RADICAL HEARTS DANCE
FEB 10, 2023
LGL and PACO MAY will be hosting THE RADICAL HEARTS DANCE to honor some of the BRIGHTEST lights in the community.
DONATE BELOW!
Benefitting Trans Asylias and The Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery
HONOREES
QWEEN JEAN Qween Jean is an Activist, Stage/Film Costume Designer, and Storyteller. She has committed her voice to advocating for marginalized communities; specifically black trans people. Her passion is creating access for unsung heroes and people who are often overlooked. She feels that they matter, and that their stories are valuable. Qween strongly believes in Black Trans Liberation, and feels that Liberation extends to everyone. This will allow the community to start healing, cultivating joy and maintain our POWER. She is thankful to be surrounded by family and friends who teach her communal love. When we lead with love, the oppressors cannot win! Qween wants the world to recognize and understand that black trans folx have the right to love past the age of 35! She often states “It’s simple; we are here to live and to live beautifully.” Black Trans People are FAMILY! Black Trans People are MAGIC! Black Trans People are ENOUGH! She has an MFA in Design from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
ANGELICA CHRISTINA EXTRAVAGANZA Angelica Christina is a passionate and driven Queer Latina, activist, actor, model, producer and trans consultant hailing from Spanish Harlem in New York City. Angelica is a proud alumni of the nation's first fully accredited LGBTQIA+ high school, The Harvey Milk High School. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, since 2020. Angelica is an accomplished media personality and actor having appeared on several television shows, documentaries and networks such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, MSNBC, America's Next Top Model and most recently Pose Seasons 2 & 3 on FX. She has made it her mission to further educate the world on the issues that plague the trans community, to promote healing for marginalized communities and to continue to carve out space for trans and queer stories to be told.
ELISA CRESPO Elisa Crespo is a trans Latina advocate and former public servant who has fought to promote civic engagement and elevate the LGBTQ community’s voice in halls of power. Prior to becoming the first executive director of the New Pride Agenda, Elisa served as Education Liaison to the Bronx Borough President’s Office and made history by becoming the first transgender woman of color to run for public office in the Bronx. Under her leadership, the NEW Pride Agenda spearheaded a statewide coalition whose advocacy resulted in a $3 million dollar Transgender Wellness & Equity Fund, making New York the second state in the country to establish a fund of its kind. Elisa graduated from John Jay College obtaining her Bachelors in Political Science and a minor in Human Rights. Ms. Crespo and her efforts have been featured in numerous media platforms including LGBTQ Nation, OUT Magazine, Marie Claire and NBC News. Most recently, Elisa was recognized for her contributions to social change by being listed in City and State’s 2022 “40 under 40” list. She currently lives in the Bronx with her partner and has no furry loved ones.
TERRI SQUIRES Most of my life I was called many names, I was told I would never never be anything nor anyone in life, but I knew somewhere every negative thing I heard growing up was a lie. I knew my family was and the woman I called mother was wrong. I was born 1981, with a twin brother in Brooklyn East New York to a African American mother & creole father. Third born of 9 children. I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. I am a kind and genuine person who love lending a helping hand to anyone in need. I'm a member of CK LIFE, SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECT, AUDRE LORDE PROJECT, I have volunteer at those organizations as well. Also a active volunteer for the dbgm conference since 2015. I participate in Translatina group. On my day off I volunteer at Gmhc for the pantry. I am a active part of my community. If you are interested in knowing more about me you can visit Facebook, it is Terri Squires.
KIARA ST. JAMES Kiara St. James, has been a community organizer and public speaker. She has used her intersectional identities as a platform to highlight and bring tactile and systemic change to a very diverse audience, encouraging everyone to speak with their authentic voices, their truth to power. She has been instrumental in changing shelter policies that were discriminatory towards the Trans community, and presented workshops concerning marginalized communities at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria and the United Nations, as well as at other conferences and academic institutions. Kiara has also been coordinating meetings with legislators to discuss the importance of passing Gender Expression Non Discrimination Act, a bill that will enrich the lives of all New Yorkers through creating culturally affirming spaces, which was legislated into law on January 28, 2019. Kiara is the Founder and current Executive director of the New York Transgender Advocacy Group (NYTAG inc), A grassroots 501c-3 non-profit organization, that is Trans-led and intent on creating new opportunities for the Trans community, through various partnerships and sustainable innovative initiatives.
TALENT
FRANKIE PARADISE (DJ) Frankie's motto has always been "Love is the Message and Music is the answer". Born and raised in the Mott haven section of the Bronx, New York City, of Puerto Rican and Taino descent, was inspired by the late Legendary Larry Levan and Paradise Garage. Frankie now spans over 35 years in promotions and DJ experience. https://soundcloud.com/frankie-paradise
THEE SUBURBIA (Host) Suburbia began doing drag as a career shortly after graduating from St John’s University in Jamaica, Queens in 2013. Since starting drag eight years ago, she has performed all over New York City on stage and screen. She also posed for the World Pride Campaign that was held in NYC in 2019. She regularly hosts and performs with Susanne Bartsch at places such as Sony Hall, Elsewhere Space and The Standard Hotel. She founded a group called the PoC Drag Art Collective, a group that’s mission is to support and celebrate QPOC lives through showcasing, volunteering and fundraising.
