On Aug. 27, the Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus ( CBGMC ) presented its 11th Annual Love Fest and Urbanity Mini Ball at the Chicago Illuminating Company at 2110 S. Wabash Ave. The festival and ball offered a health village, drag and vogue performances, a dance competition, a mini-cinema showing locally produced LGBTQ short films, and a raffle for cash prizes.
Presided over by CBGMC Executive Director Erik Glenn and board member David Dodd, the festival played host to younger and older members of the Black LGBTQ community as well as straight allies.
Greeting the crowd at the outset, Glenn made the point of stressing the importance of health and treatment as well as sexual health for the Black community. With health professionals from the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center and the Chicago Department of Public Health in attendance, the festival offered HIV and hepatitis testing as well as vaccinations and testing for meningitis. As the afternoon segued into evening, the Urbanity Ball took center stage.
Miss Ruff N Stuff kicked the night off with her bevy of drag performers that included Bianca Extravaganza, Dakota Lady Goth and Veronica Devaraux.
Then came the voguing competition, which got an unexpected lift when house icon and pioneer Tommy Avant Garde gave a rare impromptu performance. The night culminated with competitions in the categories "Runway," "Sex Siren" and "Realness," with Father Kentrele Mizrahi hosting.
Sponsors of the event included the Regional Resource Network Program, The Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, Prep 4 Love, Janssen, The Chicago Department of Public Health, Third Coast CFAR, The Lighthouse Church of Chicago, Region Five, The Chicago Urban League, The University of Chicago School of Medicine and The Ruth Rothstein CORE Center.