After working as a DJ, host, sound engineer and in a variety of other positions in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood nightlife scene, Leo Gonzales said he “had the opportunity to see what the community was lacking.”
This realization was the spark for the Philadelphia LGBTQ Arts Initiative’s Queer Performances of Color, which will be held at Cibo Ristorante Nov. 26.
The inaugural event will feature performances from Gonzales, Aida Bummcake, Aurora Whorealis, Otis Pena, Kevyn Black Mines, Sapphira Cristal, Jarret McCreary, Jaeda and Icon Ebony Fierce. The routines will include singing, spoken-word poetry, dancing, burlesque and drag performances. Additionally, the Black and Brown Workers Collective, Marcus Neal Gordon and Kyle Stro will serve as guest speakers.
“I think because of the political climate, we’ll have a lot more powerful and organic things to expect from these performances,” said Gonzales, who also serves as the Arts Initiative’s vice president.
Gonzales said the recent presidential election did not change the show’s format but it impact the attitude of the performances.
“The election made us much more of a fighter than we’ve ever been,” Gonzales said.
The event comes after numerous complaints of racism and discrimination in the LGBT nightlife scene led to a Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations hearing on the topic last month.
“We’re not there to lecture anybody,” Gonzales said. “We’re not there to make anybody feel bad but it is a show that provides an equal platform where everybody can showcase their talent and art. If we put queer people of color on the front line, perhaps we’ll have a little more positive change and that positive change will lead us to further understanding one another and to ultimately get closer to true inclusiveness.”
Ian Lesage Johnson, the Arts Initiative’s president, said the organization’s premise was conceived because “one does not successfully combat discrimination without people getting on the same page.”
“The call for unity and solidarity is to agree that, first of all, there is a problem with discrimination in this community, and second, to do something about it. I think this one show is a way to do something about it,” Johnson said.
The Philadelphia LGBTQ Arts Initiative’s Queer Performances of Color will be held at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 26 at Cibo, 1227 Walnut St. There is no cover charge but the Arts Initiative will collect donations at the door to support the organization’s efforts to stage more performances.