesday, August 12 from 6-8PM

What are we reading? We’ll choose together! Books that support us in these times—whether that means radical resistance, queer joy, or both.

August Book of the Month: Communion by Bell Hooks

TQNC is a grassroots nonprofit fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health. Find us on Instagram & Bluesky @tqncboston or TQNC.org.

📣 Our goal is simple: to keep providing the queer spaces and programming our community relies on. To do that, we need to build together. These are open, drop-in sessions where everyone has something to contribute—you do not need a specific skillset or prior knowledge of fundraising to join. We learn and grow in community. 🌱

🌈 How You Can Help: These sessions are collaborative and action-oriented. We’ll be working together on:

💸 Crowdfunding: Creative ways to mobilize community support.

📄 Grants: Identifying opportunities to tell our story.

🔗 Prospecting: Brainstorming new relationships and bridges.

🤝 Sponsorship: Engaging with local businesses and partners.

💡 The Vision: We are meeting to build a structured development plan for the year. Our focus is on creating reliable funding, deeper community ties, and a clear, sustainable process for volunteers (including monthly check-ins!).

Note: This is a drop-in space! No long-term commitment is required—just bring your passion and your perspective.

Your contribution ensures TQNC remains a vital resource for our community. 🍀💚

🌈 Open Streets Jamaica Plain is back, and TQNC will be there to host a dedicated community resource table and meetup hub at this event!

📍Come find us, connect with neighbors, and enjoy the day! 🏳️‍⚧️

Open Streets Boston is a collection of vehicular-free, family friendly events offering programming across a wide spectrum of interests—from wellness activities and performance art to artisanal crafts and “kids zones” (and much more!) During these events, the City of Boston will close major thoroughfares to motor traffic, instead opening the roadways up for pedestrian use that will include walking, rolling, biking and other modalities. Special programming and activities, including a fantastic community marketplace and musical entertainment, will be featured throughout the day from 10:30am - 3:00pm.

TQNC is a grassroots nonprofit fostering queer joy, advocacy, and arts for Greater Boston’s LGBTQIA+ and ally community. TQNC hosts queer community events where we can safely exist as our whole selves, advocates for our queer community, and provides support services for queer community members facing threats to their basic physical and mental health. Find us on Instagram & Bluesky @tqncboston or TQNC.org.

SAVE THE DATE!

Join The People’s Coalition for an activism workshop designed to confront our historical roots and the utilization of economic and social justice liberation movements to justify American exploitation both at home and abroad.

For decades, queer activism has fought for rights within the U.S, but true liberation requires a global lens.

To truly support the most marginalized, we must move beyond identity-specific activism to challenge international power structures and address the footprint of domestic capitalism and build broader, intersectional coalitions across different liberation movements.

This session moves beyond "band-aid" solutions to tackle the root causes of injustice. We will examine the mechanics of domestic capitalism and how it functions today on the world stage.

Open to all—no prior organizing experience is needed. 

Let’s build a coalition that leaves no one behind.

Note: lunch will be provided

Calling all curious humans! 

Join TQNC for WTF is Gender? A Virtual Workshop Series to Learn, Explore– a 3-part virtual workshop series that digs into the big questions about identity, dysphoria, and unlearning societal norms.

Ever find yourself asking, "Wait, WTF is gender, actually?" This isn't a dry academic lecture—it’s an educational and engaging mini-series designed to kickstart conversations and provide food for thought.

Open to all! Whether you’re learning for yourself or for your work, these courses are designed to help you grow your knowledge and challenge assumptions in a supportive environment.

Facilitated by Whitney, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).

📣 Our goal is simple: to keep providing the queer spaces and programming our community relies on. To do that, we need to build together. These are open, drop-in sessions where everyone has something to contribute—you do not need a specific skillset or prior knowledge of fundraising to join. We learn and grow in community. 🌱

🌈 How You Can Help: These sessions are collaborative and action-oriented. We’ll be working together on:

💸 Crowdfunding: Creative ways to mobilize community support.

📄 Grants: Identifying opportunities to tell our story.

🔗 Prospecting: Brainstorming new relationships and bridges.

🤝 Sponsorship: Engaging with local businesses and partners.

💡 The Vision: We are meeting to build a structured development plan for the year. Our focus is on creating reliable funding, deeper community ties, and a clear, sustainable process for volunteers (including monthly check-ins!).

Note: This is a drop-in space! No long-term commitment is required—just bring your passion and your perspective.

Your contribution ensures TQNC remains a vital resource for our community. 🍀💚

Museum of Science Pride Celebration 2025

The Museum of Science is thrilled to host Pride Celebration 2026 — a special event highlighting the LGBTQ+ community's contributions, innovations, and leadership in science, the arts, and more. This day-long event invites guests of all ages to participate in learning activities and experiences that are lively and life-affirming.

Celebrate the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ communities in STEM and beyond during a full-day Pride celebration at the Museum on Saturday, June 28. 

The event will feature live performances, hands-on activities for all ages, inspiring guest speakers sharing stories of discovery and impact, and local partner organizations serving LGBTQ+ individuals across Greater Boston.

Join The People’s Coalition for an activism workshop designed to confront our historical roots and the utilization of economic and social justice liberation movements to justify American exploitation both at home and abroad.

For decades, queer activism has fought for rights within the U.S, but true liberation requires a global lens.

To truly support the most marginalized, we must move beyond identity-specific activism to challenge international power structures and address the footprint of domestic capitalism and build broader, intersectional coalitions across different liberation movements.

This session moves beyond "band-aid" solutions to tackle the root causes of injustice. We will examine the mechanics of domestic capitalism and how it functions today on the world stage.

Open to all—no prior organizing experience is needed. 

Let’s build a coalition that leaves no one behind.

Note: lunch will be provided

Calling all curious humans! 

Join TQNC for WTF is Gender? A Virtual Workshop Series to Learn, Explore– a 3-part virtual workshop series that digs into the big questions about identity, dysphoria, and unlearning societal norms.

Ever find yourself asking, "Wait, WTF is gender, actually?" This isn't a dry academic lecture—it’s an educational and engaging mini-series designed to kickstart conversations and provide food for thought.

Open to all! Whether you’re learning for yourself or for your work, these courses are designed to help you grow your knowledge and challenge assumptions in a supportive environment.

Facilitated by Whitney, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).

Join us for the full series, or simply pop in for the individual sessions that interest you most

Part I: Gender Dysphoria | May 19, 6-7pm

Part II: Exploring Gender | June 16, 6-7pm

Part III: Unlearning Gender Normativity | July 14, 6-7pm

How do we navigate a world that often demands we mask our true selves?

Join us for a community-led roundtable discussion dedicated to the Queer and Neurodivergent experience. Whether you’re Autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neuroqueer—and anywhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum—this space is for you.

We’ll be moving beyond the basics to discuss how our identities overlap, how we find "found family," and how we can build more accessible, inclusive spaces within the Boston community.

What to Expect:

Facilitated Dialogue: Guided by community leaders with lived experience.

Safe Space: A focus on sensory-friendly communication and "come as you are" energy.

fidget-friendly - dimmer lighting - no-pressure participation

Community Connection: An opportunity to meet others living at this specific intersection.

When: Saturday, June 13, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Where: Boston Public Library, Central Branch, Commonwealth Salon

Who: Open to all who identify at this intersection or wish to learn more in a supportive environment

Cost: Free to attend

Hosted by: Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE), TQNC, and Queerdos