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Teal said at least 20 to 30 members now show up at every event – sometimes triggering reactions from other patrons at the bars and eateries where they meet.Īt a recent brunch at an Oak Hill restaurant, “there were about 30 guys,” he said. As attendance grew, he also began publicizing the group through Facebook. Word spread about the group as Teal organized more such friendly interactions. “I was brave enough and invited five new friends to brunch, and I jokingly called it brothers’ brunch,” he said. It was at a brunch that Teal came up with the idea. In just over a year, membership has grown to nearly 75, Teal said. Beyond Brothas organizes outings such as brunches, happy hours, wine-tastings and trips to the Texas State Fair. In 2015, Teal decided to start a social group where gay, bisexual and transgender black men in Austin could find camaraderie and a sense of community. We were always the ones that helped with girls’ make-up.” “In images over the years, pride banners, movies, websites, I never saw people who looked like me,” said Teal, 29. “Once you recognize it, you see it all the time,” he said of how gay blacks are marginalized - a minority within a minority. That evening in spring 2010 at Rain on 4th downtown, not long after he had moved to Austin from Dallas, reminded Teal how rarely he came across men like himself – gay and black. I thought, ‘Where are all the black people?’ ” Teal said. “The first time I went to Rain, I saw two other black guys, and I was confused. Ironically, it was a visit to a queer-friendly club in Austin that made Jeremy Teal realize how isolated he felt.