Mr. Hospitality presented 'A Night at Sahara' at El Tucán, a Pride-month dinner party pop-up honoring Leslie Cohen and her renowned New York City nightclub, Sahara.
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Sahara was the first upmarket women's club in New York City and featured women in art, politics, and music. It was also the first bar in New York City owned and operated by women for women.
"Sahara represented a milestone along the arduous and ongoing road to gay and lesbian liberation, a turning point between the representation of gay people as perverse and sick to the beginning of acceptance and inclusion." - Leslie Cohen (1947 - 2022)
The event started at at 7:00 p.m., on April 27, at the vibrant Brickell supper club, El Tucán. The night featured LIVE music, seductive performances, and an exclusively delightful curated menu.
Renowned TV personality star and transgender rights activist, Carmen Carrera, amazed visitors with an enchanting burlesque performance filled with maximum glamour and extravagance. DJ Willy Monfret blasted exciting house music throughout the night, keeping the party going until late.
How did it feel to perform to honor the legacy of Leslie Cohen at this Miami pop up? How was the energy of the Miami crowd?
Carmen Carrera: It was so special for me to perform in honor of LC. I mean, in my own experience I’m 36 you know pushing 40 over here, but with that comes a bevy of knowledge and experience and when I was young in my early 20s out in NYC, bc that’s where I come from I just remember how special and unique these safe spaces were. I mean, you know I could count on my one hand how many options there were for us as LGBT people you know to enjoy our company and to party and the Sahara and Leslie, this is like a legendary safe space for people in New York. So, The fact I could be included in this is just really special to me. I remember there was a few other nightclubs as well, its like your second home bc the world at the time was totally not as safe as it is now I mean we still have work to do but you know I see so many same sex couples holding hands walking down the street or on the beach in Miami and it’s something as normal as any other couple. But back in these days, the Sahara days that wasn’t something that was necessarily normalized. And so, you know, someone like leslie creating safe spaces at a time when it wasn’t safe to be LGBT is something it’s a huge honor its amazing to be included and thought of because she changed the lives of so many people by creating that safe space. I think us as LGBT rights activists, that’s we we kinda wanna do it heart, to free our people in essence.
So I love the Miami crowd, there’s so much diversity here, there’s so much culture here that the people are alive and electric and you know personality and spirited energy is like always surrounding the nightlife here and what I love most about Miami is that you have options you know, I’ve lived in 4 of the major cities in the United States I lived in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and now Miami. And I can tell you that Miami is definitely the most liveliest and the most you know cultural place I’ve ever been to honestly in the U.S, I feel like I have so many options here, I can never be bored here, you know I can never be bored here there’s the music, the food, the people, the vibe, the energy, the spirit is unmatched and so going out and being apart of the nightlife you’re always going to feel entertained and feel like you’re having fun because there’s just so much to do and I think we kinda need that after the pandemic. It’s good to see people again, it’s good to see people having fun, its good to see people dancing, its good to see people in their element and feeling free and there’s a sense of freedom here in Miami that you can be who you are and its okay because there’s a space for you here and so Miami always just gives me that vibe that I can really be me and enjoy it. I don’t feel like I have to look over my shoulder and feel like I’m being “othered” because there’s so many different kinds of people here and its great the crowd is just always amazing.
What does the Sahara mean for you as a woman and as a LGBTQ+ rights activist?
Carmen Carrera: Touching on my first point again as a woman and as an LGBTQ+ activist, Sahara means creating that space, that safe space to be able to enjoy ourselves, to connect, to build community. That’s really what it’s all about I mean I think society has made it very easy for people who are close minded and who are ignorant to exist and be able to create policies and try to take our rights away I mean it's crazy that its 2022 and these things are still happening but it's a very real thing and so you know the more spaces that we create for people to enjoy themselves the better.
Do you think a concept like the Sahara would be a good fit for Miami as the city continues growing?
Carmen Carrera: I think more specifically this concept here in Miami for right now I think is so needed because it's not just exclusively a LGBTQ+ party or event, it's for everyone, everyone is welcome, everyone is welcome, and I think that the talent that we showcase proves that. I think it's all about creating more diverse spaces with that intention in mind is really what I think is most powerful about Sahara because I can go to a gay club as a trans person or I can go to an straight club as a trans person, but the intention behind that is very fixed, but I think with Sahara there’s more fluidity and I think that's something that society really needs. because when we break it down to people’s gender or people’s sexual orientation it can feel very uncomfortable you know and I think if we create more spaces like Sahara people don’t have to feel that way anymore because I think for the most part yes, there is some pushback from society not being accepting of other people and how they are but I think there’s also a huge part of society that really doesn’t care because they’re not concerned with other people you know and there is a loving side of society that exists and I think a lot of focus is on the folks who don’t accept us or accept other people for being two they are and nobody’s really catering to the folks who do, who are accepting who are open minded who don’t have any fear of other people being different. So that's why I think Sahara is also a good fit for Miami because this city has it has a lot of loving people that are here to have a good time, it’s all good here and I kind of love that you know, I really do.
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Throughout the night, a special prix-fixe menu was available, with some of the highlights including Wagyu Beef Tataki, Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon, Spicy Beef Tenderloin, and Truffle Bucatini Pasta, among many more El Tucán favorites. A la carte ordering was also available for guests.
A percentage of the proceeds were contributed to Equality Florida, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) population, in support of the Florida LGBT+ community.
Photography by: Courtesy @moonwalkcreatives
