Today we’d like to introduce you to Al Tiano.
Al, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I first moved to Baltimore, I was just looking for my people. I had an idea for queer speed dating at the coffee shop where I worked, but when it closed, I thought that dream was gone.
Then an unexpected opportunity came along, and The Queers Upstairs was born. What started as a little Thursday night event grew into something I never could have imagined.
And honestly, the best part has always been the people beside me.
Genesis Rosales / Hollywood Glammy she’s hyped me up from day one, talked me through every moment of self-doubt, and constantly inspire me with your creativity. Starting these parties with you has been so rewarding gaining a friend like you!
Kenny Roster (local icon, producer, and performer ) and most importantly my rock. There’s something special about having someone who understands the pressure, the chaos, and the heart that goes into producing these spaces.
Max Mayhem, is the reason so much of this started. Bring my first hot to work with and lead about the alt drag community has us bonded for life!! If they hadn’t approached me at our old club, I genuinely don’t know where I’d be today. Watching us both grow has been such a really cool experience.
And Madeline McLinden, Jordan Spivak, Nia Tyson, Hunny Du Bunns, Thom Boy, Kara Gonzales, Erika, and Marisa <3 thank you for bringing your talent, energy, and love into everything we create. The amount of work all of you put into this, the time you give, and the love for your community is so selfless. Everyone and anyone should know who these people are! Because they are The Queers
And I Love you all more than you know.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. When I started The Queers Upstairs, I was figuring everything out as I went, and as it grew, so did the responsibilities that came with it. One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the creative side of what we do with the realities of running events, finding spaces, managing costs, promoting events, coordinating performers and vendors, and making sure the events remain accessible and welcoming to the community. There have also been moments where an event didn’t go exactly as planned or where I had to learn how to navigate different personalities, expectations, and opinions within a community as diverse as ours. I’ve had to get comfortable with the fact that I can’t make everyone happy all the time, even when the intention is always to create a positive experience. There have definitely been moments of burnout and self-doubt, but those challenges have also taught me a lot about leadership, communication, and knowing when to ask for help. What keeps me going is seeing people genuinely connect, make friends, find community, and feel like they have a place where they belong. Those moments make the difficult parts worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work is centered around creating queer events and experiences that bring people together in a way that feels fun, welcoming, and genuinely community driven. Through The Queers Upstairs, I specialize in creating events that are more than just a night out they’re opportunities for people to meet each other, celebrate their identities, make friends, flirt, dance, laugh, and feel like they belong. I’m known for coming up with creative and sometimes wonderfully ridiculous themes. Hosting a different event that is unusual really is exciting, especially for the community. I think what sets me apart is that I’m not interested in simply recreating what already exists. I’m constantly thinking about what would make the community excited to show up and what kinds of experiences people might not find anywhere else. I’m especially proud of how much The Queers Upstairs has grown and, more importantly, of the community that has grown around it. What started because I was a new person in Baltimore looking for somewhere to belong has become a space where I’ve watched other people find connection and community too.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve learned that taking risks is often less about being fearless and more about being willing to try something before you know exactly how it’s going to turn out. Starting The Queers Upstairs was definitely a risk. I had just moved to Baltimore, I didn’t know exactly what I was building yet, and there was no guarantee that people would show up or that it would grow beyond a weekly Thursday night. When the opportunity to use the space came up, I could have talked myself out of it, but I decided to take the chance and see what happened. Since then, I’ve continued to take risks by creating events that don’t necessarily have an existing blueprint. Some of our most successful parties started as ideas that I wasn’t sure would work. For me, the key is bewiling to try something new, listening to the community, and learning from what works and what doesn’t. I don’t think every risk has to pay off to be worthwhile. Sometimes taking the risk is how you discover something you never would have found otherwise. The Queers Upstairs itself is probably the best example of that: I was originally just looking for a place where I could find community, and taking a chance on that idea ended up creating a community for so many other people too.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_queers_upstairs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queers.upstairs
