ST. LOUIS — Pride Month celebrations are ending but the push for belonging in St. Louis is a continuous journey.
Many LGBTQIA+ organizations and advocates continue their work yearlong to provide education, advocacy and safe spaces for the community and allies to exist.
Five years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tre'Von Griffith and Shelton Boyd-Griffith birthed WerQfest.
"A lot of us were at home," Griffith said. "A lot of artists weren't performing at the time, so it was an opportunity for us to get together and show our community joy."
WerQfest is an arts and culture festival that spotlights the Black queer, trans and non-binary community.
The organization uses "the power of arts and entertainment to create safe spaces and amplify artists, organizations, and voices within our Black queer community."
"I feel like as humans, we all love to feel seen and heard and I believe at WerQfest we are doing just that," Griffith said.
The core of its mission, WerQfest, will be held starting at 4 p.m. on July 13, 2024, at The Big Top at 3401 Washington Blvd. in the Grand Center Arts District.
Artists will include American drag queen Kevin Aviance and R&B singer Josiah Wise, known as serpentwithfeet from New York.
WerQfest also hosts events including table talks and parties throughout the year.
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