It’s a big weekend for pride, and our collective pot is filled to brimming with festivities to choose from. For your Arts & Entertainment pleasure, I humbly submit these two must-see events that feature the work of local members of the LGBT community and also raise funds for charitable causes.

1. REDefined – Annual Members Exhibition and Fundraiser for Midwives for Haiti

Through the mediums of painting, installation, textile design, sumi e brush painting, embroidery and photography, REDefined tackles that first color of the rainbow, and provides us with myriad reactions to and interpretations thereof. The Midwives Collective & Gallery, founded in 2005 by a group of women artists, has also assembled a quilt for this show that they’ll be raffling to benefit Haiti. Even though the news cycle has moved on, the people of Haiti can still use the help. In addition to the quilt raffle, 20% of the sale of any art in REDefined will be donated to Midwives for Haiti.

Joining the Midwives for this show is local photographer/filmmaker Kelly Burkhardt. You may know Burkhardt from the lesbian noir short film she wrote and directed, Tremble & Spark, which debuted at last year’s Philadelphia QFest and has been making the festival rounds since. Says Kelly of her work, "I am finding joy exploring the beauty being capturing within a still frame. I am a perpetual voyeur who is particularly motivated by pushing people’s boundaries especially in the realm of—but not limited to—queer sexuality and identity."     

http://midwivesforhaiti.org/
http://www.midwivescollective.com

2. Very Variety – A Show to Benefit the Mazzoni Center
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Held upstairs at Tabu and hosted by the guy behind this here keyboard, the first ever Very Variety show will bring you comedy, and music, and dance, but mostly comedy. 10 bucks will get you in and that money goes directly to Mazzoni, and folks from the center will be on hand to talk to you about volunteer opportunities and give away two free VIP passes to QFest’s opening night.

There’ll be a little something for everyone, from the sultry burlesque of the Sisters Sirens to the queer hip-hop of Sgt. Sass, and the comic special-ness of Pop! Sketch Comedy for the Gifted. Jess Carpenter, voted Best Stand-Up Comic at last year’s Gayborhood Games, will be on hand with an all-new set of comedy, plus some straight people for further variety, like literary diva Jaime Fountaine and America’s Got Talent contestant (and inventor of the “Things to Say During Sex" flowchart) Doogie Horner. And more! Also my co-host is a total fox. You must not miss this can’t-be-missed evening of entertainment! Or I will miss you!