Skip to content
  • Essence GU
  • Beautycon
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Afropunk
  • Essence Studios
  • Soko Mrkt
  • Ese Funds
  • Refinery29
  • WeLoveUs.shop
  • 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Entrepreneurship
  • News
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
  • Subscribe
Home • Celebrity

Frank Ocean Debuts First Queer Club Night At Secret Location

PrEP+, named after the HIV prevention drug, is a party series dedicated to creating a safe space for people to meet and dance.
Frank Ocean Debuts First Queer Club Night 'PrEP+' At Secret Location
PEMBERTON, BC – JULY 20: Frank Ocean performs on stage during Day 3 of Pemberton Music and Arts Festival on July 20, 2014 in Pemberton, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/FilmMagic)
By Paula Rogo · Updated December 6, 2020
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

Frank Ocean’s creative brand Blonded hosted its first queer night club, PrEP+, on Thursday night in New York City.

PrEP+, named after the HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis, is the first in a series of club nights dedicated to creating a safe space for people to meet and dance, according to a press release. The invite-only party was allegedly held at the techno club Basement in Queens.

No video or photos were allowed, Brooklyn Vegan reports. Other alleged house rules included mandatory consent, zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind, and “the dance floor is for dancing.”

Ocean also played some of his new music at the party, before French techno DJs Justice appeared as the surprise headliners.

Last night at his new queer club night, PrEP+, Frank Ocean previewed what appears to be new music. pic.twitter.com/njhUANmEFF

— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) October 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/iIovetonaenae/status/1185170700618874880

The series has been described as “an homage to what could have been of the 1980s’ NYC club scene if the drug PrEP—which can be taken daily to prevent HIV/AIDs for those who are not infected, but are at high risk—had been invented in that era.”

Although many praised the idea of a new queer-friendly event in New York, others on Twitter questioned the optics and naming of it.

This is a weird flex.

It imagines *universal* access to PrEP at an "exclusive" party?

It imagines the club scene in the 80s MADE BY ppl living with HIV as if…if would have been better without them?

And what good is PrEP access to ppl who were homeless, jobless? https://t.co/GmZJK2XB7N

— 🍉 Dr. Thrasher 🔻 (@thrasherxy) October 18, 2019

Some thoughts (including the thoughts of some much wiser queers) on Frank Ocean’s PrEP+: pic.twitter.com/AkEaA0Nbyu

— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) October 18, 2019

TOPICS:  Black Girl Magic black girl magic salute essence live essence now essencelive essencenow fashion frank ocean kayla robinson Zendaya