Yesterday I had the pleasure of gathering with 50 other people and having tea with the Duchess.
That's right. Well, the Duchess of Grant Park that is.
We came together in celebration of Pride, and to commemorate Stonewall. It was strange and so nice to be in a room full of people (well "full"- the guest list was kept very small) for the first time for me since covid hit almost 1.5 ago.
We shared food, and had conversation, and laughs, and music.
THIS is what I've been missing. A sense of community. A sense of family.
You know I'm a sucker for aesthetic, and I can say I've never been to a tea party before but I absolutely loved it- had very Alice in Wonderland vibes and you know that thrilled me.
Kyle Kirkland blessed us with his amazing music- A friend of mine for close to 10 years now. A brilliant song-writer and singer who I've had the pleasure of hearing live dozens of times. And this night he did not disappoint. He writes his own musical scores, sings, writes his own lyrics, plays nearly every instrument. He is one of those people that make you question why he isn't famous for music. Quarantine did you well my friend- your music touched my soul.
We had some amazing speeches including one young woman who had written something about Stonewall, the importance of it, and how far we still have to go.
She is bisexual, tho married to a man. And over a decade after coming out she bought her first pride flag this year. Her speech literally moved me to tears when she spoke of the internal struggle she still faces of the fear to hang this flag publicly as she lives just 40 minutes outside of the city.
And revealed this was the first time she had publicly stated her sexuality to a room full of people.
That's healing.
That's why we were here. That's why we need more events like this. To create safe spaces for people to be themselves. A sort of modern-day Stonewall Inns.
To balance out the tears, we also had the pleasure of having 2 amazing comedians- Karen Felix, and Ian Abear who absolutely killed the stage. I was crying here too but due to laughter.
I think we all gained a few years of life from your sets. And it was a reminder that we're allowed to laugh at our own misfortune- to find humor in a world that sometimes seems dark; and in the end that truly is the best medicine for the soul.
Ian Cole then stepped up on stage, and wow can this man sing. The soul- my god.
He performed his newly released original "Go Easy" available on all major streaming platforms. If you like blues and soul- you absolutely must check him out!! He also just brought some light and fun into the room with a cover of Let's Stay Together. It was a special moment for sure.
Big thanks for the wonderful MC Jasmine Waters- It was almost like having 3 comedic acts. You definitely held the room together girl!!
Big thanks to all that prepared the wonderful food and drinks we shared.
Thanks to Onstage Atlanta for having us and letting us take over your stage for the night!!
And definitely the biggest thanks goes to our host, and the one that put this together- the Duchess herself, Ava Davis. You are a very special lady, and it was a pleasure to meet you.
In total we raised $400 for Lost and Found. A non-profit organization here in Atlanta that helps LGBTQIA teens struggling with homelessness.
As Ava said, this touches her deeply because when she was a teen she kept a "go bag" just in case she needed to run away, or commit suicide.
That is why we do this. We need spaces like this.
For some of you, your families are wonderful and accepting. For some, once they're out as LGBTQ+- they no longer have a family.
This is why community is so important. Sometimes this communtiy is the only family someone has to turn to.
We may have raised $400 for Lost and Found, but I think all of us there last night gained much much more...
A reminder that we aren't alone.
A reminder that music, and laughter, and sharing food together is so important.
A reminder that we can be those strong people that queer youths can turn to, we can give what we ourselves wished we would have had as kids.
A reminder that we are stronger together.
Much love to you all, I encourage you all to do similar things in your communites. The gay bar scene is definitely a place for community and acceptance- but it shouldn't be the only place people can go to feel accepted or loved. We need more fucking tea parties.
xoxo-
Vox the Fox
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