BIZ PRIDE: JUNE

June (né James June), digital manager of creative services at Live Nation Urban, who regularly serves as an art director for festivals and tours, makes a point of emphasizing equitable spaces for Black and LGBTQ+ communities. With the encouragement of LNU President Shawn Gee, he developed Houses of Luv, centered on LGBTQ+ talent and allies, which produces concerts, screenings and ballroom competitions. Regarding the latter, June has worked to involve LNU in the revival of the historic Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom scene. In 2023 he brought Mary J. Blige to Atlanta to serve as a judge for “The Purpose Ball: Bridging the Gap!” presented by Miss Lawrence Balenciaga.

What does Pride mean to you at this moment in history?

Producing events for Black LGBTQ+ audiences, I have an obligation to provide quality experiences that are also authentic. This year, we’re tapping into ballroom culture, which is one of the oldest and longest-running Black- and queer-led entities. I’m excited to amplify that. Being hyper-visible and authentically loud about ourselves is so important. I think about the intersection between homophobia and anti-Blackness. I think about O’Shae Sibley, who was murdered voguing in a Brooklyn gas station. In protest, the community threw a big-ass ball in that gas station parking lot to honor him. It’s about being resilient. I’ve been Black and queer my whole life—and as beautiful and sexy as that is, it comes with a certain amount of responsibility to live within both spaces at the same time.

A lot of this issue is about allies and about the importance of allies.

We’ve been screaming for decades; I need my heterosexual brothers and sisters to be screaming just as loud with me.

Live Nation seems to have been very supportive of the work you’re doing.

LNU is very queer-friendly. Their benefits even include reassignment surgery or gender-affirming care. Shawn Gee and other executives have been extremely supportive of my vision and of implementing queer culture within our portfolio. My idea was that if we’re going to be the best producer and promoter of Black experiences, we have to include all Black cultures, including Black LGBTQ+ culture. So, I pitched Houses of Luv to produce more events centering on our community.

I want to ask you about Mary J. Blige. Has she been an active ally, in your view?

I had been dreaming about shit like asking Mary J. Blige’s team to do a ball at her Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit in Atlanta last year. It’s just allyship and being down to invest into this culture—leading the charge and finding the right people to do these events. People like Mary and Beyoncé are icons for our community. Even in Mary’s first festival, there was a small LGBTQ-centered dinner. With last year’s ball, I was surprised that she would want to physically be there and judge and be all in the mix. And not being afraid or resistant to being surrounded by all forms of gender identity. And using her platform to amplify the culture.

What are your hopes for the industry in the years ahead?

I want to see a range of programming outside of the lens of just white gay men who have honestly been running it for such a long time. And to keep making sure that LNU and other Black-led companies know that Black queer culture is a part of Black culture.