Thurst Lounge, Washington D.C.’s new and only Black-owned LGBTQ+ lounge, celebrated a successful grand opening by announcing exciting plans for the future.
As previously reported by Blavity, entrepreneurs Brandon Burke and Shaun Mykals opened Thurst Lounge to give Black LGBTQ+ residents a space to socialize and feel a sense of belonging.
When the lounge opened its doors on Dec. 2, 2023, Burke and Mykals were shocked by the immense outpouring of support they received. In an interview with ABC7 News, the lounge owners recounted their disbelief at the number of people who attended the launch.
“We knew that people were interested and wanted to have a space like ours, but the amount of people that showed up was crazy. We did not expect it to be like that…which was amazing,” Burke told the outlet.
When the outlet asked what contributed to such a large turnout, Burke said there was a “thurst.”
“Our name. Thurst,” Mykals said. “There has been a literal thirst for a space like ours to be in this area and other areas as well… but we knew that for ourselves, and that’s why we created this space.”