Uniqorn Cafe a safe social space for LGBTQ people at CBU

Since November, Cape Breton University Art Gallery has been hosting a monthly open mic event for members of the LGBTQ community and their allies.

"It's nice to have these social situations where we can get together and chat," said Eli Quirk, a CBU student and the first performer at the inaugural Uniqorn Cafe.

"It's an all-ages event, so we've had really littles come in and we've had retired professors. So we've had a huge group of people."

Gallery curator Greg Davies said the concept originated in 2016 in Hamilton, where he worked at the Carnegie Gallery, and grew out of a meeting called to assess services for the people in the LGBTQ community.

"One thing that came out of that meeting was the need for safe social spaces within the city," he said. "There simply weren't enough. 

"So we launched the Uniqorn Coffee House at the Carnegie Gallery. It was a very small affair but it did provide this service which was much-needed and it was well-received."

Quirk said he's brought some of his own friends along to the Cape Breton Uniqorn Cafe.

"I got them up to perform with me," he said." So that was really nice. I felt like I could kind of be a mentor and, like, be someone who was there that was visible."

His instrument of choice is the ukelele, which he said is attached to an important memory.

"I listened to a song one time by, like, this 12-year-old girl who was on some sort of competition," he said. "She sang a song about 'I don't know my name.'

"As a trans-queer person who has been dealing with coming out and being myself here in Cape Breton and wanting to make my home here, going by a different name, I was really drawn to that."

That young performer played the ukelele.

Fantastic talent

Davies said aside from Quirk, lots of other talent has been showcased at the Uniqorn Cafe in the first three events.

"The performances, in general, have been really fantastic," he said. "We've seen some amazing talent coming out of this thing. It's a great event in terms of bringing people together and it's fun, but there is also talent coming out of this thing too, which for me is very rewarding."

A Uniqorn Cafe held Friday evening drew its largest crowd yet, with 25 turning up to perform or enjoy,

The Uniqorn Cafe is generally held once a month in the art gallery lounge. It's open to everyone, especially those in the LGBTQ community and their allies. It's all ages; admission is free.