A three-foot-deep rainbow-colored ball pit at the entrance to a show was a first for me—I had no idea that by the end of the night I’d end up juggling them, circled by spectators. I was at Renaissance One, a Pride-themed showcase put on by Party Noire at the Promontory on Thursday, June 27, and that kind of spontaneity animated the night. The glowing dance floor changed colors underfoot, glitter-filled beach balls bounced around the room, and iridescent streamers fluttered from the ceiling. The equally spectacular crowd, full of queer and trans people of color, kept the energy high with death drops, duck walks, and dance-offs—and the artists would sometimes hop off the stage to join them. I hadn’t come to Renaissance One expecting that kind of splendor, but for many of the people in attendance, it’s the norm—to them, that’s just what a Party Noire event looks like.

Peach & Party Noire present Pound the Alarm (Ode to Carnival) An all-day event at Northalsted Market Days featuring art installations, vendors, dancers, and live music, including DJ Rae Chardonnay, DJ Bonita Appleblunt, DJ [X]P, and Cut-Cuz. Sun 8/11, noon-10 PM, Northalsted Market Days stage at Belmont and Halsted, $10 suggested donation, all ages

The vibrant dance floor was a stage for the twerkers, headbangers, duck walkers, and death droppers. At the same time, the glowing bar, colorful couches, and outdoor deck provided a refuge for the settled-down drink sippers—and the whole scene created an unrivaled backdrop for the selfie takers. The feeling of freedom in the room backed up everything that Taylor and Alder talk about—an absence of the wariness and self-consciousness that queer people of color feel when they’re “othered” or put on display.

Each of the two women is a force of her own. Alder is a PhD candidate and the entrepreneur behind the online community Black Girl Fly Mag. Taylor is not only an arts administrator and organizer of the Black Eutopia forums but also an internationally traveled DJ—she was voted the best in the city in the Reader‘s 2016 Best of Chicago poll.

  • Party Noire produced this recap video for their Black Joy in Brooklyn event in February 2017.

Since then, Party Noire have been back to New York five times for events, to Detroit three times, and to Miami once. “Chicago is a unique city overall, so it’s always different everywhere we go,” Taylor says. “One of the biggest differences is just noticing how much more integrated queer communities in these other cities are in terms of race.”

Alder and Taylor recognize that they need to be protective of their community: the people they aim to empower and uplift have historically been vilified and endangered because of their identities. A 2012 study by the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law, shows that the incarceration rate for queer people is three times the average for general population, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported in 2014 that life expectancy for transgender women in the Americas is 30 to 35 years.