(upbeat music) - Hi, my name is Christian, AKA Diaspora.

I'm an artist, curator and DJ.

I specialize in throwing popup BIPOC queer dance parties and making myself visible and making space for everyone else that looks and feels like me.

I grew up in St. Paul on the west side, very predominant Mexican American neighborhood.

So I grew up in a pretty traditional household.

The machismo of it all is pretty normalized.

So I think that was expected of me as well and I was never able to perform it very well.

I remember being freshly 21 and kind of going to more of the like specific gay venues in the twin cities.

And I wasn't really having a good time.

I wasn't feeling really safe, I wasn't feeling seen.

And then I happened to stumble upon more of the queer, DIY art and you music scenes happening.

That's when it really clicked for me, I'm like, okay this is where I'm supposed to be.

When I'm putting my set together, I really envision myself kind of on this dance floor.

It's almost like I want myself to kind of go through, like the full spectrum of like emotion.

What's this song gonna make you feel?

What's the next song after that gonna make you feel?

I go out of my way to find very kind of hidden, like BIPOC DJs and producers.

Some of my favorite artists have just, I know are just these like queer weirdos that don't leave their bedroom and I love that and I wanna showcase as much as that as I can.

Part Wolf is a really important historic venue over on the west bank.

And tonight, I'm throwing the last event.

Part Wolf is closing.

I'm kind of giving myself the space to grieve about it but also celebrate it and celebrate all the work that we put in.

And we're celebrating, not just me, but like, all of my queer and BIPOC friends and everyone that ever felt safe at Part Wolf or had a good time, it's a celebration.

(indistinct chattering) (club music playing) Nightlife is such an important aspect of being queer and there's not a lot of other spaces I can, like you can truly be yourself and look however you wanna look.

So it makes sense as to why so many queer individuals retreat to the nightlife.

(club music playing) And I always had a really good time being behind the decks but also the curating part was really important to me just because I, like I remember what it was like to not feel safe at certain places.

So that was always like the heart and soul of everything I was doing.

Okay, my name is Diaspora.

Thank you for coming out tonight.

(crowd screaming) We got so much more, the chip plan for y'all.

Don't forget, there's a second story upstairs.

We got a photo booth and a everything up there, it's really good.

(upbeat music) (club music playing) (crowd screaming) - I think one of the best lessons I've learned from this, is simply the fact that at the end of the day, as an much as we all love this space, it's all of us that make it safe.

(crowd screaming) All of us have the best intentions to make sure everyone's all right.

And that's what makes spaces okay.

And I hope, we will continue that in the future.

So just keep, please looking out for each other.

Please keep supporting BIPOC, queer artists and promoters to trying their best.

(crowd applauding) And yeah, yeah, y'all are gonna see me at a lot of other places, don't worry about that.

(crowd screaming) I'm not giving the like final speech yet, I'm just gonna play some gay, so give me a second, okay.

(upbeat music)