Tommy Crowe is, first and foremost, an advocate—and he advocates in many ways but his focus has always been intimately attached to HIV/AIDS activism.
His call to start his Red High Heel Party that helps raise funds for the Long Beach AIDS Foundation is attached to an intimate story of almost losing a friend.
“John was a friend of mine with HIV moving to Long Beach from out of state to look for work again,” Crowe explained. “The night he got back into town, he fell into a coma and was rushed to a community hospital.” That disturbing evening, where John was diagnosed with Pneumocystis Pneumonia and prematurely released from care without medical referrals for any form of aftercare, drove a panicked phone call from John to Crowe.
“I knew instantly to call Garry Bowie[, the Executive Director] at the Long Beach AIDS Foundation,” Crowe stated. The Foundation’s emergency assistance program—at the time was called AIDS Life Emergency Fund (ALEF) and now called National AIDS and Cancer Life Emergency Fund (NACLEF)—was the cog needed to help John stabilize his health across all boards: physically, mentally, and financially.
“They helped John: got him fed, shuttled around to get his processing for HIV care taken care of—they did a lot for him and I felt I needed to thank them somehow,” Crowe said.
With the help of his best friend Josh, they figured a themed-party complete with red high heels, a twist on the inspiration provided by the Red Dress Party that occurs across the country in order to provide charity for HIV/AIDS organizations. With that
“The Red High Heel event signifies strength, determination, courage, and it takes a lot of oomph to get into a pair and strut your stuff,” Crow quipped.
And with that, a house party fundraiser was born in 2010, an intimate affair that raised $300 which helped a family member pay for a funeral of a person lost to the disease.
Inspired by this small but singularly important contribution, Crowe and friends decided to do it again, house party-style. One of his fellow comrades, David, was working towards becoming part of the influential drag group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s Los Angeles House—and word of David wishing to make Red High Heels his novice project for the group garnered praise and popularity. The event snatched up $3000 that was given to the Foundation.
Given the growth with each consecutive year, Crowe had to unfortunately abandon the house party ideal in order to accommodate more people.
This year’s event will be held tomorrow at The Dungeon Bastille, located at 1517 W. Esther in Long Beach. The Moulin Rouge-themed festivity this year will ask for $25 at the door for those sporting red heels, $30 for those with red shoes, $35 for those with red glasses, and $40 just the way you are.
For more information, visit www.redheelparty.info