Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I grew up in western North Carolina, in the Hickory area, and a lot of my work has centered on building stronger, more connected communities across the region.

Over the past several years, I’ve taken on a number of leadership roles in the LGBTQ+ community. I founded the LGBTQ+ Democrats of Catawba County and helped organize two Pride celebrations in downtown Newton to create visible, welcoming spaces in a community where those opportunities have traditionally been limited.

I also serve as the Western North Carolina Representative for the LGBTQ+ Democrats of North Carolina and as the Blue Ridge Region Director for the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. Those roles have allowed me to work with community leaders, nonprofits, small businesses, and volunteers throughout Asheville, Charlotte, Hickory, and surrounding areas.

One project I’m especially proud of is co-founding BRAVE, a queer arts and nightlife collective. We organize late-night events that showcase local DJs, drag artists, performers, vendors, and visual artists while also raising money for local nonprofits and giving community advocates a platform to share their work. It’s been a unique way to bring together arts, community engagement, and civic impact.

Professionally, I work in community outreach, so I’ve been fortunate to combine my day-to-day experience with my passion for organizing. Across all of these roles, I’ve focused on partnership building, event planning, volunteer coordination, public speaking, and creating spaces where people feel welcomed and connected.

What inspired you to create BRAVE?

BRAVE came from noticing a gap between the incredible potential of our communities and the spaces that actually existed for people to connect. I spent a lot of time in Charlotte and Asheville and realized there weren’t many spaces that combined queer nightlife, art, community building, and civic engagement in one place.

I was also seeing a lot happening in North Carolina. There were attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, especially targeting transgender people, increasing concerns around unlawful and inhumane immigration enforcement, and even divisions within our own community around race and inclusion. At the same time, I saw so much energy, creativity, and generosity across western North Carolina. I kept thinking, “How do we channel all of this into something that has a lasting impact?”

That’s really what BRAVE became. We use music, art, and nightlife as a way to bring people together, while also raising money for local nonprofits, highlighting local artists and DJs, and giving community advocates a chance to speak about the work they’re doing. I wanted activism to feel accessible rather than intimidating, and I wanted people to leave having had a great night while also feeling more connected to their community.

One thing that’s especially important to me is keeping the focus local. National issues matter, but I believe a lot of meaningful change starts at the community level. If we can strengthen our local organizations, support our local artists, and invest in our neighbors, we’re building a stronger foundation for broader change.

At the end of the day, BRAVE is about proving that nightlife can be more than entertainment. It can be a catalyst for community, creativity, and positive local impact.

How would you describe BRAVE to someone hearing about it for the first time?

BRAVE stands for Building Resistance through Art, Visibility, and Expression.

We are a queer collective. We’re not a nonprofit. We’re not a business. We’re a movement.

BRAVE exists to disrupt what society tells us is “normal.” We believe queer people have never changed the world by asking politely for permission. Progress has always come from people willing to imagine a different future and then create it.

We use music, nightlife, art, drag, fashion, and performance as political tools. Every event is designed to blur the line between celebration and resistance. One moment you’re dancing until 4 a.m., the next you’re hearing directly from community organizers, mutual aid groups, artists, and advocates who are changing our cities.

We aren’t interested in performative activism. We’re interested in building local power. We raise money for grassroots organizations, elevate local queer talent, and create spaces where people don’t just consume culture, they become part of it.

We also reject the idea that queer culture has to fit neatly into what’s comfortable or marketable. BRAVE embraces the strange, the underground, the provocative, and the beautifully unconventional because that’s where so much queer history lives.

Ultimately, I see BRAVE as part of a new Southern queer movement. The South is changing. Charlotte is changing. Asheville is changing. There is an incredible amount of creative energy, political momentum, and community here. Rather than waiting for New York, San Francisco, or Chicago to define queer culture, we’re building something distinctly our own in North Carolina.

What need in the LGBTQ+ community does BRAVE help fill?

