How You Can Support Queerency (The Balance Sheet: May 28, 2023)
You can help us grow by becoming a paid subscriber (starting at $10 per month) or by making a one-time donation
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! We have some big projects launching in the coming days for Pride Month, so this edition of The Balance Sheet will be short and sweet. A special edition of The Balance Sheet will arrive in your inbox this Wednesday, and we'll be back to our full edition next Sunday.
In the meantime, I want to thank you all SO MUCH for voting for me for the Audience Choice Award in the Next Challenge for Journalism & Media! Although I didn't win, I was so encouraged by the hundreds of votes, comments, and well-wishes I received. Y'all are the best!
People are always asking how they can support our work, and here's how:
You can help us grow by becoming a paid subscriber (starting at $10 per month):
or by making a one-time donation:
Queerency was started with the mission of providing possibility models for who queer folks can be in business and beyond. We tell stories that amplify LGBTQ-owned businesses and report on the queer economy with dignity and depth.
At a time when when LGBTQ creators and queer-owned business are–literally–under attack, your support will help us continue to tell these stories for our communities.
One such story is that of NiK Kacy, founder of NiK Kacy Footwear and Equality Fashion Week, who spoke with contributing editor Rocio Sanchez below about their brand, how their identities inform their work, and how they found their voice.
Be sure to RSVP for NiK Kacy presents Queer Prom 2023, which takes place on June 1. Learn more and RSVP below.
Have a great week,
Trav
Top Line
Stories With Main Character Energy
NiK Kacy Footwear Founder Tells How They Found Their Voice
NiK Kacy (they/them) is not afraid to speak up. After years of being silenced and mansplained to as a transmasculine, nonbinary, queer, gaysian immigrant, Kacy decided that they were fed up. “I will no longer keep my mouth shut,” Kacy says.
The founder of NiK Kacy Footwear, a genderfree luxury footwear and accessories line, has learned to use their voice to advocate for themselves and others. One way they have done that is by creating Equality Fashion Week, the first LGBTQ+ fashion week in Los Angeles. “I felt like [queer designers] couldn’t join mainstream fashion weeks, so I decided to create my own,” Kacy explains.
In this interview with Queerency contributing editor Rocio Sanchez, Kacy shares how their identities inform their work, how they found their voice, and what’s next for their brand.
Future Outlook
Opportunities & Events to Know About
Queer Prom 2023 - Behind the Velvet Rope (a Studio54 themed party)
NiK Kacy Presents Queer Prom is back!
Join us June 1st to kick off Pride Month with our 2nd annual Queer Prom fundraiser for Equality Fashion Week! In Partnership with The West Hollywood EDITION and The City of West Hollywood as part of their #WehoPride programming, this year's new Studio54-theme will be another night to remember!
Be sure to RSVP to this exclusive event at the stunning Sunset at EDITION as we expect a sold out event.
National Pride Grant for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses
The LGBTQIA+ National Grant allows eligible small businesses to receive one of 25 grants totaling $25,000. Founders First is committed to increasing the number of diverse founder-led companies generating over $1 million in revenue and creating premium-wage jobs. To be eligible, the company's founder must identify as LGBTQIA+, have an active U.S.-based business, be the CEO, President, or owner, and employ between 2 and 50 employees.
Black Queer Creative Summit
GLAAD’s Black Queer Creative Summit is the first-of-its-kind in-person event, specifically geared towards educating, empowering, and training emerging Black LGBTQ+ creatives across five sectors of the entertainment industry:
- EXECUTIVES
- CREATORS
- BEHIND THE SCENES
- ON SCREEN TALENT
- MUSIC SUPERVISION
