ON MY GRIND!
Rayceen Pendarvis Goddess of DC, Community Activist & Queen Of The Shameless Plug! About Rayceen: I am Rayceen Pendarvis, HRH, Queen of the Shameless Plug, otherwise known as the High Priestess of Love and the Goddess of DC. I was born and raised in Washington, DC. I am an emcee, columnist for SWERV magazine, contributor to TUV magazine, Q Virginia magazine, and EFNIKS.com, activist, and a former elected ANC. I host various annual and monthly events, including Reel Affirmations film screenings (January-December) and The Ask Rayceen Show (March-November), a free community festival and live entertainment event, both of which take place at HRC Equality Center in Washington, DC.
About The Ask Rayceen Show: The Ask Rayceen Show, now in its sixth year, is a platform for showcasing talent, disseminating information, educating, and providing community outreach. In addition to performances and panel discussions, we have games, interactive segments, and competitions, which give the public an opportunity to be in the spotlight. Each show begins with our Community Segment, which includes time for Shameless Plugs, when anyone can promote their organization, event, or business. We also have space for exhibitors, vendors, and artists to display their artwork. Why is it important? I think The Ask Rayceen Show is important because it is a safe space. All are welcome to attend. It is free and accessible to everyone. We work to break down barriers and color lines. My audience is very diverse, in regards to ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and especially age. It’s not uncommon for a seated row of attendees to include high school seniors and senior citizens. None of that is common in a city, which often seems very segregated. I think it’s important for our community to have a space where we can all interact, feel respected, and be acknowledged. Upcoming projects We are preparing for our final four shows of 2017. August 2 is our annual poetry slam. September 6 is The Media in DC Panel. October 4 is our annual talent competition. November 8 is our Sexy AF Season Finale. For our Winter Hiatus, we are working for some special events on social media, so that you won’t have to be without Rayceen on First Wednesdays! For all of these projects, we are seeking volunteers for everything from preparing gift bags and assisting me on stage to managing social media accounts and graphic design. To be a part of Team Rayceen, all one needs to do is send an email to AskRayceen@gmail.com Memorable moment Choosing a most memorable moment from the show is too difficult! A recent memorable moment was when Robyn Dixon of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” (Bravo) was our special surprise guest. It really was a surprise! Until she arrived, the only person who knew she was scheduled to appear was our production director, Zar. I did not know she was there until the moment she was introduced and walked out. She was fun, friendly, personable, and very beautiful in person. Community Challenges As far as we have come, there is still so much division within. Trans people and our youth often feel excluded. There are great divides because of income and social class. Racism continues to be a problem within the LGBTQ community. Drug addition and mental health issues are at the root of many people’s dysfunction, and often are not addressed. Media and pop culture’s portrayal of LGBTQ people is generally focused on youth, glamour, and money, when there is so much poverty, illness, and pain. The HIV rate for Black men who have male sexual partners is shockingly high, a large percentage of LGBTQ youth are homeless, and a terribly high percentage of trans women of color are unemployed and victims of violence. There is much work to be done.
Current administration There are so many moods: stunned, confused, scared, angry, and depressed. We don’t know what to expect in the morning. We never know what may be tweeted before we wake up. But this is the time that people who are oppressed and persecuted need to strategize, organize, and mobilize. Our Pride movement is now incorporating the movement of resistance. LGBT Hero My housemother, the legendary Avis Pendavis. Her legacy speaks for itself. Non-LGBT issues Education, criminal justice reform, especially the killings of young black men by law enforcement, and addiction and mental health, which are also LGBTQ issues, because they impact all of us. Historical outcome The 2016 Presidential Election. Memorable pop culture moment Paris Is Burning being inducted in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Stereotypes We address all of them; because our shows include such a wide variety of people with different talents, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender expressions, preferences, and perspectives that anyone who attends a show can see that the LGBTQ community is very diverse! Teamwork It is not going to be easy. It will take a lot of hard work. It will occupy much of your time. There will be frustration and disappointment. Do not be lead by profit, but instead be inspired by passion. p.s. Find yourself someone like Zar, the production director of The Ask Rayceen Show and project manager of Team Rayceen. If you can find a person who can do half the things Zar does and do them half as well, you better get that person on your team! I couldn’t do what I do without Zar on my team.