Nia…The Gathering 

For 30 years black same gender loving women have had a safe place to come together. The holidays can be a difficult period for queer folk. 30 years ago this was even more so.

The Nia Gathering was traditionally held the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday.  Many of us were not able to celebrate the holidays being fully ourselves. Maybe we couldn’t bring our partners home, maybe we had to endure questions about when we would find a good man. Some of us had been rejected by our families and had no place to go.

While, for many, this is no longer the case, the Nia Gathering continues to provide a safe, loving, affirming and sacred space for us to celebrate all of who we are:

Black

Aging

Young

Differently Abled

Dancers

Drummers

Artists 

Activists 

Writers

Single 

Married 

Newly Out

Old School 

Lesbians!

At the idyllic setting of Walker Creek Ranch in Petaluma, California we come together for workshops, speakers, shopping, ceremony, nature walks, delicious meals, and lots of hugs. 

This year Nia faced a crisis. There was a very real possibility that this would be our last Nia. We met, stratigized, formed committes and donated. I am so happy to share that the Nia Gathering will happen again in 2017. If you are a Black Lesbian I hope to see you there.  If you are not, I sincerely hope that you find a space where you can be all of who you fabulously are!

For more information about the Nia Gathering please visit http://www.niacollective.org