Check Out Wanda Acosta’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wanda Acosta.

Hi Wanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My story really begins in 1993. I was living in New York, where I was born, and at 31 years old was beginning to express my queerness which I had been repressing for many years. I needed a social space that fit my desire for empowerment, and visibility and that allowed me to express myself in ways other than what was stereotyped or expected from “lesbian” women at the time, so I created a Sunday Salon for women in the East Village called, “Sundays at Café Tabac. It was really about community.

It was about coming in and feeling like you were family. Everyone was welcoming and warm and had something to say, you could have a conversation with a stranger and leave there feeling like you’d met a new friend, which is something that I feel is lost as technology and globalization has taken place. It was pre-cell phones, pre-internet.

It was a very different way of socializing. In the ’90s, a groundswell of “lipstick” lesbians rebelled against the “granola” separatist-feminist image of the ’70s and ’80s, and the term “lesbian chic” was coined to describe the sudden emergence of fashion-conscious queer women who saw style not as patriarchal oppression, but as a tool for empowerment. It definitely laid the groundwork for the LGBTQ+ freedoms of today.

For the past 20 years, I have continued to create social spaces and events for the queer community and its allies. I currently divide my time between St. Augustine and NYC. I am currently producing a documentary film that revisits the history of the early ’90s that pushed this transformation for lesbians and women.

I also co-host the podcast of queer “coming out” stories by the same name, “Sundays at Café Tabac and last year launched the Queer Art Collective online, which enables queer artists to showcase and sell their art.

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?
In life, there are always struggles and challenges, and you can succumb or keep going despite the outcome.

For me, as a community gatherer and advocate, there is always the challenge to keep people engaged, to create spaces and events that folks want to attend. It is very important to be aware of the needs and desires of your constituency and keep informed of the news.

Being one step ahead is not always so easy, so it’s important to be sensitive to the people and energies around you in order to recognize what your community wants and deserves.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am mostly known as an event producer and community organizer, I have specialized in providing safe, inclusive, fun, fashionable spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and recently was awarded the Community Advocacy Award from the Leslie Lohman Museum of Art in NYC. I have always been a creative person, and along with creating social spaces, I also like to make art and support artists. I am a multi-disciplinary artist, and my work includes painting, collaging photography, and digital imagery.

I created the Queer Art Collective (queerartcollective.com) with an artist friend, where we showcase artists and provide a platform for collectors to view and support the artists. I also co-host a podcast of queer coming out stories where we feature prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community sharing their stories of finding freedom and self-identity and the joy that comes with self-liberation. (cafetabacfilm.com/podcast).

I am most proud of providing comfort and support to people that otherwise may have felt isolated and misunderstood. I am proud to have provided a space where like-minded folks were able to connect, make relationships, collaborate on projects, and make life-long friendships. I am thrilled to be able to continue through storytelling via the podcast and the documentary film, and hopefully through more community events, and through my art.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I think most people don’t know that I am also a visual artist. They are surprised to see some of the work since I don’t really promote it. I like quiet and can be an introverted person, despite all my years in social planning. I am also an officiate and have married countless couples in NYC, PR and looking forward to doing the same in the Jacksonville, and the St. Augustine area. It’s wonderful to bring two people together in love and joy.

Personally, I enjoy the beauty of nature and being alone with my art and music. My partner and I share a home with our 2 pets. She is also an artist. We enjoy painting in our studio in St. Augustine, sharing with friends and family, and traveling as we can.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: cafetabacfilm.com / queerartcollective.com
• Instagram: @cafetabacfilm and @queerartcollectiveny

Image Credits
Riya Lerner Nichole, Washington Newstand Studio at Rockerfeller Center