Music would be nowhere without LGBTQ+. This #PrideMonth we’re here to champion the people behind the scenes and the culture. We caught up with a series of tastemakers across the globe flying the flag for their LGBTQ+ communities. We explore personal projects, parties and the power of inclusion, diversity, openness, collaboration, positivity and music. First up, get to know music maker and DJ Violet, who takes us behind the scenes of the Lisbon scene. 

What’s going in the LGBTQ+ scene in Lisbon right now?

There’s quite a few bars and parties around the city, some colourful and prideful celebrations at local gay institutions and others more multifaceted projects for example mina, kit ket or Çirca.

Tell us about your Rádio Quântica and mina projects.

Both projects are about building community and creating a safer space to foster emancipation and collaboration. They were born out of a need to bring ideas of parity, political awareness and affirmative action to the forefront in Lisbon, a city that too often turns a blind eye to issues that affect LGBTQI+ people.

With Rádio Quântica, our online radio station, we try to continuously elevate this scene to new heights. It balances curation in terms gender-identity and sexuality for radio shows, talks and cultural programming.

With mina, we throw massive parties where marginalised bodies get to dance together under an umbrella idea of resistance.

Both projects, started with Photonz (Quântica) and marum, Viegas (mina) and now involving more residents (I should mention the tireless work and talent of BLEID and ketia too).

How do your projects in Lisbon feed into what’s going on around the world right now?

Although we’re based in Lisbon, we try not to be too Lisbon-centric. There’s so much inspiring work being done everywhere and our motivation was always immaterial and, in a way, non-local. We aim for emancipation everywhere. Creating a grassroots community means online and offline work, and as part of Quântica and mina, we reach out for collaborations cross-culturally.

For example, queer parties Room 4 Resistance, Lecken (Berlin), Mamba Negra (São Paulo) and In Training (Cleveland) are part of our close-knit family. Even though we are based thousands of kilometres apart, the local thing is still vital though – it’s about creating a vital network of mutual support and inspiration.

Listen to Violet’s Rádio Quântica on Mixcloud