By Ian L. Haddock
The beauty of the LGBTQ community is that we are always able to carve out the spaces we crave to celebrate our identities. It is with grit, sweat, and much resilience that we create these spaces, but it is nonetheless exceptional to watch. From the trans folks of color who started the Stonewall Riots, to the emergence of gender-expansive icons like E.J. Johnson and Jaden Smith, to the reclamation of the word “queer,” we have excitedly watched as our community has expanded and intermingled in a way that is both affirming and comprehensive.
Heavy Hitters Pride is a shining example of this growing intersectionality. For the past four years, this weekend-long event has brought brotherhood, self-esteem, and awareness to LGBTQ urban men of size, their admirers, and allies. The annual celebration, which will be held this July 27-29, is a safe haven for a community often ostracized within the larger LGBTQ community.
The now three-day celebration originally began as a quarterly discussion group where LGBTQ urban men of size could talk openly about topics specific to their community. Some subjects that were covered included “No Fats, No Fems,” and “Love, Life, and Lessons for Men of Size.” From there, the founders of Heavy Hitters Pride and board members Jovaun Davenport Hicks, Jule Berryman, Rio Kane, and Terry King drafted plans to evolve the group into a full-fledged Pride celebration. “Heavy Hitters Pride is important because we are underrepresented in other Pride [celebrations] and some of us may not feel like we belong,” Hicks explains. “We aren’t trying to alienate ourselves, but we wanted to show men of size that they matter too. Whether I’m at the pool with my shirt off, or at the club with my tight pants on, I want to know that I am in a space that supports me and affirms me.”
While social acceptance and awareness of the broader LGBTQ community has steadily increased, a lack of knowledge regarding the effects of weight stigma continues to exist. For example, it has been proven that fat shaming is not an effective tool for those with extra body to love. Instead, this type of strategy can cause depression, isolation, and, in worst-case scenarios, suicide. Heavy Hitters Pride is one of the few organizations in the southwestern United States combating such stigma.
To fulfill this mission, Heavy Hitters Pride includes more than just parties (although the parties will be amazing). The Pride weekend will also include an empowerment summit, which will focus on topics such as “There’s Only One Me: Embracing and Loving Yourself,” “Healthy Sexual Truth or Dare,” and “Naked: Stripping Away the Layers of Stigma and Shame of Mental Health.” In collaboration with The T.R.U.T.H. Project, the celebration will also feature a Saturday luncheon with a special performance entitled “When A Man is More Than His Size.” “There is a time and a place for everything,” Berryman says. “Throughout the weekend, you can [enjoy] the parties and have a good time, but what we found is that our educational component [is what] stands out—and if one person is helped through our summit, it is worth putting it on every year.”
Aside from the summit, the celebration’s “Exotic Revue,” and its pool party, the organizers plan to honor the community in an extra special way during its annual Sunday spoken word and drag brunch. For the past few years, they’ve used this event as a way to award community members who have shown substantial support for the organization. This year’s celebration includes seven honorees, along with fabulous entertainment.
The jam-packed Heavy Hitters Pride 2018 promises to be one for the books. On a personal note, I have attended two celebrations so far and, each year, I leave feeling more empowered as both a person and a servant of the community. I can’t wait to support this phenomenal engagement again later this July.
For more information on Heavy Hitters Pride, visit heavyhitterspride.com.
Ian L. Haddock is the author of two books, Practice Boy and Dope Boy. This is his second article for Spectrum South. He is also the esteemed curator of normalanomaly.com and has had the honor of writing for publications such as Huffington Post, OutSmart Magazine, EFNIKS Magazine, and TUV Magazine. He is currently featured in the printed Fall Edition of Urban Socialites Magazine. He also currently sits as the Vice President of Impulse Group Houston. He can be contacted at [email protected].
