Aquatica Recap: A Deep Dive into Queer Underwater Fantasy

Last weekend, Haus of Other hosted its second quarterly immersive theme party, Aquatica. As the founder of the Haus, when reflecting on the event and everything that it meant to me, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Pride in our community for coming together in support of YouthSeen, pride in our Haus for working their fingers to the bone to create intricate costumes and decor, and pride in myself for doing something to honor and celebrate the queer community in a time when we need queer leaders more than ever.

I know my mother is looking down on me from the ether of the universe with love (rooted in the fact that she nourished my creativity), and my inner child is looking up at me in awe (based on the sheer audacity of sequins on my lion fish costume).

At Aquatica, when I looked around at all the aquatic revelers, and then down at myself in full merman regalia, I remember feeling a unique sense of belonging. As queer people, we don’t always fit into public spaces. Most of us are born to stand out and couldn’t fit in even if we tried. But at Aquatica, as well as at all of our Haus of Other events, we create a space for ourselves. A place where READ MORE