Connect & Cultivate Los Angeles: Softness Is Power

In July, we asked:“Would you date the version of yourself you’re bringing into relationships?”That session helped us reflect on love, readiness, and showing up in truth.

Now, in the heat of August, we slow it down.We ask a new question:“What happens when you stop performing and allow yourself to just be?”

The Softness Session invites gay and queer men of color to explore a radical act of resistance: making space to be soft.

To be tender.To rest.To receive.To connect without competition, comparison, or performance.

This is not about being passive — it’s about being real. Because building anything lasting — love, leadership, or community — begins with self-trust and presence.

This is not a panel or a lecture. This is a facilitated experience rooted in creativity, reflection, and emotional connection.

You’ll be guided through:

• A grounding practice to bring you into presence
• A creative activity
• Paired or small group connection rounds
• A reflective moment: “Where in my life am I ready to soften?”
• Group share: “One part of myself I’m reclaiming is…”

You’ll leave with clarity, calm, and the feeling of being held — by yourself, and by community.

This space is for gay and queer men of color who are tired of holding it all together.

• executives
• first gen leaders
• recently let go from work
• recently broke off a romatic relationship

Tired of the armor. Tired of the pressure to lead, impress, or survive.

This space is where you get to breathe.

You don’t need to prove anything here. Just show up — as you are.

• A journal or notebook
• Water or tea
• Openness

Connect & Cultivate is a seasonal series curated by The BLOOM Collective, a leadership and growth ecosystem for gay and queer men of color. We gather to reflect, root down, and rise — together.

Through creativity, conversation, and care, we create space for what doesn’t always get centered in our daily lives: truth, softness, and connection.

Event Venue