The Glossary: Zephyr Merkur | LGBTQ+ Non-Profit Service Delivery Professional

RA and Doors Open are partnering with New York's Queer Nightlife Community Center (QNCC) to host RA25 UNLOCKED: Expanding Careers in Nightlife with QNCC, a free, one-day programme focused on developing sustainable careers in nightlife.

Taking place at the East New York venue on October 15th, the event will feature workshops covering sound engineering, lighting design and event production, alongside discussions on career pathways, event safety and harm reduction.

The programme is aimed at local nightlife workers and community members from East New York and Brownsville looking to expand their skills and improve financial stability. Applications will prioritise groups including FLINTA individuals, LGBTQIA+ community members, disabled workers, lower-income applicants and residents of East New York and Brownsville.

This is the first Glossary piece in a special series focusing on our RA25 UNLOCKED event speakers.

Introducing: Zephyr Merkur | LGBTQ+ Non-Profit Service Delivery Professional.


What is your role in music and what does your day to day look like?

I got started in nightlife at an amateur gogo event. A bunch of us got on stage for the first time for a 30 minute set. After taking care of the nerves dancing in public I got hooked on having a role within someone’s night out. 

In regards to how my current work relates, I joke my job is to go to bars and ask people if they want to get on PrEP. There is a lot I do behind the scenes to make it happen, but in the end I am still in the bars and clubs chatting and making sure people know about the resources available to them.

How did you get into your line of work?

Trump was elected (the first time) right as I finished my time in college. Feeling righteous I got an internship in Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) Advocacy. From there I found working and serving my community to be a passion for me. 

As things changed with the Covid Pandemic, we had to think forward on how we could make sure people still had access even though services were restricted. This got me out of the office and into the streets, churches, clubs, and bars. The places that still brought people together even when so much of the world was teaching us to isolate. 

What skills are important in your job?

I currently work in Outreach coordination and supervise a diverse team of peer contractors who go out into the field and meet with community members and interested potential patients. I have been trained in HIV Testing and Counseling and have delivered those services at night clubs and other bar settings. This type of work is very “learn as you go”, so while I have a Bachelor’s Degree it’s not the most relevant part of the qualifications as much as my years of experience meeting with people and coming up with ways to ease access to health care. 

Learning to be a calm presence, balance multiple priorities, and to keep organized records of every event or encounter has served me well. 

Another thing that you need in this job is to be a good listener. Even when the music is loud. It is one thing to hear someone’s words, and another thing to listen for what they need and how you can support them. 

When you go from an office to a club, a skill that is hard to teach is keeping strict boundaries. Flirting with someone right after they disclose to you vulnerable information is a big no-no. 

If someone is excited to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

The best way to get started is to make your way in the door and get to work. You might find yourself in a different direction than expected. I saw myself as an in office type of person learning facilitations. When I identified a Zip Code that was underserved in my local community, I found a small business owner who was comfortable distributing take-home HIV tests and organized an off-site testing event around that launch. This was the start of leveraging my personal connections to serve the underserved around me. 

Doing acts like that got me promoted to a supervisory role in Outreach and let me innovate on the different ways we can deliver services.

What have you found surprising about your role?

I’ve been very surprised at some of the places I will get into because I am delivering services within the venue. I’ve gone to Bushwig, Black Party, and even the Pines Party in Fire Island because I dedicate the time to bring wellness and health resources and HIV destigmatizing information. 

Read more about RA25 UNLOCKED: Expanding Careers in Nightlife with QNCC and apply here.

Explore jobs in electronic music on Doors Open here.