Vaz - Founder and Director

" In April 2022  I started a Queer Craft Club at The Gregson. Initially it was just me sat on my own with my knitting, but week by week more people started to come along and the community began to grow! From this, I went on to set up Queer By Gum CIC in April 2023, a not-for-profit project that organises events and clubs for the local LGBTQ+ community.

 

I know from experience what it’s like to move to a new city as a young queer and struggle to find a community where you feel safe and seen. Fortunately, when I moved to Lancaster I slowly but surely found that community, but I know that I’ve been really lucky to. With the media’s anti-trans rhetoric making the UK an ever increasingly dangerous place and the rolling back of LGBTQ+ rights across the world - now, more than ever, we need safe spaces for us to simply be ourselves and to meet other like-minded people. The aim of Queer By Gum CIC is to organise events to help bring our community together on a regular basis, to be creative, have fun and to connect.

 

Queer By Gum wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the people in the community who’ve been so supportive and who’ve volunteered their time and energy over the last couple of years to help put on the events and clubs that we organise!"