Religious services and drag shows are two venues that don’t typically converge, but they will next week when residents at a local HIV/AIDS housing organization host a unique fundraiser.
Calcutta House will stage a fundraising Drag Gospel Show from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 21 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.
David Milbourne, a resident at Calcutta’s Serenity Court, organized a similar show in the past and said that, in addition to the fundraising component, such an event also has other benefits for the LGBT community.
“Most of us have had experiences in mainly heterosexual churches that probably weren’t very pleasant, so what this does is provides an atmosphere where the LGBTQ community is able to express their spirituality, without any looks or comments,” he said. “This creates somewhere where we can come together and acknowledge our spirituality — whether it’s Catholic, Muslim, whatever — and feel comfortable doing that.”
Six local drag performers will take part in the show: Ms. Latina Montgomery, Ms. Andrea LaMour, Lady Jaci Adams, Ms. India Sims, Ms. Adora LaMour and Ms. Kyra LaMour.
Milbourne said that while this is a different atmosphere than what the artists are used to, he hopes it can also be a learning experience for them, as well as for the audience.
“As much as they’re helping people to understand the transgender community, I hope this helps them and others to understand their own spirituality,” he said. “It is just a show, but at the same time, I’m also trying to get people to understand that we can still have some kind of spiritual relationship.”
Heather Osborne, Calcutta director of development and communications, said the concept, design and planning for the show have been completely resident-driven. Calcutta House kicked in a minimal amount of funding to cover the rental fee for the space and small stipends for the performers, but Milbourne and other residents successfully canvassed for donations, including the food that will be served at the show.
Calcutta House was hard-hit by the summer’s state budget impasse and had to delay payments to its vendors and forego events like resident field trips to make ends meet.
“We’ve kept all of the essential services and really tried to make sure that our residents didn’t feel insecure when the budget caused so many problems, but some did sense it and this motivated some of them to pitch in and create this event,” Osborne said.
The funding brought in through the show will go to provide direct services for the residents.
Osborne noted the initiative shown by Milbourne and other residents who’ve helped with the show’s production demonstrates the wider mission of Calcutta House.
“We’re trying to move the residents to a place where they can be independent again,” she said. “We don’t want them to be relying on social workers but to be able to get back out on their own and be self-sufficient, and I think something like this can empower them.”
Milbourne agreed that while the fundraising is integral to the clients at Calcutta House, the sense of self-worth and self-confidence they gain from producing the show is equally important.
“It gives them a sense of being able to help, of knowing that this is something that’s being done that they’ve had a hand in,” he said. “It’s important for them to be a part of it.”
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.calcuttahouse.org or by calling (215) 684-0480 ext. 102.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].