Photos by Harvey Jackson
If you’re queer and partying in New York City, then you’ve almost certainly crossed paths with Malcolm XL, a party producer, DJ and nightlife personality whose new club night, OOMFCON, is the materialization of his love for his friends, radically inclusive spaces, and the dolls.
If you’ve never seen him, the first thing that might strike you about Malcolm XL is that he’s brolic as hell—Once, I ran into him at the Brooklyn venue Signal, where he splintered through a sea of twinks like an icebreaker ship.
Don’t be tricked by his stature, though: Malcolm XL carries himself with a sweet pensiveness that, from certain angles, gives him an air of the intellectual activist Malcolm X, the icon from which he drew his nightlife name. To me, Malcolm XL represents everything that can be right with New York nightlife: He genuinely wants to take care of the people around him and make sure they’re having a good time, a vibe bouncer ensuring that all corners of the queer community, not just the cis gay men with Equinox memberships, are having a fab time.
OOMFCON is a co-production between Malcolm XL, Robyn DaBank, and Gagberg, created under their collective, House of Chile. “‘OOMF’ of course means ‘one of my followers’ and ‘con’ is like a convention, so it’s a place to meet your extended community. It’s really silly and fun and also kind of serious,” says Malcolm XL. “Right now the concept is structured around celebration and creating spaces that are intrinsically inclusive.” His last OOMFCON, which took place at Mood Ring in December, featured an all-femme and trans lineup, including Maya Margarita, Xana 101 and Sevyn Love.
Last year, Malcolm XL visited Tokyo to host a party called Beefcake. He describes that first visit to Japan as “revolutionary,” so much so that he saved money and decided to move there for a few months. This Friday, January 10, he’s taking OOMFCON to R-Lounge in Tokyo, where N ², OLLE and other local legends will smash the decks. Just like the New York parties, Oomcom Tokyo will seek to be a radically inclusive space.
One of the main lessons that Malcolm XL is taking from his time in Japan is how much safety is built into the club going experience. “I think that we need to create spaces for people to sleep at the rave,” he says. “In Japan, if you’re fucked up at the party, you just fall asleep on the couch or floor and no one will bother you. I think that’s a lot safer than sending a drunk person out into the night.”
At the same time, Malcolm XL notes that New York is exceptional compared to any other city in the world for the amount of spaces it offers for gender non-conforming people and other members of the queer community. “I think sometimes we get so lost in the sauce and moving upwards that we forget that a lot of progress has been made in nightlife in New York,” he says. “What happens in New York informs the rest of the world in a way that’s really special.”
The way he talks about the scene in Tokyo and New York brings everything back to his main concern: To make sure that spaces are equitable and safe for everyone. Equity is not an intrinsically sexy word, but Malcolm makes it so. He is the type of person to check in on someone if they look like they look like they’re too drunk at a party; He’s also the first to send a ‘congratulations’ when he sees an OOMF winning on his feed. It’s comforting to think that someone like him exists, spreading protection for all the dolls and theys who cross his path. In that way, I guess he’s also like a father figure in the community, and for those of us with daddy issues, a corrective for what a hypermasc man can be. He’s our parasocial daddy—In other words, the ultimate OOMF.
“I’m like that guy you’ve been dating for three months who’s slowly leaving all his shit at your house,” says Malcolm XL. Whether he’s aware of it or not, he’s creating a nightlife movement that centers positivity and kindness. This week, when he throws his first OOMFCON JAPAN with DJs (OLLE, MUNÉO, RANNA, INAE, RU9E, n o n o k a, and pìccolo), that movement will have gone global. “So far it’s been a dream I haven’t woken up from yet.”
