Over 1800 Expected to Attend Love Sex Play: The House of Garcon 10th Anniversary Ball

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Contact: Shannon Garcon | shannon(at)cdg.lgbt
Twiggy Pucci Garcon I twiggy(at)cdg.lgbt

Over 1,800 LBTQ persons and allies from around the world are expected to celebrate the Love Sex Play Ball, presented by the Legendary House of Commes des Garcon and CDG Community on Sunday, November 11, 2018, at Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE Washington, DC 20018, from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am.

The Love Sex Play Ball is in honor of the 10th Anniversary of the House of Garcon and is expected to be one of the largest national gatherings for the House and Ball community this year. The event will include fashion models, designers, renowned photographers, members of the House and Ballroom community, and leadership from community-based organizations. With the rise of new TV shows "My House" on Viceland and "POSE" on FX, there has been an increased focus on the House and Ball community. Actors, featured participants from these two shows are expected to attend.

The event incorporates an array of categories for competition, HIV-prevention materials, and sexual health messaging provided by various community-based organizations, as well as the District of Columbia Department of Health.

WHO:
House of Garcon, celebrity fashion models, designers, photographers, actors, featured participants, and actors from "My House" and "POSE," and local leadership

WHAT:
The House of Garcon 10th Anniversary ball will be one of the largest in the world for the House and Ball community.

WHEN:
Sunday, November 11 from 6:00 pm - 2:00 am
6:00 pm: Screenings of public health videos and social media campaigns co-created by various community groups
6:30 pm: Presentation of Awards
7:30 pm: Competitions begin

WHERE:
Echostage 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE Washington, DC 20018

RSVP:
On site interviews, photos, and film opportunities will be available starting at 6:00 pm.
For media passes, media can contact Shannon Garcon prior to October 31, 2018. For more information about the Love Sex Play Ball, including the theme and categories, visit:

http://lovesexplay.thegarcons.com

BACKGROUND
This ball competition categories focus on the theme "Love Sex Play". A panel of esteemed judges from the house ballroom community and local community leaders will select individual and team winners. Participants compete amongst one another on the runway for trophies and cash prizes. Awards based on excellence in performance, creativity, and community service are also given to respected House Ballroom leaders.

2018 marks an important milestone for the International House of Garcon, as we celebrate 10 years in Ballroom.
"Love, Sex, and Play" are the key elements for the House of Garcon. These elements reveal how we live our lives authentically, unapologetically, and intentionally.

LOVE – Love is the foundation the House of Garcon is built on. Love is expressed in our compassion, self-respect, passion for our families, friends, ballroom community, and allies. Through love, we inspire, nurture, and celebrate each other.

SEX – We are all sexual beings. Sex is the life ribbon that ties us all together. Whether it's through sharing our stories, social and political advocacy, or expressing sexual empowerment, the House of Garcon supports sex positivity, education, access to all sexual health resources and services. We honor sex for its expression of beauty and joy.

PLAY – Play is evident throughout all our interactions over the last 10 years, whether it is competing on a ball's runway, a dinner and movie outing, or traveling to a different city to support each other's events. Play is when we come together as a family to uplift each other through all the good and the challenges. Play shows up through our selfless acts, our grace, and appreciation for each other's power."

The House and Ballroom community, comprised predominantly of black and Latinx lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) individuals, and is built from an organizational structure of "houses." A house is a club or surrogate family that includes a "house mother," "house father," and "children" who adopt the house name as their surname (e.g., Shannon Garcon, Founding Member of the House of Garcon, etc.). Members of the houses, both young and old, compete in balls and related activities sponsored by various houses and promoters throughout the year. House mothers and fathers often provide support for LGBT youth who have been rejected by their families and faith communities and who otherwise might be homeless.

Over the decades the House Ballroom community has dealt with many crises, the AIDS epidemic, drug abuse, homelessness to name a few. The House of Garcon has partnered with local and national organizations since its inception in helping to educate and bring resources to Ballroom Community. The members of the House of Garcon are visible in the Greater LGBT community by working with or for such allies as DC Department of Health, The Wanda Alston Foundation, US Helping US, Center for Black Equity and many more.

The House and Ball community has inspired artists, designers, and entertainers nationally and internationally, including Madonna for her global hit "Vogue." The community was also chronicled in the 1990 documentary "Paris is Burning," directed by Jennie Livingston, in which Livingston followed the members of the House and Ball community over the course of seven years, and in the 2016 documentary "Kiki," co-produced by Twiggy Pucci Garcon, a dynamic coming-of-age film about resilience and the transformative power of self-expression bringing together New York City's disenfranchised LGBT youth of color. In 2018, the TV shows "My House" on Viceland and "POSE" on FX were launched. Members of the House of Garcon have appeared on and worked as consultants on both projects.

**For interviews and other media inquiries, please contact Shannon Garcon shannon(at)cdg.lgbt **

SOURCE The House of Garcon

Related Links

http://lovesexplay.thegarcons.com