Pride is known for celebration and joy, but remembering that it wasn’t always that way is most important. During Pride month, honoring path forgers of the Pride movement who laid everything down for something they believed in, such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Audre Lorde is a priority. Having a good time and contributing to a good cause can be done in one, though.
Nine Lives Entertainment was started by Nick Henderson in 2020, just before he was unable to host events for a year. Now that he is back with his business partner, Indianapolis’ DJ Eazy, they are hosting Pride Vibes ‘22 Sunset Party: a Pride celebration for queer people of color and their allies. Nine Lives is an Entertainment & Brand Consulting company based in Indianapolis focused on merging parties and supporting the BIPOC queer community.
In 2020, Henderson threw his first party as Nine Lives, and he says it was a success. Of course most bars and event venues shut down shortly after, and Henderson had to wait a year to work on his new venture again. In 2021, Henderson got back into the business and that is when he met his business partner, DJ Eazy.
“He’s been a DJ in the community for over ten years… he had a lot of street cred. I thought we’d be a good partnership,” Henderson says.
Because they have experienced discrimination in the event planning business, the duo felt they needed to make space for queer people of color to feel welcome and honored. They have planned events where discrimination was the undertone of exchanges, and want to change that narrative in parties for queer people of color.
Henderson recognizes and feels firsthand that there isn’t really a place for queer people of color to go in the city–in terms of bars and clubs. He names one club that was a safe space, The Ten, that closed around 2014, but since then people of color in the LGTBQ+ community have dispersed.
Creating a space is one priority, but Henderson also wants to use profits to help fund different charities and organizations in the city. Nine Lives sponsors different categories in Indianapolis Ballroom culture, and he says he’d love to team up with Trans Solutions Center which is an organization that supports trans people of color. Eventually, Henderson would like to be in a position where he can contribute to school supplies, rent, and other organizations that inadvertently help the queer community.
“This one’s gonna be a good time. It’s a celebration of what Black people have contributed to the LGBT scene here. We’ve contributed a lot. I don’t think we always get credit for that,” Henderson says.
Henderson says The Phoenix embraced their idea and they are excited to host their first event at The Phoenix’s outdoor venue space, The Park. The party will include a few different independent music artists, as well as a few drag queens. Get your tickets here and follow Nine Lives Instagram for general info, as well as their party details page.
