Despite three sold-out club nights, £4000 raised for LGBT+ charities and hot anticipation for future events, Anaya Guleid remains characteristically modest about The Queer Get Down’s success. “I never know how people really feel about it!” she playfully bemoans, “I just hope people had a good time.” Anaya hosted the first Queer Get Down in MASH in November 2021, and since then there has since been no stopping this much-needed addition to Cambridge’s queer nightlife.

The Queer Get Down is only the tip of the iceberg that is Anaya’s involvement with the queer community in Cambridge. She has been the President of FUSE, a society for queer people of colour, and recently concluded her term as Downing’s LGBT+ officer. Anaya’s active presence in Cambridge’s queer life stems from her own trepidations with coming to Cambridge, feeling “nervous about finding spaces to be comfortable in”. “I didn’t know if there would be a community – people to relate to,” says Anaya, who found that community in FUSE. “Wanting to add to the amazing work other people had been doing in creating safe spaces was the motivating factor. For many people, university is the time that you come into yourself. It’s when you become who you are and become comfortable with who you are.”

“We made sure the toilets were gender-neutral. During security checks, we asked students who they would feel most comfortable being searched by”

Many members of the BME community were disturbed by allegations of racist language used by Vinyl staff, the hosts of Cambridge queer night Glitterbomb, last summer. It was ultimately Anaya’s discomfort with some of Cambridge’s queer spaces, a discomfort shared by other FUSE members, which led her to launch The Queer Get Down. Anaya giggles as she recalls MASH’s eagerness when first approached with the idea. “I was just thinking of it as a one-time thing,” Anaya explains, “but MASH were excited to have a queer night in Cambridge. After the first one, they reached out asking us to get more events for next term – they wanted four this term!” Allied with Cambridge’s only independent nightclub, Anaya’s plans for an inclusive Cambridge queer night quickly became a reality.

Arising from a perceived lack of inclusivity at other venues, The Queer Get Down prides itself on putting inclusivity at its very core to create a safe and exciting space. Anaya beams as she lists the measures adopted by the venue: “We made sure the toilets were gender-neutral. During security checks, we asked students who they would feel most comfortable being searched by.” Notably, Anaya’s aims are not limited to the University. “I felt it was important not just to create safe spaces for queer students but also maybe to connect with the community outside the University – sometimes we do get caught in the Cambridge bubble.” This commitment can be seen in the event’s association with The Kite Trust, a charity supporting LGBT+ youth in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, for whom over £1000 was raised as the official charity of the third Queer Get Down.

An important aspect of The Queer Get Down’s inclusivity is ensuring it is created by consulting and involving the same audience it caters for. “We recognised that people felt more comfortable because it wasn’t a club organising something for students; the students could actually get involved.” From the DJs Sharleen and Talulah, to co-orangiser Josh, Anaya’s vision has been for the queer community that attends The Queer Get Down to be the one making the event tick behind the scenes.

The phenomenon of the Queer Get Down is clear from the numbers: promoted entirely by word of mouth, its events consistently sell out. This has resulted in almost £4000 being raised for LGBT+ charities. The first of these was Mermaids, who have almost three decades of experience supporting gender-diverse youth nationally. The second has been the African Rainbow Family, who work with LGBT+ people of African heritage and broader BME groups. Anaya, in her final year at Cambridge, is hopeful that the Queer Get Down’s commitment to charity work and inclusivity is in good hands. “What’s great is how many people have been interested in continuing the event. It is a night to be who you are and just feel comfortable in that space. As long as that ethos is carried through, it’s going to be amazing.”

What advice would Anaya have for students looking to organise uni-wide events of their own? “Think about what you’re trying to achieve through the night,” Anaya urges, “What type of energy or vibe do you want? How can you recreate that in different ways?” Following in the student-lead footsteps of ARCSOC and Pink Week, The Queer Get Down is another student-run triumph. Not only does it provide an inclusive option for queer nightlife, it also serves as a model for potential party-planners among the Cambridge student body – especially those looking to leave a legacy as impactful and empowering as Anaya’s.