‘We’ve all joined together to fill the huge void’: Charlotte’s new LGBTQIA+ space

Chyna Blackmon
·4 min read

Charlotte is home to several LGBTQIA+ bars, clubs and social groups, including The Bar at 316, Chasers and Sidelines. But after the oldest one — Scorpio — recently left its longtime location, one social group is working to fill the void for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and two-spirit communities in the city.

Lez Party!, a local party and event company that organizes social gatherings for women identifying as LGBTQIA+, has teamed up with artist Rissa Reign to host parties every weekend at Beauregard’s Restaurant & Bar.

Though this is a new concept, Lez Party! has long been holding events for adults of all ages in Charlotte.

“Our mission really is to create safe spaces for LGBTQ people of color, especially women. Unfortunately in Charlotte, there’s not a lot of spaces where we feel represented as women,” Amechia Johnson, founder of Lez Party!, told CharlotteFive. “It’s very important, you know, for us as an organization to create spaces where people can connect, love, be themselves, cultivate meaningful relationships, and also just feel comfortable and represented.”

The mission of Lez Party! is to secure and curate safe spaces for women identifying as LGBTQ+ to love, connect, and cultivate meaningful relationships.
The mission of Lez Party! is to secure and curate safe spaces for women identifying as LGBTQ+ to love, connect, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

It all started several years ago, when Johnson joined a local social group through Meetup. But shortly after, its organizer stepped down, and she stepped up to keep the group together.

“I kind of just fell into this promoting kind of party thing … You know, it wasn’t anything I ever expected to do,” Johnson said. “I had no experience doing event planning or anything like that, but I just didn’t want, you know, this many lesbians to disappear. I wanted to stay connected.”

After hosting her first event, Johnson realized her greater mission of creating safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Charlotte area.

“That event truly changed my life,” Johnson said. “It gave me purpose, and I decided after that event that I would dedicate my time and energy to connecting the community because it was not only something that I needed, but something that we all needed.”

[RELATED: Check out these popular gay bars, clubs and social groups around Charlotte]

Lez Party! has since hosted several different types of events at restaurants and bars around town. But after Scorpio, which opened in 1968, temporarily closed due to new development plans, Johnson was inspired to bring a new space for those to socialize, especially people of color.

“We don’t have much … as far as the LGBTQ community. We feel like we’re losing things every day, in terms of our rights and equality and even the spaces that we hold near and dear and the connections that we’ve made in the community. So it was a very emotional, very defeating time for our community,” Johnson said.

“Scorpio may be gone but our community lives on. And it’s up to us to really bond together, right, and show solidarity in this time — more than anytime — to be able to come together and really create these spaces to make sure we’re able to sustain spaces where we’re able to be represented and be ourselves and feel loved and accepted.”

The weekly parties will be open to those 18+ every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with karaoke, live bands, DJs and more. Here is the current schedule of LGBTQIA+ events hosted by Lez Party! and Reign:

  • Fridays: Cocktails and Karaoke

  • Saturdays: Up the Street

  • Sundays: The Wine Down Day Party (every second and fourth Sunday); Brunch & Boozy Day Party (every first and third Sunday)

“We’ve all joined together to fill the huge void that the Scorpio closure has left in the community,” Johnson said. “It won’t be Scorpio, of course. But, you know, I’m just excited that we’re able to provide something for the community — a safe space — in between.”

Scorpio’s team has announced that they are in the process of finding a space to reopen, as well.

“This is not the end but the beginning of a new chapter,” the team shared in a statement on its website. “Our dedication to providing a safe and celebratory space for the LGBTQ+ community remains unwavering. We are diligently working to finalize our new venue, where the spirit of Scorpio will continue to thrive and welcome you with open arms.”

CharlotteFive has reached out to Scorpio’s team to gather information on the next steps for reopening, but has yet to hear back.

Keep an eye on this space for more updates.