We recently connected with Michael Myers and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After coming back to the US from a 4-year journey abroad in 2020, I noticed it was difficult to find a space for Black, Queer people in New Orleans. I decided that if I couldn’t find that space, I would create it. The first BLACK&GAY Art Market was held in my home during the midst of a pandemic. Thus, BLACK&GAY was born on my porch. From there, it exploded – a testament to the power and need for these safe spaces.”

Reflecting on his journey, Michael notes how he always seems to find himself consistently in the right place, at the right time. “When you go with your heart, incredible things happen.” And leading with his heart is what he has continued to do.

“I decided to start my own business because I didn’t see what I know our community needs, which is authentic representation of Black and LGBTQIA+ artists and entrepreneurs on a large platform. I jump into life and opportunities because I feel there’s no point in holding back. You only live once, so you might as well do something BIG!”

Back in the states, Michael had grown frustrated by the lack of media coverage his community receives, in terms of diversity/breadth of topics of conversation. “If I want to find black and gay news that deals with our community, it’s very hard. My goal is to change the way that we are portrayed in the media. For you to see a black, gay person on TV in an authentic way, and not reduce them to common stereotypes. This is what I’m trying to change and I’m starting with my website.

Michael’s mission is to promote black LGBTQIA+ creatives and entrepreneurs. To offer a space to chat, connect, and collaborate that is their own. The platform aims to be a rainbow bringing love and light to every community it touches.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

 Around the end of 2016, he had settled into a decent paying job, but would soon take a life-changing leap of faith. “I met a man named Talisman when I was working as a pastry chef at Sucré in New Orleans.” Talisman was visiting from London and staying in New Orleans for only a month. They serendipitously met and fell in love – one week before he was set to return home. Determined to meet again, what started as a joke to reunite in some exotic place, became a reality: Keeping in touch over FaceTime, they made plans for a whirlwind trip to India.

His only hesitancy was the prospect of leaving his job. “My boss said to me, ‘How old are you?’ And I said 27. He said,’GO. Don’t miss your chance. If you don’t go, I’m going to fire you!’ So with that, I left!” In only a month, he quit his job, sold all his belongings, and was off on his first international trip. In a little wink from the Universe, he stumbled across some engrossing reading material which gave him a serious sense of deja vu: “One of the most amazing coincidences is that I discovered the book, The Alchemist, on that journey.” The beloved Paulo Coelho novel about finding oneself and following one’s heart and its famous line, “When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” echoed a powerful parallel.

Their adventure took them around India for a month, then spontaneously off to Sri Lanka for the next, as Talishman’s birthday wish was to attend one of their massive festivals. The odds of achieving this goal, however, seemed bleak, with no money or connections in the area. Despite this, they hopped a plane, and found themselves stranded in the airport without a plan. As luck would have it, his boyfriend met a woman at the airport who was not only going to the festival, but also happened to be friends with the person in charge of volunteers. “We ended up driving eight hours across the entire island of Sri Lanka to get to the festival.” Even then, their ticket inside was not guaranteed. Ultimately the couple’s efforts paid off, and they received volunteer positions manning a pizza shop, in a building that was shared with an additional business.

“So I’m working and I hear an American accent and I’m like, ‘What? Wait a minute – an American accent – in Sri Lanka?’ I see this blonde (classic-California-looking babe, who turns out to be from Ohio), who turned out to be a volunteer in the same building at a humanitarian organization. Compelled, as soon as the festival concluded, they decided to volunteer there.

“We all have so much potential, and some of us don’t truly understand our power. That’s what this is all about.”

The foundation, Stop Staring – Start Caring, was run by an all-volunteer staff. “This organization was set up to serve around 90 people with mental illnesses and disabilities. There was no hot water and barely any food. “The first day I was there, I couldn’t help at all because I couldn’t stop crying…due to what I saw. There was a kid whose parents had kept him in a box for thirteen years, and all he did was bang his head against the box. A very small baby that couldn’t eat because it was so sick. I could only volunteer there for two weeks, before we had to leave. This was the most life-changing experience I had throughout my travels. It taught me so many lessons about patience and understanding. How the Universe works in a way that, by letting things flow, it  will work things out for you when you operate with love.” Seeing how privileged we are as Americans truly changed my outlook on my own life, and made me realize that I (and so many other people) have everything we need to make the life we want and to find happiness.

Once he saw the other side of the world, traveling was all he could think about. “I realized, ‘I can do this! I can travel all by myself!’” So he looked up a volunteer organization someone had mentioned to him during his travels, called Worldpackers. “While I’d planned to travel for four months, I ended up going to different places volunteering for four years!”

In the end, he traveled to 18 countries, almost all of Europe, some of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

Adrian, a Howard alumni and Virginia native, and I met through Instagram in 2021. I was doing a live stream on the BLACK&GAY Instagram page, and Adrian watched. That day, he joined our Discord server and we became friends. After a few months, Adrian came to Portland for our Summer Solstice event and we met in person for the first time. We started dating soon after and eventually moved in together. Now we’re on a backpacking journey across Europe.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Personal communication is so important to our organization. Every like, every follow, every comment, is a chance for us to get to know a new community member.

A lot of Black LGBTQ+ folks are being disconnected from wellness, and a safe and restorative community. We’re trying to serve commonly under-served people by providing tender personalized care, and more mental health resources, as most of us lack a loving, supportive community. Because the change that we’re making happens on a personal level, it’s more of a one on one sense of connection with the community. We are changing people’s lives individually, and collectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: HTTPS://www.blackandgay.com
• Instagram: HTTPS://www.instagram.com/blackandgay1
• Facebook: HTTPS://www.facebook.com/blackandgay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackandgay/
• Twitter: HTTPS://www.Twitter.com/blkandgay
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCD2Q1lVrVg9Mm5mdUuRHC0g