TO BE DETERMINED: Tyra Vaughn + Ciara Pomales
Photos by Morgan Davis
Tyra vaughn + Ciara Pomales
DMV-Based Community Organizers and Event Curators (LesLinq) + Couple
Pronouns: she/her
Tyra and Ciara are a lesbian couple based in PG County, Maryland. Tyra is a PG County native, and Ciara is originally from NY. They’re community organizers and event curators, and are known for their amazing work through LesLinq, a social club for Queer Black Women founded by Tyra and best friend Alexis. The couple met during a happy hour hosted by LesLinq and have been together for a year now. They have a super cute dog child named Miracle.
Tyra: IG | TikTok • Ciara: IG | TikTok
LesLinq IG | The LinqUp Festival — October 25, 2026 @ Sycamore & Oak
Also, a special thank you to Creative Grounds DC for being a studio partner for Tyra and Ciara’s photoshoot. Creative Grounds is a neighborhood coffee shop and community gathering space based in the Bloomingdale area of DC. In addition to serving thoughtfully prepared coffee and refreshments, Creative Grounds DC creates a welcoming space for local artists and creatives to share their work, host exhibitions, and connect with the community.
M: How did y’all meet?
T: So we met at one of our LesLinq events — actually, no, we met prior to one of our LesLinq events. When LesLinq first started, we wanted to kind of expand our group because it started with me and my best friend Alexis. We put an inquiry out there, and Ciara signed up for it. We just got along very well, and then the rest was just history after that.
C: So I've been out here for six years, but I was inside in terms of not being from the area and not knowing where to go. So when I saw that [the inquiry], I saw it as an opportunity to put myself out there — and I did. I ended up meeting her along the way, so it worked out! And I got to network and meet a lot of different people.
M: So what is your favorite thing about one another?
C: Mine is that she is a goofball. I like comedy, so I feel like we're always — nine times out of ten, we're always in the house doing something crazy, funny, or laughing.
T: I think my favorite thing about Ciara is — she might not think it is, but she talks a lot. Even though I'm not really a talkative person, to have somebody just talk and to just hear her thoughts throughout the day, I really enjoy it. It's very entertaining; she always has a story to tell, and I’m always here to listen — even if I've heard the same story 20 times.
M: How has LesLinq positively impacted both of you when it comes to aspects like community and belonging as Black lesbians?
C: Growing up in New York, the lesbian scene was definitely there, but it was kind of “heterosexual categorized”. So, coming out here and seeing Black queer lesbians just in all our diversity — and no one is separating who can fit in and who can’t — that’s been a breath of fresh air for me. I can come into these spaces and just be me, and see other people that are themselves as well.
T: For me, LesLinq was created off of the strength that my best friend and I did not have a big Black queer community. It was just the two of us and then our guy friend that we have. So we created this because sometimes it just becomes unrelatable to be the only lesbian in a straight friend group. You want that community, that sense of belonging, and creating LesLinq has definitely put us out there in that way.
We have met so many amazing people. In the past two years, I’ve created some very deep and beautiful friendships with people. It has honestly exposed us to a world that I would have never imagined being a part of. I didn’t know that we had so many groups. I didn’t know about Lavender Evolutions, Frequency Class, etc. — [and] I just keep meeting more people, keep getting exposed to things. It’s just been a beautiful experience overall. To just be able to deep dive into this community and create a space for other people to create community has just been beautiful to see as well.
M: What's been one of your most fulfilling moments or your most impactful, when it comes to LesLinq?
T: I'm going to say the LinqUp Festival. I've always wanted to do it. I've always wanted to do festivals or larger-scale events.
But my background is in social work, and I went to school for social work, and I didn't know how to pivot into this. Then when we started LesLinq, I was like, “Oh, wait, okay…I think I like this! I am actually good at throwing events.” Before, I was just doing stuff for my friends, like Friendsgivings and Galentines and hosting people. But this is just a completely different scale of things.
For me, when people come out, and they come out to our events, they're like, “Yeah, the LinqUp Festival is my first [queer/lesbian] event ever.” Or that was my favorite event.
So, for us to take something that we literally planned in a month last year in 2025 to now in 2026, and to see it become something so beautiful and big and the way that it touches different avenues from being able to highlight Black queer artists (whether musical artists or visual artists or digital artists) and empowering Black queer entrepreneurs — like highlighting their businesses, using only Black queer photographers, Black queer videographers, etc. — everything we do in this space is Black and queer.
So I feel that's the most impactful because it really is a space to put on people in our community that might not get that opportunity elsewhere because of them presenting as both Black and queer.
C: I would say for me, since I'm in charge of handling the masc events, that's something that I've always wanted to do, as everything is all-inclusive — but we really don’t have our own space. So, just being able to create that and seeing and meeting so many other mascs [where] we’re all Black, we’re gay, we’re successful, etc. Having everyone in that one space, we can have a good time and network.
And I’d also say the LinqUp. I feel that’s been the best thing that’s come out of LesLinq that’s going to take this even further.
M: My last question is: what are you looking forward to for the rest of this year, whether it’s LesLinq-related or even overall?
T: My sister's getting married! I love love. I love weddings. I'm looking forward to that most. But in reality, I'm looking forward to resting and just being immersed with all my friends. A lot of my friends have hit so many milestones. They're going through so many transitions right now. And typically this is a time when we're really rallying with each other and loving on each other a lot more. That’s really what I'm looking forward to most: just resting, spending time with my friends, my family, and just taking a little mental break for a little while.
C: For me, I'm also working and back in school. So this season will be just me resting — I want to do more intentional things, whether it's with her [Tyra], my friends, and family as well. I'm excited for her sister's wedding; I can't wait. And just to be done with school, too.
