What and Who is BYOQ?

Mission: Bring Your Own Queer (BYOQ) is a San Francisco-based community arts organization that fosters greater understanding between disparate segments of the LGBTQ community and our allies by hosting free and low-cost community events that promote accessibility, diversity and inclusion.

Programs: Founded in 2008 out of a need to bring queer communities together, BYOQ has hosted 5 free daylong festivals at the Bandshell in Golden Gate Park attracting over 2,500 people. Under the guidance of founder Rebeka Rodriguez, BYOQ featured over 150 queer artists like DJs John Cameron Mitchell, Bus Station John, Hard French, Honey Soundsystem, and Ships in the Night; performers Xandra Ibarra, Ali Liebegott, Lil Miss Hot Mess, Dulce de Leche, Body Waves, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Double Duchess, Adonisaurus and Queen Crescent; and visual artists like Caitlin Sweet, Katie Gilmartin, Lex NonScripta and Chrytal Powell.

Director Kevin Seaman is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural worker with 10 years of experience in the Bay Area arts community. He has previously worked with The San Francisco Foundation and the Queer Cultural Center as well as consulting for a variety of arts organizations.

Founder Rebeka Rodriguez is an artist, curator, and cultural producer working in San Francisco communities. She is currently the Civic Engagement Manager at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts where she designs and implements creative programming responsive to the social, historical and geographic contexts in which she works. She is the founder of BYOQ, a daytime music, art & performance festival featuring Queer Bay Area music, art, fashion and performance; she is the Director for AIR-SF, a nonprofit project committed to producing relevant public art projects and expanding civic participation, and is currently a guest lecturer at Stanford University.

2017 Festival Coordinators:
Devon Devine – Volunteer Coordinator
Anand Jay Kalra – Hospitality Coordinator
Meg “Profundity” Murray – Community Coordinator
Donna Duran – Security Coordinator
Danyol Leon – Sound Coordinator
Sarah Guerra – Stage Manager
Jess Horn – Green Coordinator

Organizational funding in part by Creative Capacity.