For one day in June, an unassuming industrial building on Perkins Ave. transforms into a vibrant, joyful venue. Local vendors serve delicious food and sell their wares, music blasts, and drag performers entertain. Attendees, mostly queer Black folks, are embraced in an atmosphere created by them, for them.
The festivities are Mx. Juneteenth, a celebration for Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ Black community and allies. Juneteenth marks the day in June 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom – the last day of formal slavery in the United States. Mx. is an honorific title for people who identify as non-binary.
Since its founding in 2021, the event has had two years of success as it offers a safe space for the Black LGBT+ community. But more than that, it is rooted in principles of abolition, community, solidarity with all oppressed communities, and anti-bigotry. The organizers work to include as many people as possible while also encouraging guests to challenge their ideas about what a Juneteenth can be. The team’s values are reflected in every aspect of the festivities, from the vendors, to the non-police security, to the event space itself.
This year’s event will be held on June 17, 2023 at BLK Punx Press, 4701 Perkins Ave., from 12–6 p.m. and will feature food and merchandise vendors as well as live entertainment from Cleveland’s local queer community. Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can basis, and non-Black attendees are invited to give larger donations.
Mx. Juneteenth is the realization of founder Avery Ware’s (he/they) hopes for a Juneteenth that would recognize the rich diversity of the Black experience through an intersectional framework that acknowledges the unique experience of being both Black and queer. “A lot of us that live at the intersection of Black and queer are pushed to the periphery to celebrate Juneteenth,” said Ware. “I hope [attendees] feel celebrated, joyous, respected, a little bit more free than they came,” Ware said. All are welcome, but organizers specifically aim to honor queer people who may be at the margins of traditional Juneteenth festivities.
A new kind of Juneteenth
In early May 2021, Ware decided to do something for Juneteenth, on the eve of President Biden’s decision to recognize the day as a federal holiday. After originally imagining a small cookout with entertainment, it quickly blew up when Ware told friends, who shared the excitement and wanted to make a bigger celebration. One of those friends was DeNavya Toblert (she/her), founder of BLK Punx Press (BPP), a small DIY music venue for independent artists, who offered to host the event at the space. After six intense weeks of planning and marketing via social media, 100 people attended the first Mx. Juneteenth.
Hosting the event at her space was an organic decision for Tolbert. “One of the core values of BPP is creating a secure environment for POC [people of color], particularly POC queer individuals,” she said. “As a Black queer person, you often have to choose which aspect of your identity to prioritize in certain spaces. You’re compelled to decide whether to present yourself as Black or queer. However, at BPP, I want individuals to feel that they can embrace and express both aspects of their identity, as well as any other aspects they identify with on any given day.” Many people who enjoy BPP’s programming also attend Mx. Juneteenth.
Though Ware thought the 2021 Juneteenth celebration would be a one-off, friendly pressure from community members brought the festival back for a second year with 250 attendees. Now, it’s in its third year. Non-queer/Black allies are welcome to attend, and those who can are encouraged to support the event by making a donation or sharing information about it on social media.
Radical and inclusive
Every element of the day is rooted in the festival’s values. The funding, vendors, security, and facilities are all expressions of the politics of the founding team. For Ware, three non-negotiables are the event’s intersectional framework, abolitionist stance, and police-free presence.
There is a code of conduct to ensure the safety of the space for attendees. Anyone who feels unsafe can report the issue to a volunteer or security, which will be provided by the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, a Black gun-owners association. For the organizers, police at a Juneteenth celebration were a contradiction that compromised the event’s sense of safety instead of creating one.
Inclusion is an essential part of the experience, and considerations that go beyond race and gender are made to include as many people as possible. The event has ADA-accessible porta-potties, nearby parking so seniors and/or disabled members of the community do not have to walk too far, an ASL interpreter, sensory rooms for people to take a break from the noise of the event, and more. Though limited by funding, Ware and Tolbert plan to include even more people in the future, such as a shuttle to transport folks to and from the event.
Mx. Juneteenth also has HIV/STI testing and cancer screenings run by the Cleveland Clinic. The organizing duo hopes that other Juneteenth events in the city will follow Mx. Juneteenth’s lead to accommodate those who would otherwise not be considered on the holiday.
Financial support for the event comes primarily from individual donors. For the organizers, fundraising is an extension of the festival’s values and a means to start a conversation around wealth redistribution. Not all donations are accepted, as the organizing team does not accept or seek money from entities that it sees as violating the festival’s values. “We don’t do rainbow capitalism, so we’re very intentional with who we take money from,” said Ware. “[Donors] don’t receive anything in return. Sponsorships are considered donations to the Black community in Cleveland.”
‘Spiritually full’
The team is hard at work to make this year’s event the best it can be, creating a celebration worthy of the Black queer community that it honors. Ware hopes the festival creates an atmosphere that inspires attendees to take action in their communities. “I hope people feel spiritually full from Mx. Juneteenth, refreshed, and recommitted to doing the work – engaging the community in any capacity they can,” said Ware.
The organizers have also noticed the festival’s growth each year, and are hoping for that to continue into the future, “I aim for our events and organization to expand to offer enhanced education about Juneteenth and create additional inclusive spaces for people of all ages to express themselves freely… I would love for our event to surpass the capacity of Blk Punx Press’ current location,” said Tolbert.
You can buy tickets, sign up to volunteer at Mx. Juneteenth, or learn more about the event on the Mx. Juneteenth website.
Moses Ngong was a participant in The Land’s community journalism program.
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