I think one of the biggest challenges in our community is that we often exist in silos. We have incredible artists, drag performers, business owners, nonprofits, activists, and community leaders, but they’re not always connected in meaningful ways.

BRAVE exists to weave those pieces together.

We have two primary goals. First, we want to uplift our local queer economy by investing in queer-owned businesses, venues, artists, DJs, entrepreneurs, and vendors. If we want thriving queer spaces, we have to intentionally support the people creating them.

Second, we want to uplift local queer voices. Every event gives a platform to activists, organizers, elected officials, artists, and community leaders who are doing important work that often goes unnoticed.

But more than anything, BRAVE connects people to a purpose larger than themselves. Someone might come because they want to dance, but they leave having met a local nonprofit, discovered a queer artist, donated to a community cause, or found a place where they truly belong. That’s the ecosystem we’re trying to build.

I don’t want people to just attend queer events. I want them to invest in queer communities.

What has been the most rewarding part of building BRAVE so far?

Without question, it’s watching people dance.

That might sound simple, but I think dancing is one of the purest forms of community. For a few hours, people’s jobs, politics, backgrounds, income levels, and even the stress they’re carrying disappear. Everyone is just… human. They’re laughing, moving together, celebrating each other, and creating something collective.

I love looking out over a room and seeing hundreds of people who may have never met before sharing that same moment. There’s something incredibly powerful about that.

And knowing that those moments are also raising money for local causes, introducing people to activists, supporting local artists, and strengthening our community makes it even more meaningful.

BRAVE has also given me something I didn’t realize I needed. It created the kind of space that I was looking for myself. A place where I can dance, celebrate, build community, and contribute to something bigger than myself, all at the same time.

That’s probably the most rewarding part. Watching people leave happier than they arrived, knowing that joy itself can be a form of community building.

Why did you decide to bring BRAVE to Asheville and Blue Ridge Pride Weekend?

Bringing BRAVE to Asheville feels like coming home in a lot of ways.

I went to college here, and Asheville was really where I found myself. It was the first place where I felt comfortable exploring who I was, finding my community, and seeing what queer spaces could look like when people were encouraged to be unapologetically themselves. That experience had a huge impact on me and has shaped a lot of the work I do today.

Asheville has always been a city defined by art, culture, queer expression, and an independent spirit. There is an incredible community of artists, musicians, performers, and organizers here who constantly push the boundaries of what’s possible.

What made me even more committed to bringing BRAVE here was watching how the city responded during Hurricane Helene. I saw neighbors helping neighbors, artists raising money, businesses supporting one another, and mutual aid networks spring into action. It reminded me that activism in Asheville isn’t just something people talk about. It’s something they live.

BRAVE shares that philosophy. We believe music, art, nightlife, and community organizing all belong in the same room. We want to create spaces where people can dance, celebrate, support local artists, raise money for community causes, and leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.

So for me, bringing BRAVE to Blue Ridge Pride isn’t just expanding to another city. It’s an opportunity to give something back to the community that helped shape who I am. Asheville gave me a place to grow into myself, and I hope BRAVE can help create that same feeling of belonging and possibility for someone else.

What can attendees expect from the upcoming event?

People can expect to step into another world.

Hex Appeal is our invitation to “Enter the Hex,” where music, art, performance, and community all come together under one roof. The night is built around an immersive Appalachian-inspired fantasy aesthetic that celebrates the history of people who have always lived outside the mainstream and refused to conform.

Throughout the night we’ll have three incredible DJs, drag performances woven throughout the evening, go-go dancers, local vendors, and a community of people who simply want to celebrate together. Whether you’re dancing until 4 a.m., browsing local artists, or just meeting new people, there’s always something happening.

But beneath all of the lights, music, and energy is a bigger purpose. Every ticket supports the Pansy Collective, and every BRAVE event is designed to invest back into our local queer community. We believe a dance floor can also be a place where people discover local artists, support grassroots organizations, and leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.

