On Easter Sunday the lawn at Sesquicentennial park will look different. “It is a place for everybody to come to express themselves feel safe feel identified feel valued’. Bunnies on the Bayou is definitely a party. “Take Monday off”. A party with a purpose. Jacques Bourgeois says, “Yes we put on a big event but every single dime from our event goes to our beneficiaries, period”. Along with being the name of the largest outdoor cocktail party in Houston, Bunnies on the Bayou is the name of the nonprofit entity putting it all together. Div Kumar says “it’s 100% volunteer run nobody in his in it for selfish reasons we’re all in it because we want to see our community get better, we want to advance the Houston LGBTQIA community.
Bunnies does that by raising money, then giving it away in 2019 it splits $175,000 up for 15 nonprofits this year organizers want to top that amount for groups such as Montrose grace place which provides resources and support for homeless youth of all sexualities and genders. Courtney Sellers says, “For us it’s like extremely important because majors praise place doesn’t receive funding from the federal state or local government so that means all of our funding comes from grants and community support.
Bunnies also raises awareness for groups such as Save Our Sisters United, an organization with a mission to improve the whole health of trans people of color. “ I would say it’s pretty vital because within the LGBTQ community as a whole, it’s not guaranteed that the other people who are not trans per say, you know, will advocate for us. “
At it’s heart Bunnies on the Bayou is about chosen family recognizing and celebrating that and raising the community up in the process. “A lot of times people just think it’s just the party, the party is you know the cherry on top” reporting in Houston Brandy Smith KHOU 11 news.
