“The Tea” brews community with Queer Bozeman

On a calm Saturday afternoon at Steep Mountain Teahouse, the sound of mugs clinking and the hum of conversations filled the room. At one table, members of the Bozeman community took part — some coloring in books, others knitting while many simply sat and enjoyed a warm drink — in a social gathering known as “The Tea.”

“The Tea” is hosted by Queer Bozeman, a volunteer-run organization dedicated to strengthening the queer community in the Gallatin Valley. Queer Bozeman was founded in 2022 and has since expanded its programming to include a wide variety of events to promote visibility for queer individuals.

“Our vision is a world where queer people of diverse experience live authentically and are valued, empowered and thriving,” said Queer Bozeman Vice-Chair Maris Fessenden. Fessenden has been with the organization since it first developed its board in March 2023, and has seen it grow and branch out with all sorts of events, including “The Tea.”

“Events that bring people together and create connections are sort of the bedrock of the work that we want to be doing in our community,” they said.

Meetings are held at the teahouse every third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon. This iteration was facilitated by volunteer Cami Armijo-Grover, who greeted attendees and handed out name tags.

Over the two hours, attendees spoke candidly with one another about their experiences as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Many spoke of the joys and fears surrounding their identities.

“The Tea” began in the fall of 2023 and was spearheaded by board member Hazel Gonzalez, who wanted to create an alternative to Queer Bozeman’s other social event “Queers and Beers.”

“We really wanted something that was friendly to people who don’t want alcohol at the event, or who aren’t old enough to drink alcohol,” Fessenden said.

Since December 2024, Queer Bozeman has introduced volunteers who serve as informal conversation hosts and help facilitate dialogue among attendees, called “Tea Steepers.” For Saturday's gathering, community member Jasmine James was the “Tea Steeper.” James — who works for the MSU Library and runs the Bozeman Poetry Collective — shared insights about the poetry events they organize — all while knitting a shirt.

“It’s something we’re trying out,” said Fessenden. “We thought it would be great to connect people with resources and groups in the community.”

Despite the presence of a conversation host, the event remains intentionally low-key and unstructured, according to Fessenden. “Some steepers really facilitate conversation. Some just chat,” Armijo-Grover said.

This month’s gathering had no set theme or focus. The conversation shifted from knitting to work, to politics and the weather. Towards the end of the event, Armijo-Grover passed around a volunteer sign-up form for the upcoming Bozeman Pride Festival, set to take place at the end of May.

Queer Bozeman frequently features other queer events occurring in Bozeman. “There are community organizers who have been active here in Bozeman, doing great work, doing hard work,” Fessenden said.

“Queer Bozeman doesn’t have the monopoly on strengthening the queer community,” they said. “We specifically did not use the word building community, because queer community is already here. We just want to strengthen it.”

Fessenden explained that “The Tea” is an opportunity for queer people of all ages to meet and have conversations about their lived experiences.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to help somebody who might be grappling with feelings that I used to grapple with — of feeling like they don’t belong — to feel like they belong, are safe, welcomed and valued,” they said.