We always say: Dance. Disrupt. Donate. That’s exactly what this event is about. Come dance. Challenge expectations. Support your community. And hopefully leave with a few new friends along the way.

How does BRAVE support queer artists, creatives, and community members?

We try to support our community in three different ways: economically, creatively, and socially.

Economically, we intentionally hire local queer DJs, drag performers, dancers, photographers, designers, and other creatives. We invite local vendors to sell their work, partner with queer-owned venues whenever possible, and donate proceeds from every event to organizations doing important work in our communities. We believe that if we want a thriving queer community, we have to invest in it financially.

Creatively, BRAVE gives artists a platform. We want to showcase people who are pushing boundaries, trying new ideas, and creating something authentic. Whether someone is an established performer or just getting started, we want BRAVE to be a place where people can take creative risks and be celebrated for it.

And socially, we’re creating spaces where people actually connect. It’s easy to attend an event and leave without talking to anyone. We want BRAVE to be different. We want people to meet local artists, discover organizations they can support, make new friends, and feel like they’re becoming part of something larger than a single night out.

At the end of the day, BRAVE isn’t just about hosting events. It’s about building an ecosystem where queer people support other queer people. When our artists succeed, our businesses grow, our nonprofits thrive, and our community becomes stronger.

What are your hopes for the future of BRAVE?

I definitely hope BRAVE grows, but not simply for the sake of becoming bigger. I want it to become deeper.

I’d love to bring BRAVE to communities across North Carolina, especially smaller cities and towns that people often overlook. As someone who grew up in Newton, I know what it’s like to hear that meaningful queer culture only exists in larger cities. I don’t believe that’s true. Every community has artists, organizers, performers, and people looking for connection. Sometimes they just need someone to create the space.

My hope is that BRAVE helps strengthen those local ecosystems by investing in local venues, artists, businesses, and grassroots organizations rather than bringing in something from the outside. I want every BRAVE event to feel like it belongs to the community it’s in.

Long term, I’d also love to see BRAVE evolve beyond events. I envision it becoming a mutual aid network that can provide direct support to people in our community, whether that’s helping artists, supporting community projects, responding during times of crisis, or funding grassroots initiatives. The events would become the engine that fuels that work.

Ultimately, my dream is that BRAVE becomes a platform where art, celebration, and community care all reinforce one another. If we can create spaces where people dance together, support one another, and then take that energy back into their own communities, I think we’ve built something that lasts far longer than a single night.

How can members of WNC Queer Professionals get involved or support the project?

BRAVE is built by the community, so there are countless ways people can get involved.

If you’re an artist, we’d love your creativity. That could mean designing flyers, creating visuals, building installations, or helping transform a venue into an immersive experience.

If you’re a DJ, drag artist, dancer, or performer, we want to showcase local talent and create opportunities for people to share their craft.

If you’re a nonprofit or grassroots organization, we’d love to collaborate. One of our biggest goals is raising money and awareness for organizations doing incredible work across North Carolina.

If you’re a business owner or maker, we’d love to have you as a vendor. If you’re someone who enjoys organizing, volunteers are always essential for making these events possible. And if you’re in a position to donate or sponsor community work, that support helps us grow our impact even further.

One of the biggest ways people can help, and it’s completely free, is by sharing our events on social media. Grassroots organizations don’t have huge marketing budgets. Every share, repost, tag, and invitation helps us reach someone who may have never heard of BRAVE before. A single post can introduce someone to a new community, a new artist, or a cause they end up supporting.

But honestly, the easiest way to support BRAVE is simply to show up.

Buy a ticket. Bring your friends. Dance. Meet someone new. Buy something from a local vendor. Tip a drag performer. Support a nonprofit. Every person who walks through the door becomes part of what we’re trying to build.

BRAVE isn’t something you simply attend. It’s something you help build. Whether you’re performing on stage, volunteering behind the scenes, sharing a flyer online, or dancing in the crowd, you’re helping create the community we’re envisioning.