Two partygoers enjoy a night of dancing at Baewatch, a pop-up dance party for LGBTQ+ people. Photo: Jordan Sandquist
Writer: Mathany Ahmed
Ryan Anderson was a recent transplant to Iowa when they went to their first Baewatch pop-up party. They’d been trying to connect with other queer people in their new home and had some success by joining a roller derby league. Still, they hoped Baewatch, an event specifically created to give LGBTQ+ people an affirming place to dance, may have a lower barrier of entry – and hopefully, less risk of falling.
“That first time I went to Baewatch is actually the first time that I met Katie,” Anderson said, smiling at Katie Atkin in the seat beside them. The pair have been together for the past two years. “I was nervous. But then I showed up, and Katie was there.”
These kinds of connections are exactly what organizer T Myers and resident DJ Jaide Knight hoped to create when they started hosting Baewatch parties in January 2022. Every few weeks, the pair team up to bring good vibes, danceable music and queer people – especially queer women – to local venues like, Bellhop in the East Village, or the host of Friday’s event, Lefty’s Live Music on University Avenue.
“That’s what motivates me,” Myers said. “I’ve seen people meet here, I’ve seen people fall in love here.”
Baewatch aims to be a safe gathering space for LGBTQ+ people, something that’s especially important for queer women who typically have fewer dedicated options than their male peers.
But first and foremost, it’s a dance party.
“People start dancing, and they won’t stop until the end of the night when the lights come on,” Knight said. She prides herself on reading the room and giving the crowd exactly what they need to keep the energy high. “I like to keep things versatile. I want people to hear songs they haven’t heard in forever.”
On Friday, for the first time, Baewatch included a show from local drag kings Daddy Complex and Grimm Foxx, to the immense delight of the small crowd filling the dance floor at Lefty’s. The performers hosted a giveaway, while Knight acted as emcee, pumping in ’90s and ’00s pop and R&B hits.
“There’s such a small lesbian community in Des Moines,” said Brianna Houlihan, who comes to every Baewatch party. Behind her, the crowd screams their approval as the first beats of Juvenile’s “Back That Thang Up” plays. “It’s so cool to be around a bunch of queer females.”
Nationwide, there are fewer than 30 bars left that specifically cater to the nightlife needs of LGBTQ+ women and people of other marginalized genders. In 1980, there were roughly 200, according to the filmmakers of the Lesbian Bar Project, which documents the lost spaces.
“We want outsiders to know they’re still welcome to come,” Knight said. “Our advertising is just a notification to say: We’re a safe space, and we’re welcoming all and every queer person here.”
