When City of Miami Commissioner Damián Pardo and national award-winning documentalist Joe Cardona first conceived of the idea for the Gay8 Festival in 2015, the two were very committed to creating an inclusive family- and community-centered event that would be different from other Pride festivals.
“We saw people and organizations becoming radicalized and polarized and felt that trend was a devastating development in a place like Miami-Dade County, where it would have negative political consequences, especially for the LGBTQ+ community,” Pardo said. “So [with Gay8], we made sure ‘gay’ was in the name in an effort to help educate the broader community on LGBTQ+ issues and to also offer the LGBTQ+ community a platform to learn from others. [Ten years ago], no other LGBTQ education/ advocacy organization was taking that approach on a large scale. So we were very committed to creating an inclusive family- and community-centered event that would be different from other Prides and more like a huge block party for residents, tourists and people who just wanted to let all the preconceived notions of themselves and others melt away for one day and bring the walls down. For just a few hours, it didn’t matter who you voted for [Republican or Democrat]. What mattered was you were with your neighbors, family and friends and that identity was foundational to succeed in the 305.”
Flash forward 10 years, the Gay8 Festival is still gathering LGBTQ+ Latinos and other POC (People of Color). The organization held a “house party” at Domino Park in Little Havana on Feb. 16.
“This year, we decided to still hold the event, but on a smaller scale as a house party with amazing support from the City of Miami,” said Aly Ramos, chairperson of 4Ward Miami, which hosts the festival. “We wanted to make sure everyone still felt the love from Gay8. It’s a little bit smaller than our normal festival, but we wanted to make sure our community felt our love for them. We thank the community for coming out to live their story here at Domino Park.”
Ramos said that “in spite of everything that’s going on with the economy, we still wanted to hold the event and make sure another year didn’t go by without holding the festival.” Last year, Gay8 took a hiatus due to budgetary reasons.
“We still wanted to come out and have a house party to re-engage with our community so they could feel the love and inclusion and have a great time,” Ramos said.
Lynn’s Girl Central, a space for Latina lesbians, still remains, despite the passing of its founder Lynn Bove a couple of years ago. “Lynn was near and dear to our hearts at the Gay8 Festival and we’re happy to continue her legacy,” Ramos said.
Francesco Durbeli, founder and CEO of Survivors Pathway, is a board member at Gay8. He says the festival is not only “a signature event for gay Latinos but a beautiful event that gathers the community every year.”
“This is not just a space to have fun but also a resource for members of the community to obtain information, bringing to light issues affecting the local LGBTQ+ population and offering solutions,” Durbeli said.
Sunday’s event included local LGBTQ+ musical artists, food vendors and organizations such as Survivors Pathway, which is a justice center in the state of Florida assisting victims of crime, assault, human trafficking and domestic violence. Now, the organization has added a medical center to the mix, providing those in need with free access to PrEP and HIV and STD testing. Locations are in downtown Miami, Hialeah and coming soon Hollywood.
Latin Grammy winner and singer/songwriter Robbie Elias did a setlist of his Tribute to Pop, music that has influenced him from all the ages that bring people together, particularly the Latin pop divas, such as Gloria Estefan and Selena, for example.
“This was the second or third year I’ve performed for Gay8. I come out because of our community,” Elias said. “I think now more than ever, we need artists that can spread messages of love and hope who have big ‘cojones’ to get on stage and inspire others.”
Elias is no stranger to performing for large crowds, as he has sung backup and worked with some of the biggest names in the Latin music industry, including Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Alejandro Sanz, Chayanne and Don Omar.
“I think touring has set me up for all of this that I’m doing now,” he said. Elias has a weekly residency at the Faena every Saturday through April, where he performs his setlist of songs from his Tribute to Pop.
Pardo says an event like Gay8 is needed today more than ever.
“The event invites EVERYONE to come as they are, #LiveYourStoryHere and just have a good time,” Pardo said. “Different food, different people, different music all mix to fill the senses and the heart. [It’s] a perfect answer to the problems brought on by today’s polarized world.”
Published with permission from miamilgbtnews.wordpress.com.
