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Joy and community care were what Bonnie Violet Quintana and Rev. Sara LaWall had in mind in January 2025 when they partnered to host the first Trans Joy Café event at the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Idaho.
When Quintana had the idea for monthly gatherings where members of the trans and nonbinary community could come to connect with each other, access community resources, and make space for joy and celebration, she reached out to LaWall about holding them at BUUF. LaWall, who has advocated alongside Boise’s trans and nonbinary community for a decade, readily agreed.
Since January, Trans Joy Boise and BUUF have hosted six Trans Joy Cafés. Food is central to each event—members of the congregation support by providing food, serving, and cleaning up—as is community connection.
Since January, Trans Joy Boise and BUUF have hosted six Trans Joy Cafés. Food is central to each event—members of the congregation support by providing food, serving, and cleaning up—as is community connection.
The structure and substance of each gathering vary by month depending on the group’s needs. In February, they hosted a wedding and reception for a trans couple, and on other occasions there have been drum circles and celebrations of birthdays and graduations.
“In everything that we do, [we think] how can we center the trans and nonbinary experience [so that] folx are getting what they need?” Quintana said. “A big part of that is combating isolation and helping people feel connected.”
The decision to host Trans Joy Cafés at a church wasn’t an easy one, since some members of the trans and nonbinary community have suffered spiritual trauma and may be hesitant to attend an event at a church. However, LaWall, the minister at BUUF, and her congregation had built a reputation for consistently showing up as allies, partnering with humility and respect, and offering their space with no strings attached. Quintana trusted that BUUF would be welcoming without pressuring participants to engage in any religious rhetoric.
“They do a really great job of putting us first,” said Quintana, the co-founder of Trans Joy Boise, a trans-led organization that advocates for trans and nonbinary individuals across the state.
“What I’m hoping for … is a community-wide gathering where … allies and trans folx come together and have some listening and sharing,” LaWall said.
“They didn’t have to [say], ‘Trans Joy Boise, take the lead on [Trans Joy Café events], and we’ll support it.’ So, I think they’ve really modeled how spiritual communities can make amends … with trans and nonbinary communities.”
Trans Joy Café events went on a brief hiatus over the summer, but LaWall and Quintana have plans to restart this fall. LaWall hopes to continue making space for connections between the trans and nonbinary community and the BUUF congregation.
“What I’m hoping for … is a community-wide gathering where … allies and trans folx come together and have some listening and sharing,” LaWall said. “We want a space where trans folx know that they can come and just be with people and … not have to do anything if they don’t want to. But I think we’re ready now for [events] where we can be in community and have cross community conversations together.”