LGBTQ+ Oral Histories
The Charm City Kitty Club is a queer performance art collective in Baltimore established in 2001.
Rahne Alexander
Rahne Alexander tells of her love of performance art and how the Charm City Kitty Club fostered a safe environment for her as a lesbian trans woman. Rahne was most drawn into the club because of the large number of queer people of all different ages gathering to support each other. Rahne details her feminist ways of thinking that drive her coalition building as she talks about changes in the LGBTQ+ community from 20 years ago to present day.
Themes: Performance Art, Coming Out, Community, Relationships, Feminism, Coalition Building
Recorded 5/1/2023
Lucky “Baltimore” Andrade
Lucky Andrade, stage name Lucky Baltimore, is the original founder of the Charm City Kitty Club in 2002. Lucky built a “queer performance art cabaret” in order to showcase queer artists and create a social space for a queer audience to be exposed to queer art. Lucky talks about getting the original members of the CCKC together, advertising, scouting performers and curating shows all on a volunteer basis before the age of the internet. Lucky adds that being a Kitty and learning the ins and outs of performance has helped her become a better nurse.
Themes: Performance Art, Relationships, Entertainment Industry, Community
Recorded 5/8/2023
Jai Brooks
Jai Brooks is the longest running member of the Charm City Kitty Club, being a part of the group for over 20 years. Jai recalls his childhood and coming out while growing up in a Catholic family with other queer siblings. He joined the Charm City Kitty Club after looking for a place where queer people gather in Baltimore. From performing in the club’s second show to going in and out of working with the group, Jai speaks about always doing the most work to help people of color feel safe within the CCKC by making one-on-one connections and letting them know Jai has their back.
Themes: LGBTQ+ Visibility, LGBTQ+ Activism, Intersectionality, Community
Recorded 5/4/2023
Natalya Brusilovsky
Natalya Brusilovsky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and came to Baltimore with a background in theater and performance. Natalya joined the Charm City Kitty Club and was captivated by the inclusivity and attention to detail that went into planning each variety show. She notes the DIY nature of the Kitty Club and delves into the Kitty Club’s efforts to diversify while addressing the policing of femme identities through performance. She touches on the experience of finding performance venues, recruiting acts, and paying performers. Natalya reflects on her favorite show memories and the lasting impact of being a Kitty.
Themes: Entertainment Industry, Creative Arts, Community, Relationships
Recorded 5/1/2022
Abby Cocke
Abby Cocke has a passion for social justice. Abby describes the beginning of their Kitty Club journey where they performed in their first show in 2009. They note taking on more of a leadership role within the club and making connections with trans activists in Baltimore. Abby reflects on bizarre performance moments during their time in the Kitty Club and the constant waves of talent displayed on stage. They discuss their involvement in organizing and combating racist police violence, cautioning listeners against adopting a savior complex in their own activist efforts.
Themes: LGBTQ+ Activism, Performance Art, Community
Recorded 6/22/2023
Megan McShea
Megan McShea has a love for Baltimore because she believes the city fosters a special creativity. Megan describes being an original member of the Charm City Kitty Club as the first time she had a queer community. Megan started as an organizer, later switching roles to a stage manager, followed by stage lighting. She notes her favorite memories with the Kitties and stand out performances during the 10 years she worked with the club. She reflects on coming out in the 1990s as a lesbian, parallelling then to the 2020s where LGBTQ+ rights are still being fought for.
Themes: Experimental Art, Coming Out, Community, Inclusivity, Organizing
Recorded 6/15/2023
Chet Pancake
Chet Pancake is an Appalachian artist who’s main passion during his time at the Kitty Club was experimental filmmaking. Chet describes the Charm City Kitty Club as a testament to lesbian culture, being a safe space that allowed creatives to collect. Chet dives into his transgender identity and how he has interacted with his art and queer and straight music spaces in Baltimore. He talks about transitioning later in life, anti-trans discrimination, and raising a trans kid.
Themes: Experimental Art, Film, Creative Spaces, Self-Discovery, Family
Recorded 5/6/2023
Elle Trusz
Elle Trusz has spent many years working within queer organizing and continues to learn from it. Elle joined the Charm City Kitty Club in 2005 while also being a part of the club’s unofficial rivals, the Charm City Bois. Elle recalls performing, venue finding, stepping back, and then coming back with a new outlook that forever changed the Kitty Club. Elle and her Kitty peers created the Itty Bitty Kitty Equity Committee in 2020 that added to the club’s mission statement that all members must agree that Black Lives Matter and the club as a social organization must be anti-racist. She reflects on how the Kitties have had her back at her lowest point and that she is glad to call the Kitty Club a real and supportive community.
Themes: Performance Art, Organizing, Community, Entertainment Industry, Racism, Conflict and Resolution
Recorded 4/28/2023