CHOICES, Memphis roared into the spring by throwing the city’s “most outrageous” party! Condomonium is CHOICES’s annual fundraiser and public awareness event. This year, over 500 people attended and raised $45,000. Fundraising included a live auction on stage led by emcees of the night, Richard Douglas Jones, a Memphis-based comedian and host of the Black Nerd Power podcast, and Goldie Dee, drag performer and hostess of the Re:Focus podcast. In addition, throughout the event there was a silent auction and raffle in an actual vault!
This year’s theme was “Roaring in to the 20s: the future is fierce!”—a clever play on the nostalgically tumultuous 1920s and the upcoming decade (2020-2029). Aside from the auctions, the soiree entertained guests with burlesque performances, aerial acrobatics, a dance party, and of course, a condom fashion show!
The interactive fashion show kicked-off the night, featuring looks by local artists and designers. What do we mean by interactive, you ask? The models strutted off the catwalk and into the audience! Many of the outfits were flapper or Art Deco inspired, celebrating the theme of the night. Attendees got to vote on their favorite outfit until the end of the party, when Goldie Dee and Richard Douglas Jones announced the winners!
CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health is a nonprofit that provides their community with compressive reproductive health care, education, and policy advocacy around reproductive health and rights. They aim to radically transform Memphis’s perception of reproductive health care with a judgement free space that respects their patients’ rights and decisions and actively includes those that experience barriers to these resources.
Condomonium is the organization’s core fundraising event that boldly celebrates condoms and discussion sexual health. Through Condominium, CHOICES “proudly proclaim that [they] are NOT afraid of condoms and [their] community will NOT be bullied into silence and shame around universal issues of sexuality and reproductive health.” CHOICES use event proceeds to support their programs and services for the patients, such as community education, clinical training, and financial assistance for care. Learn more about how Condomonium is helping CHOICES change the world here.
We’re ecstatic to have had a second year partnering with CHOICES through Project CONDOM. Project CONDOM is a ONE® Condoms initiative to encourage more talk and less stigma about sexual health by supporting and collaborating with communities to host condom fashion shows. Is your organization or student group interested in hosting an event? Click here to learn more.