afro-brazilian lgbtq+ youths find community at batekoo

Brazil is the host of one of the hottest LGBTQ+ nightlife events in the world: BATEKOO. A youth-centric party life experience for gay, queer, and trans youngsters to dance to some of the hottest local music. The party got its start in Salvador, Brazil where more than 80 percent of the residents are Black, 40 percent of which live in ghettos. Here, queer-phobia is a part of everyday life. Every 19 hours, a member of Brazil’s LGBTQ+ is murdered making Brazil one of the most dangerous countries in the world for LGBTQ+ people.

A one-of-a-kind event and platform for these marginalized groups, BATEKOO is a place to celebrate their drip and embrace everything that makes them unique and fieeerce, despite being from communities that might not respect and cherish them. At BATEKOO lies a uniquely Afro-Brazilian fusion of culture, dance, music rolled into a safe space created through acceptance, empowerment, and respect. It’s off the charts, if we do say so ourselves.