Queer LA LIVE: Stories of Joy
- The Crawford, 474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Queer LA is your space to help you get the most out of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Los Angeles, a long-term project to help you figure out things big and small — with a focus on joy. And now we’re bringing that joy to the stage. Queer LA LIVE is a new live event series that will explore what brings us joy, how we build community, and where we can find spaces to connect nearby.
On September 21, host Caitlin Hernández (they/them) will welcome drag king Johnny Gentleman (he/him), dancer Joey Navarrete-Medina (he/they), and poet Maya Salameh (she/they) to share their stories of joy and perform live. We’ll get to learn about their personal journeys to self-discovery through their art and dance performances. After the show, stick around for a DJ set from DJ CAKEMIXX and enjoy delicious food from Bridgetown. Plus, North Figueroa Bookshop will be onsite with a curated selection of books for purchase. And we want to hear your stories of joy too! Tell us all about it here.
Upcoming Series Dates
ABOUT JOHNNY GENTLEMAN
Johnny Gentleman is a Latinx, trans-masc drag king veteran who has worked hard to break boundaries in the name of the drag king, nonbinary, and BIPOC communities in Los Angeles. He has been an activist for drag king and nonbinary equality in the drag community. He has performed at WeHo Pride, produced WeHo’s first drag king half hour at WeHo Pride 2022, been featured in Vox.com, LA Times, and Spectrum News, and was the first drag king producer to perform and coordinate an all Indigenous drag lineup for LA PRIDE 2023. He started LA’s first drag king brunch, Dapper Puss: THE BRUNCH, in July 2022 and the show is currently at Sorry Not Sorry. He has been a panelist for several non-profit organizations speaking about his story as a trans masculine, nonbinary Latinx drag king and creating educational and diverse events for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially LGBTQIA+ youth.
ABOUT JOEY NAVARRETE-MEDINA
Joey Navarrete-Medina is a queer Mexican American contemporary dance artist based in Los Angeles. As a first-generation individual from a Latine, Catholic, and immigrant-working family, Joey's work is deeply inspired by their upbringing as the youngest of seven siblings. Joey is dedicated to connecting their artistic practice with inclusivity and their personal and collective journey of decolonization and queerness. In 2014, Joey received a BFA in Dance from CSULB and later became a certified Pilates instructor under Body Arts and Science, International (BASI). Joey has worked at various local and international schools, including UCLA, UCI, CSULA, RCC, and UDLAP. Recently, they collaborated with the AB Miller Conservatory of Dance to establish a pre-certification program for underrepresented and underserved Pilates students of color. Joey received the Diversity Fellowship Award at UCLA in 2018 and the Leo Freedman Fellowship for artistic merit in 2022. They completed their master's degree in dance at UCI and currently engage in freelance performance and movement creation in both concert and commercial dance.
ABOUT MAYA SALAMEH
Maya Salameh is the author of How To Make An Algorithm In the Microwave (University of Arkansas Press, 2022) and rooh (Paper Nautilus Press, 2020). She is the recipient of the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize and a Finalist for the California Book Award. She has served as a National Student Poet, America’s highest honor for youth poets, and received fellowships from institutions including the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities, the Institute for Diversity in the Arts, and the Breadloaf Environmental Writers' Conference. Her work has appeared in POETRY, The Rumpus, AGNI, and the LA Times, among others. She can be found @mayaslmh or mayasalameh.com.
ABOUT CAITLIN HERNÁNDEZ
Caitlin Hernández is a reporter at LAist, covering LA Explained and Queer LA. They’re focused on exploring what makes Greater L.A. tick so that everyday Angelenos can better understand our complex region and connect more with the people living in it.
ACCOMMODATIONS
LAist is committed to providing access and accommodation for individuals with disabilities at our events. To request accommodations, please email events@laist.com or call us at (626) 585-5222 at least 7 days in advance of the event.