BlackLight Community Presents Juneteenth Queer Comedy Celebration

BlackLight Community presents the Juneteenth Queer Comedy Celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 9:30pm at Harlem Comedy (508 East 117th Street). Tickets are $15 and available in advance only at blacklightcommunity.com/events. There will be no tickets at the door.

Providing a reputable stage for black queer artists to showcase their best work and dope music to bop to, the Juneteenth Queer Comedy Celebration invites audiences to enjoy good vibes, the best laughs, and incredible drinks with no minimum. Refreshments are available for purchase. After the show, stick around for a Comedy Kiki with the host, lineup, and the organizations supporting the evening.

Emceed by Gabriel Generally, the lineup will include Kari Burt, Glo Butler, Calvin S. Cato, Rakafella Davis, Wanjiko Eke, Ayana Francois, Asha Ward, Anthony Oakes, and Aurea Young. Creative director Generally approached BlackLight with this movement to highlight the importance of queer representation within the Comedic sector.

The crew and producers include Zora Elio, Emily Prior, Karl Hawkins, Stefanie Workmanof Don't Tell Amy, Nicky Sunshine, Amanda Levie, and Rakelly Ribeiro.

"The Juneteenth Queer Comedy Celebration exists to highlight marginalized artists, thus pushing our mission to showcase those underrepresented in the arts," said BlackLight Community founder India Shanelle. "We also advocate for queer acceptance within the black community as we continue to see the strain within the culture. To fight against prejudices within the black culture, we hold this event to give flowers to queer black artists on the weekend of Juneteenth during Pride. This show will bring the best laughs as we add unity to our collective community."

"Community and your network are things you build, and I don't ever want to look around the room and be the only one. I want to see more bent wrists on stage, I want to make art for the girls that get it, and therefore intend to be very intentional with the community I build around my work," says Generally.

Comedy in Harlem is Harlem's new home for stand-up comedy. Located just off the FDR, Comedy In Harlem is the best and most convenient place to see live stand-up comedy uptown. The club opened in October 2021 and has already been featured on Channel 2 CBS News New York, Good Day NY Fox 5, and recognized by the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce. As New York City's only Black-owned comedy club, Comedy In Harlem is proud to bring the arts back into the community.

The Juneteenth Queer Comedy Celebration is produced by BlackLight Community, a nonprofit organization that highlights and represents marginalized artists; more specifically black artists within the comedic sector. Their goal is to create a reputable show for BIPOC comics and bring in a larger audience elevating black queer comics to a new tier of credibility in the industry, thus influencing other comics to join in the world of visibility that our counterparts so often overlook.

For $15 advance tickets and more information, visit blacklightcommunity.com/events. There will be no tickets at the door.