Palace Parties event sends support to queer Ukrainians
Pink Party fundraiser event last October. // Courtesy Palace Parties
The war in Ukraine left many people wondering how they can help. Palace Parties, an organization that throws events for the LGBTQIA+ community in Kansas City, shows us that no matter where we are, we can give back using our own resources.
Wayne Moots and Gabi Bailey have been hosting queer parties throughout KC for over a year and found themselves looking for an outlet to help queer individuals who are unable to flee Ukraine. In an NPR article, Moots learned about Vlad Shast.
Shast is a non-binary drag performer and stylist in Kyiv who stayed in Ukraine to fight and help those left behind while the country was under attack fight. In an attempt to help their country, Shast has partnered with United Ukraine to raise money to create armored chest plates for civilians passing through battle zones to perform day-to-day tasks and check on loved ones.
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“The day that Russia invaded, Vlad decided to stay in the country and join their local territorial defense group. A month after that they got drafted into military service,” says Moots. “When I was reading this article, it just felt a lot more relatable than the vague overall picture of what is happening.”
Palace Parties’ upcoming event will support Shast and their work with United Ukraine. The proceeds will go towards purchasing more than 400 armor chest plates for individuals in war zones.
“We really loved Vlad’s chest plate campaign because it’s very grassroots stuff,” says Moots. “It’s local queers helping out local queers, but from different continents.”
The fundraiser will take place on June 1 from 6-10 p.m. at Nido Clubhouse and will feature custom typewriter poems by Rye Booth, a raffle with prizes from local businesses, a violin rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem by Abigail Walden from the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, and more.
When finding out that Palace Parties had decided to support their campaign, Shast posted on their Instagram story:
“Today I was deeply touched, because in the United States (Kansas City, Missouri, completely unfamiliar to me people from the LGBTQIA community organized an event to support my charity campaign on GoFundME. It is just like the whole world has given me a strong hand of support and a new resource to continue to do what we do here—protect human rights for a safe and free life. In truth, I am moved nearly to tears. Thank you, universe for having such people inside you. Thank you for being with me. Now I feel more confident because through them you show me that you are always with me. I love you.”
Find more information on Palace Parties’ upcoming fundraising event by messaging Wayne Moots or Gabi Bailey on Instagram.
