LGBTQIA+
Bevie Stitch’s GayTL By Simha Haddad
M eet Bevie Stitch, an openly queer event planner who identified a gaping hole in Atlanta’s event scene early on in her career. “I started doing promo when I was 23 years old,” Stitch says. “I was working with the straight community doing a lot of Latin par- ties. I realized that a lot of my following was actually LGBTQ. Whenever I did go out, it was to a gay club run by men. There was nothing being offered to the women in our community, especially not something that was a Latin night.” And so Stitch’s company, GayTL (which stands for Gay, Transgender, Lesbian), was born. With the help of her day-one partners Erika Martinez, Danny Gallardo and Jose- phine Figueroa, all of whom are long-stand- ing Atlanta-based queer promoters and event planners, GayTL throws a monthly party that caters to what Stitch describes as “a melting pot of culture.” When asked about the vibe at one of her parties, she says, “It’s very friendly. It’s pretty much guaranteed that you will leave with a new friendship made.” She adds, “I try to attract people who are
Stitch was the first person in her “huge family” of over 300 people to come out as queer. She feels that one night, in particular, helped her to begin to realize that her sexual orientation might not fit the rigid mold she was brought up with. “I was 18. I went to a famous gay club here in Atlanta called Chaparral. I realized there was a whole gay community that I didn’t even know existed.” A community that Stitch quickly realized she was a part of. “Honestly, genuinely, I was scared,” Stitch shares. “I thought this was what my parents were talking about. I thought this was some- thing from the devil; this is not Godly. I was terrified. I thought, ‘What have I done?’” With the help of her support system, Stitch was able to overcome her fear, accept herself, “ I try to attract people who are eccentrics and just finding themselves. ”
eccentrics and just finding themselves. We have piñatas filled with candy, and sometimes we throw condoms in there because we feel it’s important to promote safe sex. We always have a food vendor. We employ mostly women DJs because they need more of a platform, so we create that platform for them. The whole night everyone is up dancing and just making connections.” And, to make socializing even easier, everyone at a GayTL party is assigned a wristband to break the ice. “All the events are wristband color coordinated. We go from single, taken, it’s complicated, and polyamorous . This makes it easier for people to conversate and lets people know how to approach each person.” Stitch affectionately calls her hundreds of party- goers “GayTL citizens” or “GayTLiens.” Stitch’s need to facilitate strong bonds within the community is also the reason she chose her surname “Stitch.” “My name is Bevie Stitch. Stitch obviously comes from the movie (Lilo and Stitch). So, one thing I always live by is ‘no one gets left behind or forgotten.’ Which is
why we are creating nights we want to remember with people we never want to forget.” In addition to Stitch’s professional experience, there is also a personal story behind her message of inclusivity. As Stitch candidly shares, her own coming-out journey was far from easy and one wrought with feelings of confusion and immense guilt. “Growing up in the Latin community, we don’t get a lot of support when it comes to freedom of thinking. A lot is already written down about how we are supposed to live our lives and how we are supposed to get married and have kids. It made me sad to think how many people in the Latin community live in the closet because of how strong-minded the parents are and how the religion (Catholicism) is very strong about how God doesn’t love you or you’re not welcome. It’s a lot of mental torture.”
and come out to her parents. While their acceptance of Stitch’s sexual orientation was slow and still an “ongoing conversation”—“My family will probably never come to one of my events,” Stitch admits—she is proud that she chose to be true to herself as it has inspired others in her family to do the same. Hence GayTL’s tagline, “Unapologetically Gay.” “I know that I made a difference. My little sister came out of the closet after me,” she says. “When she finally came out, my mom stopped talking to her for two years. One of my cousins came out a few years ago, and he is transitioning. He did tell me that it was thanks to me being brave. So I feel it is my duty to stand tall and proud of who I am.”
@beviestitch | @gaytl__
20 | THE GEORGIA HOLLYWOOD REVIEW | FALL 2022
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