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Michael J Crumpler

@mjcrumpler

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LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director at the UUA and is an ordained UCC, lives in Brooklyn and a founder of The Blackyard Collective.

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Words can’t describe how spiritually transformative “The Family Reunion” was. I’m beyond grateful to have experienced a weekend of pure joy, healing, connection, catharsis, and bipoc LGBTQIA+ liberation. I’m grateful for every person who helped plan this retreat and to think that this all started by a few of us who needed to kiki is truly a blessing.

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THE HILLS WERE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF RECOVERY! 🌲😂❤️✨ (PART TWO)

And baby, we were OUTSIDE! 😭😂

What a weekend. What a beautiful reminder that recovery isn’t just about the life we leave behind. It’s about the life we get to experience when we choose to stay. 🥹❤️

This weekend with the BlackYard Collective was filled with laughter, connection, new friendships, familiar faces, and moments I genuinely wish I could bottle up and take home.

We laughed. We danced. We played. We celebrated. And somewhere between all of that, we continued healing. ❤️

There was a time when I couldn’t imagine being this present, this comfortable, or this genuinely HAPPY.

And now? LOOK AT US ON THE DAMN SWINGS! 😭😂

Recovery gave me my life back, but the people I’ve met along the way have helped make that life so incredibly beautiful.

Same time next year?! 👀🌲❤️

P.S. If you see yourself in this carousel and I haven’t tagged you, PLEASE let me know! I want everybody included! 🫶🏾

#Sobriety #recoveryispossible

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WE ARE FAMILY! 🖤🥹✨ (Part 1)

I don’t even know how to put this weekend into words. What we experienced together in the mountains of Idyllwild with @theblackyardcollectivenyc was nothing short of TRANSFORMATIVE.

The laughter, the tears, the vulnerability, the fellowship, the freedom to show up exactly as we are. Every conversation, every embrace, every shared story reminded me just how powerful healing can be when we do it TOGETHER.

I arrived at this retreat as one person and came home carrying a little piece of every single person I encountered. That’s how deeply this weekend touched me.

To my beautiful BlackYard Collective family, THANK YOU. For creating a space where Black queer people can be seen, celebrated, loved, and supported without having to explain a single thing about who we are. There is something extraordinary about being surrounded by people who understand you without you having to translate yourself. 🖤

And the beautiful thing is, I know I wasn’t the only one who left transformed. We ALL took something home with us.

THIS IS PART ONE! 📸😂 There are SO many beautiful people and memories to celebrate, so if I missed you in this post, trust me, PART TWO IS COMING!

And PLEASE, if you see yourself in any of these photos and I haven’t tagged you, DM me or TEXT ME if you have my number! I want EVERYBODY tagged and celebrated because every single one of you helped make this weekend what it was.

We came together as fellows. We left as FAMILY.

BLACKYARD COLLECTIVE, WE ARE FAMILY! 🖤🌈✨

#Sobriety #RecoveryIsPossible

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🧼 DAY 376 CLEAN & SERENE 🧼!

Today felt like one of those days where I got to live inside the promise of recovery.

I started the day celebrating a friend’s birthday surrounded by people I care about. Then we went to Soul Summit, and baby… I LET LOOSE. 😂🕺🏾 I danced. I laughed. I got in the middle of that dance floor and just felt FREE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to @mjcrumpler ! 🎂🥳❤️ Thank you for being exactly who you are—wise, hilarious, loving, fabulous, and always down for the foolishness when appropriate. 😂 Today I got to drag you onto the dance floor and shake a little homosexual ass with you, AS GOD INTENDED! 😭💃🏾🕺🏾✨ I hope this next trip around the sun brings you even more love, peace, purpose, abundance, and plenty of reasons to DANCE. Love you DOWN, birthday boy! 🥹❤️🎉♌️

And I think that’s the word for today: free.

There was a time when I thought drugs were what made me free. Today I’m learning that real freedom is being completely present for my own life. Being able to dance because the music feels good. Being able to love on my friends. Being able to make memories I’ll actually remember tomorrow.

And after all the celebrating and dancing? I went to a meeting. Because as full as my life has become, I know exactly what makes this life possible.

My recovery comes first.

Today wasn’t some huge life-changing event. It was simply a beautiful Labor Day spent living, laughing, dancing, celebrating and staying connected to my recovery.

