Lovers And Friends Fosters Inclusivity In Chicago’s Queer Nightlife Scene

Written by Vocalo Radio on April 26, 2024

Started by Yoly Rojas and Keli Knight in April 2023, Lovers and Friends provides space for lesbians, queer people and allies ages 30 and up.

Lovers and Friends Chicago is a queer event for those 30 and up looking to have a good time. Founded by friends and business partners Yoly Rojas and Keli Knight in 2023, Lovers and Friends aims to create space for Black and Brown lesbians and queer people, especially over the age of 30, to meet and foster community.

“It really started from wanting it to be what we like, and then just seeing, ‘Okay, what are people missing? What do people want?’” Knight reflected.

^{(Left) Keli Knight and Yoly Rojas are the founders of Lovers and Friends, a 30-and-up party catering to Chicago’s Black and Brown queer community. Morgan Ciocca | Vocalo Radio}

The two were inspired to start the ongoing party series after Rojas returned to Chicago after filming the first season of Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Queer Love.” Struggling to meet people, and noticing the same problem among their peers, Rojas and Knight saw a gap to fill. They connected with the owners of Wicker Park bar Revolver to hold the first party in April 2023, with a small capacity and music from DJ All The Way Kay, and were met with instant success.

“We thought we would be begging our friends to come, like, ‘Please come out, please come out,’” Rojas recalled. “There was a line out the door, it wasn’t budging.”

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In the past year Lovers and Friends has expanded dramatically – even hosting parties in Oakland, California. Rojas and Knight emphasize they intentionally cater the parties to 30-somethings, primarily by curating the playlists, hosting the parties in unexpected locations and scheduling them from late afternoon to evening.

“We made our party very adult-friendly … if you have pilates in the morning… our times are from 3 to 8 p.m.,” Rojas explained.

To celebrate one year of Lovers and Friends, Rojas and Keli hosted an anniversary event at The Underground on April 21 with music from DJ Cut Cuz. Guests showed out in their best western attire, inspired by Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter.

The next Lovers and Friends party heads to Pilsen bar Penny Whistle on May 19. More information can be found on their Instagram, @loversfriendschi.