BOY RADIO Coming from a small town in California, Boy Radio didn't really know any other out queer people he could look up to and found himself turning to TV and Film for representation. Cut to ten years later, and he has come into his own all the while advocating for queer visibility by doing him and killing it in his music career. Check out his latest album, "Pop That".
DEV DOEE A 2023 GLAM Award winner, Dev Doee is a multi-faceted performer and leader. As one of the youngest and very few Black trans people holding a leadership role in the beauty space, Doee has already made significant strides in pushing for more inclusivity and representation by launching campaigns for Trans Day of Visibility and partnering with LGBTQ+ organizations like For the Gworls, Black Trans Femmes in the Arts and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
THE DRAGON SISTERS Issa & Odessa Dragon are an award-winning multi hyphenated performance duo based in Brooklyn. They are completely out of the box and can be seen performing all over NYC and Jersey, where they have stormed as staples in the community. This sisterhood and collaboration began while Issa and Odessa were studying at the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College (where Odessa is now a professor). Their individual careers in professional dance includes contracts with The Martha Graham Dance Company, Gallim Dance, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More and the Metropolitan Opera. They have presented work with Mana Contemporary, Carnegie Museum of Art, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and Gibney Dance. The Dragon Sisters are major forces in the NYC nightlife scene. They won twice at the 2021 Glam Awards: Best Duo/Group and Breakthrough Artists of the Year. Their debut EP, The Fine Print, was also released in 2021, and in 2022 The Dragon Sisters were honored as official ambassadors for NYC Pride.
ELLA FARTZGERALD Ella Fartzgerald is a cabaret and drag artist with a passion for blurring the lines between theatre and nightlife. Her creativity thrives at the intersections of storytelling and glamour. Her performances are a celebration of Black resilience, feminine autonomy and queer power. Ella was crowned Mx. Jubilee at BABEC’s Mx. Juneteenth Fire Island Pageant and is a founding member of the POC Collective.
MARIYEA Mariyea is a Brooklyn based performer, teacher and drag artist. Her previous credits include On Sugarland, at New York Theatre Workshop. Along with works presented at The Shed, Soho Rep, The Apollo, The Delacorte and Joe’s Pub. Additionally, she can be seen in a feature film soon to be announced on Paramount+. Mariyea has the privilege of hosting and performing in drag shows in various spaces throughout New York City. bfa NYU Tisch.
PARIS L’HOMMIE Paris is a makeup artist, dancer and duchess of genderfuck who is giving us face, movement and beauty.
ROBYN EDGES Shablam! *Gasp* where did your edges go!? This queen’s got them all: from Boston to Brooklyn with love, Robyn Edges is here to slay… in a plethora of fierce and creative ways.
SERENA TEA Serena is a Brooklyn-based drag queen who uses her experience in the ballroom world to bring something fresh, new, and precise to the scene.
THE RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE
THE RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE
THE RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE is a collaborative project conceptualized by LGL and PACO MAY to unite the many sides of the queer performance and activist worlds under the same mirror ball, on the same dance floor. The stage and the street are always in dialogue and THE RADICAL HEARTS seek to create moments for us all to unite and get down.
We always honor black and brown women of trans experience who have fought and paved the way for all of us to self determine our truths while living our best lives in resilience. Like our mothers of the movement Marsha and Sylvia and so many others for centuries.
ACTIVISM. ART. AFFECTION.
Dance with us while we beat to the drums of our own RADICAL HEARTS.
ABOUT THE RADICAL HEARTS
Lacey Lynch (Co-Founder) is a native New Yorker with roots in the South. She is personally aware of the many injustices that are setup to challenge and oppress our BIPOC communities while trying to navigate day to day life. Lacey works fearlessly at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project as Director of Development & Finance. She has been enjoying Fire Island since she moved back to NY in 2013, but has gained a deeper love for the community once she started consulting for The Grove Hotel and Ice Palace in 2019. She is a founding board member of BaBEC Fire Island, a coalition to bring more Black, brown, and trans representation to the island. Lacey is a seasoned hospitality professional with a successful background in building strong service and revenue cultures for over 20 years at companies such as Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group and Carlson. Previously she has also volunteered with organizations such as Transcend Legal, GLITS, Pride for Youth, TLDEF, PFLAG, HRC and Rotary International. Under the banner of the RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE and her work in production and marketing, she is known as LGL.
Paco May (Co-Founder) is an artist and creator currently living in Brooklyn. When he moved back to the US after living for nearly a decade in Chile, Paco followed his inspirations and muses right into the drag show and onto the streets and began collaborating with members of the community on projects both political and artistic. He is a frequent collaborator of Trans Asylias founder, Iman LeCaire, and developed a year-long project with Brooklyn makeup mogul Junior Mintt. His work has been featured in The Cut, The BET Hip Hop Awards, and The TODAY SHOW. His most recent solo exhibit, NIGHT LIGHTS, is a celebration of and a tribute to the queer nightlife community. He is honored to partner with LGL to bring the RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE to life.
Harmony Fisher (Consultant) is a mother, activist & hospitality professional - born and raised in New York with roots in The South. No stranger to philanthropy as her grandmother was one who taught her to pay it forward as she was a commissioner of North Carolina. In her honor, Harmony donated her time and talent in event producing to uplifting the trans and queer communities of color. She has worked for companies such as Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Hilton and more. She is honored to uplift her aunt LGL’s vision with co-founder Paco May of The RADICAL HEARTS COLLECTIVE.