LA’s Boos Cruise Makes Space for Queer Skateboarders
LA’s skate scene—and skate culture at large—typically centers on white, straight, cis-men and despite a rising number of collectives aimed at inclusivity it’s a space that often feels unwelcoming. “There’s this cliquey-ness to the skate community. The gatekeeping is like a defense mechanism, kind of like, ‘Who the fuck are you?'” says YaYa Chavez, a co-founder of LA skate collective Boos Cruise. Noticing the lack of communities dedicated to centering all queer identities that are genuinely welcoming, Chavez and co-founder Roni Davis launched their own community for queer and BIPOC skaters that operates on kindness, encouragement and open arms. Anyone, regardless of identity or skill level, is welcome to linger, learn or just hang out. “In Boos Cruise, it’s just like, ‘This is who we are, it is what it is.’ We’re all hot. We’re all queer. We’re all just here to vibe,” skater Tori Krantz tells i-D, where you can learn more about the collective and its members.
Image courtesy of Williejane Dent/i-D
Via i-d.vice.com link opens in a new window