And THAT is the life I was fighting for.

376 days later, I’m not watching life happen anymore.
I’m in the middle of the dance floor. 🥹❤️🕺🏾✨

#Sobriety #RecoveryIsPossible #CleanAndSober #OneDayAtATime

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GWOOOOOOORL 😭🎉 ONE. WHOLE. YEAR.

365 days of choosing myself, choosing recovery, choosing LIFE… so obviously we had to throw a birthday party for the bitch who came back from the dead and brought an outfit. 😂✨

And LOOK at these pictures!!! The smiles. The people. The cake. The flowers. The foolishness. The LOVE. 🥹 I spent so many years thinking I had to escape my life to enjoy it, and now I’m fully present in a life I don’t want to miss.

Thank you to everybody who hugged me, commented liked, loved me, prayed for me, watched me count these days, cheered from the internet, showed up in person, bought the damn cake, held my hand, and reminded me that recovery is something worth celebrating LOUDLY. I LOVE YOU ALLL!!!!!

We did it together… because that’s what WE DO! 😭🫶🏾

Happy 1st birthday to ME, bitch!!! 🎂✨
Season 2 has officially entered the chat.

#OneYearClean #RecoveryIsPossible #cleanandsober

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❤️ FUNDRAISER on this POST FOR THE BLACKYARD COLLECTIVE ❤️

Today, I’m asking for your help.

This October, I’ll have the incredible honor of attending the 2026 Blackyard Collective National Conference: A Family Reunion – From Roots to Recovery. This conference brings together Black queer and trans people in recovery from across the country for a weekend of healing, fellowship, leadership, and community.

If you’ve been following my journey, then you know recovery has completely transformed my life. It didn’t just help me stop using—it gave me hope, purpose, community, and a life I no longer want to escape.

The Blackyard Collective is creating spaces where people can heal together, support one another, and discover that recovery is possible. That’s why I’m so proud to support this fundraiser.

If my story has ever inspired you, made you smile, or reminded you that change is possible, I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider making a donation. I’ve added the fundraiser link to my bio. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps make this conference possible and helps more people experience the hope that recovery can bring.

If you’re not able to donate, sharing this post is another powerful way to support this mission.

Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for believing in recovery.
And thank you for believing that everyone deserves a chance to heal.

Clean & Serene… and ALWAYS Dean. 🪽✨

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Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers and the mothers of the mothers and the mothers of the mothers and the ones they call mother @leakst1 @cabair62 @stef_grapes @kiandradawn @journalyourpath @jesikaleefoster @osamm @sonyajohnson258 @sonyahurdle @victoriagb @seboynes5 @mjcrumpler #mothersdayspecial❤️ #mother #mom #mothersday #momlife

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So many surprises @softxprince the designer of the amazing #transempowerment #graphictees showed up and community came @jaysevegas hosted (new album on all streaming platforms) its was epic ! Thank you @crackheadbarneyandfriends for being our first customer! And all else who stopped by was a magical day ! Long day lol #trans #transnonbinary #transhealth #transwoman #Transman #nonbinaryfashion #nycnightlife #nycstyle #gaystergram #ganyc #queer #nyfw /#themmagazine #ftmmagazine #dapperq #gaycitynews #supportqueerartists #buyblack #styleblog

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Grief is especially difficult for those of us who like to isolate thinking we are saving our loved ones from dealing with our shit. Selfish and mis directed detatch ourselves slowly from any and everything that gave us real joy. But if your lucky you would have at some point in life created a foundation of love , a safety net !bonds to strong to be broken not even in death and when it gets hot they will be there when you stop setting your self on fire (😵😯👀 #happynativeamericanheritageday #DayifGratitude fro my family to yours

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Happy ( belated) birthday to one of the best humans I’ve ever know @mjcrumpler. This weekend was magical thank you for making the world a better place #fireisland #friends #love #birthday #weekendvibes #sober

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Join Av Alvarado and I as we host Episode 2 of “Crystal Confessions” with special guests Chris Rosso and Michael Crumpler.

We’re excited to share with you our experiences, strengths and hope during our journey as recovering addicts.

LIVE, next Wednesday, August 14th!
SEE YOU THERE! - episode will be uploaded to youtube days following.

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Pride 2024 @gjendor

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