• Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • 2nd Annual Sabor de Mi Centro Block Party Boogies in Boyle Heights
  • Senior Prom Celebrates 25th Anniversary
  • “Solidarity Forever”: Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr at Trans Town Hall
  • “We Are Immense, and We Are Abundant”: Trans Pride LA Organizer Gina Bigham Looks Back on a Decade-Plus of Highlights and the Biggest Trans Pride Yet
  • Trans Actors, Athletes, and Activists Celebrate Community and Solidarity at First-Ever Trans Town Hall
  • “My Crown Is Paid For”: 12 Center Portraits of Juneteenth
  • House of Avalon, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Join Center Staff and Supporters for LA Pride: “F*ck the Margins. We’re the Center.”
  • This Year’s AIDS/LifeCycle Participants on Why They Ride
Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube
LGBT News Now
Learn about career opportunities at the Center
  • Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
LGBT News Now
You are at:Home»Community»Big Freedia Offers Words of Inspiration to LGBTQ+ Youth at The Future Is Black: Renaissance
Big Freedia, the Future Is Black 2023

Big Freedia Offers Words of Inspiration to LGBTQ+ Youth at The Future Is Black: Renaissance

0
By on February 5, 2023 Community, Youth

By Reid Nakamura

The Los Angeles LGBT Center kicked off Black History Month this year with the in-person return of The Future Is Black, a free community event to celebrate Black artists and address some of the pressing issues that face Black members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Themed after Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning album Renaissance—which itself drew inspiration from the Black and queer artists who pioneered the genre of dance music—the event was hosted by journalists Tre’vell Anderson and jarrett hill of the FANTI podcast and featured an appearance by Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” collaborator Big Freedia.

Freedia was honored with the Center’s Bayard Rustin Award for her fearless advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, which she described to the audience as a major source of motivation throughout her storied career.

“I get DMs from people telling me that their family opened up to them after they watched my show,” Freedia said during the keynote conversation that followed her award. “Or it helped them to have a better relationship with their mom or their dad.”

Freedia sat down with content creator and activist Amber Whittington—known online as AmbersCloset—for the wide-ranging conversation, which touched on her career as a leader in the New Orleans bounce music scene, her relationship to her hometown, and how she hopes to inspire younger generations.

“I’ve had children say, ‘I couldn’t be me until I saw you be you,’” she said. “And that’s what it is—never change who you are and continue to be you.”

“We all have a mission in life … I bring all types of people together through music and through the power of ass,” she said. “My motto is the two-p formula: I pray, and I push. That’s what gets me through.”

Attendees were also entertained by a live version of Anderson and hill’s podcast in which they touched on topics including the role of religion in the Black community, their plans to secure tickets to Beyoncé’s upcoming tour, and more.

Hosted by the Center’s own Oliver Delgado, the final panel of The Future is Black: Renaissance was called “America Has a Problem,” and welcomed Capri Maddox, the executive director of the first-ever Los Angeles Civil Rights department, to survey the city’s progress in the years since the protests and civil unrest of 2020.

The night then closed out with a mini-ball reception headlined by DJ Lancia featuring iconic guest judges from the Los Angeles ballroom scene and a live portrait studio by international photographer, Cédric Terrell.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

2nd Annual Sabor de Mi Centro Block Party Boogies in Boyle Heights

“Solidarity Forever”: Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr at Trans Town Hall

“We Are Immense, and We Are Abundant”: Trans Pride LA Organizer Gina Bigham Looks Back on a Decade-Plus of Highlights and the Biggest Trans Pride Yet

Comments are closed.

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.
About Us

LGBT News Now

LGBT News Now is a publication of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Center is the largest LGBT organization in the world, dedicated to building a world where LGBT thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.

Follow Us on Instagram

lalgbtcenter

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

🚨 #LACounty is ending all HIV prevention contra 🚨 #LACounty is ending all HIV prevention contracts by May 31—putting lives, jobs, and decades of progress at risk. The Center and our community won’t stand by. Silence = Death. We’re fighting back @LACountyBOS #ActUpLA. Take action at the link in bio!
Celebrating the brilliance, vibrancy, and joy acro Celebrating the brilliance, vibrancy, and joy across our AANHPI diaspora—where queerness and ancestry intersect in ways both tender and powerful. 🌈🌺 #AANHPIMonth #QueerJoy
🚨The Department of #HHS released a federal repo 🚨The Department of #HHS released a federal report promoting conversion therapy under a new name—dismissing decades of science-based evidence for lifesaving, gender-affirming care for #TGNBI+ youth. Swipe to learn what’s at stake and visit our Take Action page at the link in bio. #ProtectTransYouth
Happy 70th to the iconic and first ever Center glo Happy 70th to the iconic and first ever Center global ambassador, @donatella_versace! Forever [stuck] in our hearts and thankfully not our elevators!
⚠️TW: A 61-year-old transgender woman in #West ⚠️TW: A 61-year-old transgender woman in #Westlake has been the target of multiple violent hate-motivated attacks. #LAPD is seeking help identifying the suspects and any additional victims. Anyone with possible information is encouraged to contact the Rampart Division detectives at (213) 484-3495 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Swipe to learn more.
🌅#GoldenHour is back May 17! This all-ages #AAN 🌅#GoldenHour is back May 17! This all-ages #AANHPIMonth night market honors @lararajj of @katseyeworld! Curated by and for queer AANHPI communities—expect karaoke, tea tasting, cultural bites, live performances & more. Presented by @gileadsciences and @mayumi_market 
RSVP: lalgbtcenter.org/GoldenHour
On Saturday night, our Anita May Rosenstein Campus On Saturday night, our Anita May Rosenstein Campus came alive with love, recognizing the resilience of our community at the Center’s #LAForever Celebration. Nearly $800K was raised for our life-saving services, with unforgettable moments from honorees @thesherylleeralph and Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy of CHLA, and our vibrant host @bobthedragqueen. Thank you to everyone who showed up, stood up, and reaffirmed that our lives are worth defending. Read more at the link in bio 💜
Lesbians: visible, powerful, and probably funnier Lesbians: visible, powerful, and probably funnier than you. Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! #LV25 #QueerJoy
Celebrating the unforgettable Jiggly Caliente, a f Celebrating the unforgettable Jiggly Caliente, a fierce performer, advocate, and trailblazer whose light touched so many. Her loss leaves a deep ache in our community, and we hold her loved ones close in our hearts during this time.
Follow on Instagram
Stay Connected
Subscribe
Copyright © 2022 Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.