KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the third year, Pride on the Vine was held to celebrate what it means to be Black and queer, according to host Quez Beasley and DJ Baby Boi
“It’s strength, it’s diversity, it’s resilience,” said DJ Baby Boi.
Embracing who you are and wearing your pride is what it means to be Black and queer, according to Quez Beasley.
“I’m Black and I’m proud, and I’m gay and I’m proud,” said Beasley.
However, walking down that path in both communities isn’t always an easy strut.
“It’s two things being held against you, you’re Black and you’re gay,” Beasley said. ”When you are Black, you got to stand up for a lot of more things not just for your color, but being a whole different sexual preference.”
Something Baby Boi, a Kansas City DJ, knows all too well is coming out at 16.
“It was honestly hard to come out, especially for my mom because you know that was taboo,” she said. “It broke my heart because I had to feel like, do I make my mother happy or do I diminish who I am? So it’s like, somebody’s going to be unhappy.”
Now at 42 years old, DJ Baby Boi says she is happy to see acceptance from her family, and she moves to her own beat.
“I had to be in the closet and be to myself, but I finally started finding out who I was. I just said, 'This is me,' and I’m kind of at that point in my life, love me or hate me,” she said.
Now with events like Pride on the Vine, she and others are hoping to set the stage for the next generation of those who are Black and queer.
“It's not hard, but it’s not going to be easy," Beasley said. "But when you know who you are, somebody is always looking at you, wishing that could be you, too. That's my message, just be you, boo."
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