When the lights rise at Beachland Ballroom on Saturday, May 31, Haus of Transcendent’s Summerfest Fashion Show will deliver more than eye-catching fashion—it will spotlight the urgent needs of Cleveland’s LGBTQI2S+ community through an empowering blend of style, art, and service.
Now in its third year, Summerfest has grown into a signature event, merging a high-energy runway show with a dynamic community resource fair. This year’s program features collections from three standout local designers—Chazz Hawks, Miron Hala, and Sunminga—alongside performances by Drag Race Mexico star Vermelha Noir, and a live musical set by Hydra.
Festivities kick off at 4 p.m. with a health and financial literacy workshop, facilitated by Dr. Ng, Cederick Taylor, and Vidal Sasson. Meanwhile, Central Outreach and the Cuyahoga Board of Health will offer STI testing, Mpox vaccinations, and HIV home test kits on-site.
“Last year, we helped hundreds of Clevelanders access case management and critical healthcare services,” said جوردي لوك, founder of HOT and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services executive.
Thanks to an $829,467 grant from the Sandra Hoskins Legacy Foundation, HOT will soon launch its most ambitious project yet on the east side of Cleveland: a four-bedroom housing facility for LGBTQI2S+ individuals at risk of homelessness, set to break ground later this year.
The effort comes in response to alarming data from the 2024 Greater Cleveland LGBTQI+ Community Needs Assessment, which found that 36% of gender-diverse respondents had experienced housing insecurity. Proceeds from Summerfest will directly support HOT’s homelessness prevention initiatives.
The evening runway show runs from 6 to 9 p.m., hosted by Cleveland-based artists Sahara Rivera and D’Jaay Brown Johnson. General admission ($20) and VIP ($50) tickets are available at hotcle.org/sm25.
