WE Together Present:

WE STAND TOGETHER WITH UKRAINE

Following the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, WE Together are announcing a fundraiser #WEStandTogetherWithUkraine. It will take place on Sunday, March 20th, 2022, (the day of the Vernal Equinox), at the biggest queer club in NYC, 3 Dollar Bill, located at 260 Meserole, Brooklyn, NY 11206. The doors will open at 6:00 PM and stay open till 2:00 AM, with the show/presentation featuring various notable speakers and a line-up of diverse performers starting at 8:00 PM. This event is free to enter, but we are strongly encouraging people to make donations by buying tickets. 100% of the proceeds would go to with LGBTQIA+ community organization KYIV PRIDE, Ukrainian Trans Rights group COHORT CO and humanitarian aid non-profit Razom For Ukraine. “We Together” will also be donating all taxes collected from ticket sales to these organizations. 

As a collective that created the very first party celebrating the Caucasus, Eastern European, and Central Asian (CEECA) LGBTQIA+ community, we wanted to do our part and organize an event that sends a message of solidarity with our Ukrainian siblings, Queer people are always at the forefront of the fight for liberation. By doing this event, in the city that birthed the modern movement for LGBTQIA+ rights, we are proud to stand together with the Ukrainian struggle for freedom and independence. Our partners in this event include LGBT Chechnya, Trans Asylias,  Ukrainians in NYC, and Ukrainian Jersey City. 

«WE Together» is also announcing that we will no longer use the term "Russian-speaking community". The future summer Pride Festival and all our activities both before and after will be held on behalf of the community of the countries of the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Central Asia [CEECA]. We are aware that Russian is the second language for many of us. However, we believe the new term CEECA is more fair and inclusive; it demonstrates the regional, cultural and geopolitical diversity, without centering it around a language that not everybody in that region speaks. The culture and people of Russia are still an integral part of our community, and we continue to welcome them with open arms as we would anybody else. We do not support the spread of hate and division.

The goal of March 20th #WEStandTogetherWithUkraine is to unite and rally the entire CEECA community and to raise as much funds as possible to help Ukraine. On top of having our signature live show featuring a stellar cast of diverse performers from within and outside the CEECA LGBTQIA+ community, we are also inviting Queer Ukrainian activists, as well as activists and notable speakers from other former Soviet Union countries and the USA Queer community. 

The roster of our performers includes Viktor, a Belarusian singer from Kazakhstan, Matvey Cherry, an avant-pop musician, director, and writer, Anya Kosachevich, a Ukrainian-folk vocalist, Alaïa, a Russian drag artist who incorporates elements of performance art and aerial skills in their political lipsyncs, Keeana Kee, A Lithuanian-born, Russian pop songstress, and of course the legendary Scarlett La Queen, Balkar singer [from Kabardino-Balkaria region in North Caucasus], the Golden Gramophone winner (the Russian equivalent of Grammys), and the first post-Soviet transgender superstar. We will also be joined by some incredible staples of NYC’s nightlife scene: Chico Raro, Columbian innovative singer, drag visionary, and the Mother of the House of Mounstras, Jupiter Genesis, an Italian-American drag powerhouse, and The Dragon Sisters, the electrifying duo that has just snatched two 2022 Glam Awards for Best Duo/Group and Best Breakthrough Acts. The evening would be hosted by Matvey Cherry and Maxim Ibadov, a Russian-Jewish podcast host, activist, and one of the organizers, with the beats by Moscow’s DJ Anya Ample and an anti-war playlist by Brooklyn’s DJ Senerio. 

#WEStandTogetherWithUkraine is organized by the queer collective WE Together. Our mission is to bring together the entire CEECA queer community in celebration of both our shared experiences and our rich, individual cultures. Historically speaking, the majority of the CEECA immigrants, including the queer ones, have settled in South Brooklyn, most notably neighborhoods of Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay. Due to conservative political attitudes and an almost complete lack of LGBTQIA+ spaces and visibility, most of the queer residents in those areas still experience microaggressions, violence, and discrimination. Our events are aimed to create safe spaces where the CEECA queer community is celebrated, instead of being targeted. We want to create a place where everybody feels at home, no matter where they come from.

“WE Together” is founded by Leo Allenby, a former Moscow gay club owner. Originally from the infamous Chechnya region in North Caucasus [occupied by Russia], Allenby established himself as the space-maker and producer in Moscow queer scene. However, after being a subject of multiple attacks, he escaped to the United States, where he is continuing to create queer spaces for people like him. In summer 2021, he organized the very first “Russian-speaking” LGBTQ+ PRIDE Festival in the USA, and WE Together returned to the same venue later that year in December by producing the very first holiday party of the CEECA LGBTQIA+ community DISCOTHEQUE. At our events, our CEECA attendees get to reconnect with their roots, and our other guests get a chance to explore a region they haven’t experienced before. You can find out more about our last event in BK Reader and the Voice of America (in Russian)

Organizer/Creator Leo Allenby [Chechnya/USA]

So on March 20th, come out and help us send a powerful message of solidarity and unity with our brave siblings in the great nation of Ukraine!

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NO REFUNDS

*THIS IS A 21 AND OLDER EVENT*

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NO REFUNDS

*The administrative fee, extension/late ending charges, room/area rental fees, and all other charges and fees charged to your event are not gratuities and will not be distributed as gratuities to the service staff providing service to guests (or any other staff), but will be retained by 3 DOLLAR BILL in connection with and to offset the overhead, operating, and administrative expenses associated with your event.