Members

Are you coming out to play?

This page isn't a form. There's nothing to sign up for, no membership fee, no badge to wear. It's an explanation of how the club works — so that if any of it sounds like you, you'll know where the door is.

Who's a member?

Anyone who's turned up to a BBJC thing, or wants to. The bar is low and we'd like to keep it there.

We don't ask people to prove they belong before we let them in. If you're a Black LGBTQI+ adult in London — or somewhere within reach of London — and any of what we do sounds like it might suit you, you're already a member, in the only sense that matters.

What do members do?

Different things. Some of it visible, most of it not. Here's the spectrum we've noticed:

Lurking

Reading the Instagram. Saving the post about the kitchen-table reading. Maybe one day texting on the morning of the event. Welcome.

Turning up

Coming to the things. Saying hello. Sometimes bringing a friend. The middle of the spectrum, where most members live.

Bringing

Bringing the food, the playlist, the second chair. Hosting at home for the post-show talkback. Driving the van.

Proposing

Suggesting a thing — a walk, a dinner, a workshop, a film night — and stepping up to host it under the BBJC umbrella.

Holding

Being part of the smaller group of people the club leans on. Knowing the work. Helping shape what comes next.

None of this is a ladder. It's not a hierarchy. People move up and down the spectrum depending on what's happening in their lives, and we'd rather have someone lurk for two years and then host a brilliant dinner than burn through their goodwill in three months.

What does it feel like?

It feels like being known. Members tell us the difference between BBJC and other community spaces is that here, the second time you turn up, somebody remembers your name and what you said last time. We work hard to keep that true.

It also feels like reciprocity. People bring things. People take things. The club doesn't keep a tally of who gave what — but you'll notice, over time, that the people who bring most are the ones the club tends to make most space for. That's not a transaction. It's just how care works when it's done well.

We'd rather be small and known to each other than large and abstract.

How do you become more involved?

Three small steps that have worked for other people:

1. Come to the next thing. Even if you don't know anyone. Even if you're not sure it's for you. The standing invitation is a real invitation.

2. Bring something. A bottle, a record, a friend, a question. The smallest gesture is enough — and people remember.

3. Tell Mark what you'd like to see. Most of what BBJC does started as a member's idea. If you've got one, the path from "wouldn't it be nice if…" to "we're doing it next month" is shorter than you think.

The door is open.

There's no form here. No fee. No login. We'll see you when you turn up.