Cumberland Flux began with something simple: noticing how hard it actually was for people in Allegany County to find each other. Not in a dramatic way — just in the quiet reality of rural life. You can live here for years and still feel like you’re circling a community instead of landing in one. If you’re new to the area, LGBTQ+, introverted, or not connected to long-standing social networks, that feeling can stretch even further.
The idea behind Cumberland Flux was never to build a club or a nightlife space. It was to create something gentler: a predictable rhythm of activity-first gatherings where people could show up alone, not feel out of place, and ease into connection. No pressure to perform. No need to know anyone beforehand. Just a steady flow of small, shared moments — learning something simple, trying a craft, making coffee, walking together, laughing a little, and leaving with a bit more warmth than when you arrived.
I’ve always drawn inspiration from the quieter strengths of LGBTQ+ community-building — not the glitter or the spectacle, but the everyday parts: the potlucks, the chosen-family circles, the gentle ways people make room for each other. That’s the spirit underneath this. You’ll see it in the small signals — pronouns welcomed, creativity met with a smile, a soft compliment toward drag and pride woven into the culture without ever needing to announce itself. Belonging shouldn’t have prerequisites.
As Cumberland Flux took shape, the name “Flux” made sense. Community is not static; it shifts. The venue may change. The activity may change. The group may grow or shrink. But the rhythm stays the same — a dependable beat you can return to. That rhythm is what makes participation feel easy, and what allows community to form quietly, organically, and at its own pace.
What started as a handful of meetups became a public-benefit effort to support connection, learning, and well-being across the county. Our events (usually 18–20 a year) are intentionally small, accessible, alcohol-optional, and family-friendly. They’re built around participation, not performance — because doing something together lowers the barriers that conversation alone can raise.
Cumberland Flux didn’t begin because something was wrong. It began because something was missing: a place where people could show up exactly as they are, a place with no gatekeeping and no social homework, a place where community is created through simple, repeatable moments of shared experience.
We’re not trying to be everything. Just a steady, welcoming presence — a soft alternative to isolation, a place to learn, breathe, connect, and build the kind of ties that make life here a little warmer and a little easier.