Community Spotlight: Starlight Sapphic

A special Bisexual Killjoy series that spotlight bi+ events, organizations, initiatives, and makers from around the world.

Meet Celina Jane Atangana from Starlight Sapphic in Chicago, IL, USA!

Tell us the story of how your work began. What pushed you to start?

For context, I’ve been working as an actor for 14 years now and with that comes a lot of highs and lows. Job security is very hard for the everyday actor. After the pandemic and the 2023 actor strikes, I was left with no other choice but to work survival jobs that I hated. The idea to become an event organizer started in 2023 when I began attending events at a specific lesbian society in Chicago. The host of the organization posted on Instagram that they would be taking a break for the holidays. New Year’s came and went and it was clear that they had given up on the org.

“Oh what a shame” I thought. “Well I am bi, so maybe I could start attending straight events in my search for a partner.” Thus began my year of attending straight dating events. One in October of 2024 really stood out to me. The concept was great but it was so poorly executed. I remember complaining to anyone who would listen that I could certainly do a better job.

Didn’t think about it since. Then, 2 months later, my younger brother comes back home from University and I take him to an event. This specific event was for making friends.

Now, my brother, (especially at that time) didn’t really go out much. He was fascinated that “some dude in his 20s” could organize such a successful event that was fun and brought so many people out. I told him that it couldn’t be that hard. “All you need is an Instagram account and a dream.” He said that event organising was something that I could be good at. I brushed it off.

At this point, I’ve been bouncing from survival job to survival job, quitting whenever my acting career was at a high and redownloading Indeed whenever it was at a lull. The industry and my career was still trying to recover from the pandemic and the strike. I needed a flexible survival job that didn’t interfere with the demands of my career. One day in January of 2025, I had the idea to become an event organizer. I designed some graphics, made an Instagram account and made my first post.

“Sapphic events coming soon to Chicago.”

The post gained some traction and I was gaining followers. I emailed the venue that hosted the event that I did not like back in October and asked if I could host my own event there. They said yes and on February 22nd, 2025, I hosted my very first event. It was more than a success. Now, I host events all around Chicagoland!

How does your bi+ identity shape the way you run your business or create your work?

Being bisexual, I understand first hand how biphobic the world we live in really is. Straight spaces are not the only spaces where biphobia is prevalent. A lot of queer spaces aren’t accepting of bi+ identities either. It is important to me that Starlight Sapphic is a safe space for ALL sapphics. Oftentimes, when seeking refuge within the queer community, us as bisexuals aren’t always made to feel included. For example, I’ve had people ask me if they as bisexual sapphics could attend my events. They weren’t sure, due to the lack of community they felt in lesbian spaces. (Which is something I could unfortunately relate to.)

I said “of course! If I exclude you for being bisexual then I would have to exclude myself” It’s very important to me that people know that a bisexual woman created Starlight Sapphic. I have “created by proud bisexual” in my instagram bio for instance. I share bi+ memes on my stories. I regularly speakup about being bisexual. I think those simple actions create more visibility and show that bi+ people are here and unashamed.

What do you wish more people understood about bi+ entrepreneurs / creatives / leaders?

I would also like people to know that there isn’t one correct way to be bi+. It isn’t always a 50/50 split of attraction. That’s what makes being bi+ so special. Everyone experiences it differently.

We are not confused, or greedy, selfish, or whatever other negative stereotypes that are associated with us. We are simply beings with too much love in our hearts that it can not be confined only to loving one gender. It’s a shame how many people feel less than for being bi+. Bi+ entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders show us that we can live full and meaningful lives without conforming to this idea that all humans must be monosexual and “pick a side”

What does being visible cost you? What does it give you?

There’s this push and pull I feel between being out and proud. I first came out to my mom at age 17 and have identified as bisexual ever since. On one hand, I am extremely unashamed of who I am and don’t care what anyone thinks of my sexuality. On the other hand, my ethnic identity makes me want to keep that part of myself hidden from certain people. I am half Cameroonian and half Nigerian and in both of those countries, homosexuality is a crime.

Although I am blessed to have parents who love and accept me for who I am, it’s not something I am eager to share with every single member of my family. Those closer to my age know but I am moreso scared to tell some of the elders. I am scared that them knowing I’m bisexual would sever those relationships, as it already has with one of my uncles. I also grew up going to a Catholic church with a majority West African population. My parents are still heavily involved in that community and a lot of Africans can be very judgy. It is not uncommon to use the success of a child to measure how good of a parent you’ve been. I’m personally a bit more distant to that community and don’t care at all how they perceive me. I would, however, hate for members of that community to look down upon my parents because of my sexuality.

I want to be clear, being bisexual is not something I keep secret. If someone, in my family, or church community were to ask, I would not lie. I think my chronic singleness has been a sort of protection for me in that regard because these people have no reason to ask me such questions. I think I moreso worry about the future. Especially because I have aunties that are inquiring about when I am to find a husband. What will happen if I end up taking a wife? I think I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. On the bright side, being openly bisexual has allowed me to live my life to the fullest. I am lucky to have been born and raised in Chicago. I know that whatever happens in the future, I will always find a chosen family who loves and accepts me for who I am. That fact has given me a sense of peace in knowing that no matter what, I’ll be ok.

What has been the most surprising challenge of building your business?

I didn’t think about this when I started but as I began to grow, I began to again worry about my extended family. I’m making videos promoting my business and leading with my sexuality and in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “What if someone posts this on Whatsapp?”

“What if my favorite aunty in Nigeria finds out about Starlight Sapphic and my bisexuality?” I feel like a hypocrite because I’m presenting myself online as someone who doesn’t care what anyone thinks about my identity but I’m having these thoughts so obviously that’s not true. It’s not the logistics of running a business that challenges me, but this internal struggle that, prior to starting Starlight Sapphic, I hadn’t thought would bother me at all.

Marketing and promoting my business is obviously a part of the job and my current approach has been working. I’m selling tickets to my events and creating community. Not only am I meeting new people but I am connecting people together. One of the greatest feelings I get is when someone tells me that they met their partner or best friend at one of my events. It fills me with great joy to know that I am actually making a positive impact in people’s lives. This feeling makes whatever internal struggles I’m dealing with feel worth it.

Follow Celina and Starlight Sapphic on Instagram at @starlightsapphic.chi!

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Thank you for checking out this special series that allows us to make room for more of our community. Being a bi+ person can feel lonely until you realize just how many of us there are! Are you a bi+ person with a project that you want the world to know about? Fill out our Community Spotlight application. Due to the volume of requests, space cannot be guaranteed.