Queer Keys Coming Out Party

 

July 1, 2022

Queer Keys Coming Out Party

To celebrate the conclusion of Pride month, the relatively new non-profit, Queer Keys hosted a celebration and party at the Key Werst Theater. While I am not gay, I certainly support the mission of the organization which is to help the Florida Keys become a safe, supportive and celebratory island chain for all people. So my friend Caitlin and I decided to attend the party and join the fun evening.

The party was to raise funds for the Florida Keys LBGTQ+ youth program for kids aged 12-18. With the current political climate getting scarier and scarier for so many of our LGBTQ friends, I thought it important to show my support in a way that was not overtly political but more in the tradition of Key West , by attending a party.

The party featured an all-star line-up of local entertainment, a silent auction and a lot of drinks and fun. There were a bunch of our friends either performing or in attendance and it was a really fun and informative (at least to me) evening.  There were drag show performers, a variety of awesome live musicians and even the comedy stylings of the amazing Gwen Filosa. 

It was the second time in as many days that I had the good fortune to see Gwen perform and she was amazingly funny once again. After the show Caitlin and I were joined by her friend Deja, who just happens to be the first openly transgendered graduate of Key West High School, and we all went for a fantastic dinner of Indian food. 

It was just the first of a few fun nights out, trying to keep myself entertained while Kathy was in Colorado. I also attended this week’s charity Vibrator Races at Mary Ellen’s Bar where this week’s charity was Chive Charities and they raised a ton of money with a packed house that donated a huge amount. Since the first vibrator races a few years ago, Mary Ellen’s has donated over 600,000 dollars to local charities. It is easily the largest continuous source of giving in the Keys. Kudos to Chris Schultz and everyone involved in this fun and giving event.

In a completely different vein, I also drove up to Miami this week to my friend Mitch Kaplan’s bookstore, Books & Books to attend a reception and reading by Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks. It was a quick up and back in the same evening with only a dinner stop at Tap 42 in Coral Gables prior to heading to the bookstore for the event.

Brooks was fantastic as always, she has been a guest of ours twice for the Key West Literary Seminar in the past, including giving our Keynote one year, but it was nice to see her again, this time promoting her latest book, “Horse”. It was a packed house at the bookstore and was fun to see all those involved with the Miami Book Fair as well. 

 

I also ventured out to see some live music this week as my friend Les Greene and his band the Swayzees were in town and performing at the Marker Resort. Les recently recorded the Little Richard classic “Tutti Frutti” for the new “Elvis” film. Another actor played Little Richard but it was his voice singing, which is pretty cool. I also got out to see Shastina Chiles at General Horseplay who I had not seen play in ages so it was a good week musically.

Kathy has also been enjoying herself out in Colorado, she went to a book signing for our friend Kali along with her brother Chris and sister-in-law Kari, getting to see and hang out with Kali a bit as well as visiting the great Sand Dunes National Park in Southern Colorado and sending me back a few photos of their adventures.

https://www.queerkeys.org/

https://www.theswayzees.com/