That place is stained with memories of you and I love it, but it hurts. I  sit here at a bar in the middle of the night across from the coffee shop by  the train tracks with friends, their conversation starting to pull me back.

The LGBTQ Center Long Beach has recently become a sponsor for The Filmmakers Club. The Queer 26 established this program to help up-and-coming artists gain experience in the filmmaking industry. 

“Art comes in many different forms and shapes. Art can help all of us to deal with the difficulties in our lives,” said Carlos Torres, The Center’s Executive Director. 

For anyone seeking unflinching authentic stories, Muhyi Ali is the one to watch. Most known for her award-winning film Undefined: A Muslim-American Musical, Ali brings a refreshing perspective on the overlooked stories of those in POC spaces. She has taken the time today to tell us more about herself and her upcoming project Always in Bloom: Amara. 

Her stitches look like letters on her mouth, and I wonder if it hurts to talk about the versions of ourselves we left in our mothers’ photo albums. I think I liked her more before the gold teeth and the fade, before we both came out and had to start fighting about the girls I’m dating who aren’t her.

I’ve gotten a lot of flak about being a queer woman with two moms. Although it was never said out loud, my parents told me that people were okay with their queer identities, but the second they mentioned having kids, friends, and family had negative opinions.

Many new Queer people of color (QPOC) graduates and creatives exiting academia hoping to start new projects and give their talents back to the world, face many added disadvantages on their journey due to systemic racism and discrimination and ultimately leave with greater debt. Q26 wants to help alleviate this inequality by raising funds for scholarships. Meet one of our six QPOC recipients: Vanessa Andrade.

Many new Queer people of color (QPOC) graduates and creatives exiting academia hoping to start new projects and give their talents back to the world, face many added disadvantages on their journey due to systemic racism and discrimination and ultimately leave with greater debt. Q26 wants to help alleviate this inequality by raising funds for scholarships. Meet one of our six QPOC recipients: Joy Emmanuela Arit Etukudo.

Many new Queer people of color (QPOC) graduates and creatives exiting academia hoping to start new projects and give their talents back to the world, face many added disadvantages on their journey due to systemic racism and discrimination and ultimately leave with greater debt. Q26 wants to help alleviate this inequality by raising funds for scholarships. Meet one of our six QPOC recipients: Christine Alcanar.