Comfort & Joy

Comfort & Joy has produced dozens of art programs and events in various venues and public spaces in San Francisco since 2001. We aim to create safe spaces where queer men and their friends can freely explore and express themselves without shame. In doing so, we seek better understand each other and then share that light with the world. One of our first experiments was an “Experience Auction” at the Stud bar where we auctioned off 36 different San Francisco experiences instead of objects, including costume makeovers, kayak tours, theater tickets, bondage technique classes and various expert consultations.  The response from the community was overwhelming and laid the groundwork for future work. Our subsequent growth gave us the opportunity to attract and recruit a wide diversity of local content producers, performers and artists as collaborators. Comfort & Joy has hosted thousands of guests at various pop-up theatrical performances, discussion groups, workshops, social mixers, dance parties, retreats, street fairs, camping trips and fashion shows geared towards pushing the creative envelope and giving queer people healthy, healing experiences in a welcoming community.  Comfort & Joy produces at least six San Francisco events every year reaching thousands of guests, artists and collaborators to infuse our queer, colorful, effervescent day-glow spirit into the social fabric of Bay Area. We are also known for our legendary Burning Man Theme Camp, which hosts dozens of events each year in Black Rock City. The Bay Area Reporter gave us a “Best of SF” award in 2017 for our 12th annual fundraiser, “AfterGlow: A Blacklight Discotheque.”  Brian Busta, Our Artistic Director, was elected Community Grand Marshal and led the Pride Parade with a Comfort & Joy contingent in June 2018. We look forward to further deepening our San Francisco roots and celebrating colorful self-expression, cultural exploration, and what it means to be queer in a safe space.