BLAQ Equity Baltimore is a nonprofit organization with just seven volunteers that provides social programs and community events for the city’s Black LGBTQ community.
Founded in 2002, this independent nonprofit organization hosts a wide range of events, including movie screenings, gala parties, and community service meetings. Additionally, the group holds monthly town hall meetings for community members to connect with each other and express their ideas directly to BLAQ Equity leadership.
The four community leaders who founded BLAQ Equity sought to create a Black-centered space within the predominantly white-led LGBTQ movement of the early 2000s. In 2025, the organization will now host a variety of BLAQ Pride events throughout October, in line with its annual event calendar.
Christopher Henderson West and Cody Lopez became co-executive directors of BLAQ Equity in January.
Henderson-West first became involved in May 2024 with the goal of connecting with Baltimore’s Black LGBTQ community after moving there following a political career in Washington. Currently, Mr. Henderson-West focuses on the day-to-day operations of BLAQ Equity, including program coordination, fundraising, partnerships, branding and marketing. He works alongside Lopez and five other directors.
“A lot of times when you look at our social structures and things like that, Black queer people tend to be at the bottom,” Henderson-West said. “As has been historically proven, [when we] When you solve things at their root, things tend to get better for everyone. And that’s what we’re trying to do. ”
Henderson-West said there are an average of about 15 community attendees at City Hall and 70 to 100 attendees at monthly Pride parties. He points out that very few people who attend town halls “really repeat themselves.”
“Usually it’s fresh faces, and that also means fresh dialogue and fresh voices,” Henderson-West said.
One of BLAQ Equity’s latest changes includes a new partnership with FreeState Justice that began on October 1st.
FreeState Justice is Maryland’s only statewide LGBTQ legal advocacy organization, providing free legal services, education, and support programs.
The partnership will allow BLAQ Equity to share office space with FreeState Justice. Given its proximity, members of the BLAQ Equity community can expect easier access to legal resources and collaborative programs, according to Henderson-West.
BLAQ Equity previously had a “one-time” partnership with FreeState Justice, but the formal partnership was finalized in July.
“I think it’s surprising, at least to me, that so many in the Black LGBTQ community feel that the resources that were available to them through FreeState may not have been available to them,” Henderson-West said. “I think FreeState’s main customer base is primarily white queer people, so in that sense it might feel weird or uncomfortable to show up as a Black person in that space, or it might feel like the organization is catering to Black queer people.”
FreeState Justice has similar partnerships with other organizations, allowing for closer communication between BLAQ Equity and organizations with similar affiliations.
The community’s response has been “very positive,” Henderson-West said.
“BLAQ Equity Baltimore’s work is rooted in the same values that guide us: dignity, self-determination, and leaving no one behind. Together, we are invested in the collective liberation of all Black individuals in Maryland,” said Free State Justice Executive Director Philip Westley.
Henderson-West said that “organizational stabilization” is BLAQ Equity’s main goal, although it maintains a long-term goal of solidifying a permanent community space that allows multiple organizations to work in parallel.
“I think our focus is … to make sure that we’re not just community in title and name, but actually community-driven,” Henderson-West said.
Henderson-West cites the importance of community support in empowering BLAQ Equity, especially considering the nonprofit entered 2025 with “little money.”
“We don’t get any foundation funding or ongoing grants or anything like that. This is very much a product of the community,” Henderson-West said.
As we continue to facilitate community gatherings, encourage community feedback, and leverage the FreeState Justice partnership, Henderson-West’s wish for the community is simple: It’s about “coming out.”
“This shows that if you allow people to help, say you need help, and take people along with you on your journey, they will support you through your journey,” Henderson-West said.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
