Reclaiming one’s passions is all Thurst Lounge’s Shaun Mykals and Brandon Burke hope to inspire within their community, where the talents of Black queer individuals are embraced and welcomed by all. For the entrepreneurial duo, Thrust Lounge seeks to be the safe haven for this vision within the heart of Washington, D.C. Not only is the establishment the newest Black-owned lounge dedicated to LGBTQIIA+ nightlife in the district, but it’s already critical to the scene by being the sole one currently operating.
With this, Mykals and Burke are determined to foster a place of unity, upliftment, and queer joy. The co-owners have already made a name for themselves in this capacity due to the years-long success of their queer talent show, Thursday Bliss: An Open Mic Experience. Getting their start by hosting the event across many bars and venues around the area, their horizontal networking with already-established business owners in the city brought their dreams to curate a space for queer expression into fruition. The groundbreaking owners of Thurst Lounge spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE about their mission, their entrepreneurial journey as two Black gay men, and what it means to bring safe spaces to the main stage.
Tell us about your story. What was pivotal in getting Thurst up and running?
SM: It all starts with Thursday Bliss, which was meant to be a one-time thing. We had artists come out and perform, and our mantra was “reclaim your passion.” We wanted our stage to be a safe space for musicians and singers, I myself am one by trade. Brandon handled the marketing on it, and it got to a point where people would come and travel to experience our event. We did that for 12 years, and we didn’t see ourselves as “party promoters,” but started to be seen as that in D.C. club scene.
So we embraced it, because the majority of our audience were Black gay men, and they supported us from the beginning. After many kept saying we need our own space, and right before Covid we thought “well why don’t we try.” And here we are now.BB: Along the way, once we decided that this is what we were going to do, we had mentors in our corner who had been instrumental, such as LGBTQIA+ clubs like Lambda Lounge in New York City. It was really deciding to lean into who our audience was, and what our authenticity was as being members of that same community. Because if it’s not us, then who would be it?
Being based in D.C., what do you think is most needed in this city and nationwide to better protect Black LGBTQIIA+ communities? How are you promoting advocacy and social upliftment outside this space and in its regular operations?
BB: Venues have to be cognizant of who they hire…I think it’s very important to establish a familial atmosphere where it’s not like the people in there are just another number, but patrons and beloved customers who you want to keep coming back. Our intent is to connect with community-based organizations, such as SMYAL and the Gay Men’s Health Alliance, that are here to increase awareness. We want to have space for those groups at Thurst to widen their exposure and help those of us in the community with a myriad of things, from mental health to relationships. It can be a place where you both have fun, but also be able to learn something new.
SM: It’s Education in general, being taught about those who do not look like you and are not the same as you, and being more accepting and inclusive when it comes to the LGBT community. More
spaces that are for us would help, when you do that you educate people as well. What we’re doing, I hope that it’s a model for other people of color to decide to create LGBTQIIA+ spaces. Speaking to the totality of humans, and the whole entire being of our community, is what we want to create here. Giving a space for these organizations to host an event during the day. We want to party, but also be healthy.How is this Thurst Lounge expanding on the rich legacy you all already cultivated with Thursday Bliss: An Open Mic experience?
SM: We have a stage, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the entire venue,and it’s going to be the new home of Thursday Bliss. We’re very excited to offer our audience a permanent space to experience the artists as they express themselves.
On the partnership with Zooza Restaurant & Lounge owners, speaking on the importance of collaboration with fellow Black entrepreneurs even if not part of the LGBT community.
BB: We met Mosab Salih through a partnership at venue where we would host Thursday Bliss. Really meeting up with him and having that conversation about our idea, as he owns Zooza Restaurant and Lounge with Doaa Aloori, we were like let’s just partner up together. And as soon as we did that, everything just took off. From finding our location, to all of the financial aspects, it gave us light at the end of the tunnel. While we had experience with our event, we didn’t have the exact inside knowledge of opening a lounge, having them on board for that was so instrumental in us being able to open.
SM: His [Salih] excitement for wanting to do something for our community, not being an actual part, it was validating to me. It makes you know that
not everybody is trying to be against you just because they are not a part of what you are doing. Their support means more than just the knowledge they brought, it just shows what I would want to see in our world.What does true inclusivity, especially for this community, look like and mean in this space?
BB: What we try to say about Thurst is that our aesthetic is to center the Black gay experience, but it is a space that is welcome to everyone. If you like R&B and hip-hop, and if you want to learn more about our community and be involved, you are welcome. There’s no restrictions on who is allowed, as long as you are there to have a good time. But what you will see is our rich cultural experience. We honor our past LGBT heroes who have gotten us to this point where we can own our own space.
On the entrepreneur side of things, what has been the hardest setback as Black gay men trying to start a business?
SM: I almost screamed everything but I stopped myself. (Laughs.)
BB: The thing I talk about the most is funding. When you have a business that is just starting, its hard to get that when you don’t have the previous revenue. We didn’t start Thursday Bliss as a way to get money, it wasn’t built for that. Having the funds to make Thurst takes a lot of creativity because traditional banks don’t want to loan to you. There’s a lot of red tape. Going through that process was the biggest hurdle to overcome. Not having that information, it’s not easily accessible, you don’t even think about what you have at your disposal unless someone else shares their story with you. You learn from other entrepreneurs in your community, and sadly we don’t have enough of those.
In the statement about Thurst Lounge, it is described with “the black queer experience is the cornerstone of its creation.” Can you expand on that notion?
SM: Brandon and I both came up at a certain time where the Black gay culture in DC was thriving, and there were several different spaces for us. Even if not Black-owned, we knew we would see people who looked like us. Now, those spaces don’t exist, the actual place is not exclusive to us. We were looking to start that whole vibe again, and we wanted to do our part by recreating that within Chocolate City.
BB: There’s a sense of home that you have when you go to a space that has been created with you in mind. That is something you can take pride in, as well as uplift and protect. Having a space like this is because we are celebrating who we are, and there’s so much joy in that. There’s even greater joy when the LGBTQIIA+ community celebrates, because we do it with such passion, and that’s why we wanted to do this.
Thurst Lounge is set to open in D.C.’s famous U Street Corridor in December 2023, and can be kept up with via its social media.
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