Ryann Holmes

Ryann Holmes (born 1984) is an American consultant and the co-founder of bklyn boihood, a collective that empowers "masculine of center bois, lesbians, queers, trans-identified studs, doms, butches and AGs of color." Holmes' work has been recognized by Brooklyn Magazine, the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and in a short documentary film, Portrait of Ryann Holmes.

Holmes was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Maryland. Holmes stated in an interview that growing up, they experienced rigid standards surrounding gender presentation that did not allow room for fluidity. Holmes uses they/them pronouns and identifies as non-binary. Holmes moved to Brooklyn in 2006. They hold an MBA in social entrepreneurship from Baruch College.

Holmes worked as the director of community programs at the MoCADA from 2012-2015. In 2016, Holmes was featured in a short film called Portrait of Ryann Holmes, produced by Chanelle Aponte Pearson.

bklyn boihood

Holmes founded bklyn boihood in 2009 with close friend Genesis Tremaine after a conversation on the lack of masculine of center representation in queer and organizing spaces and media. They then developed a 2010-2011 calendar with pictures of masculine of center bois of color. The calendar has since been produced annually. bklyn boihood regularly hosts queer-centered parties, and holds workshops on developing healthy masculinity, accountability, and femmephobia. In 2015, the collective released an anthology series called Outside the XY: Brown Queer Masculinity, written by masculine of center queer people and transgender men of color.

Holmes was selected as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture by Brooklyn Magazine in 2016.

They received a 2019 community leadership award from Brooklyn Community Pride Center.