Georgia Equality and The Rush Center kick off a brand new monthly art and music series tonight called The shOUT Show with headliners and YouTube sensations Bria & Chrissy. The Atlanta lesbian couple mixes humor with a message promoting equal rights and anti-bullying, and they have 10 million YouTube views to show for it.
Check out GA Voice’s interview with Bria Kam from Bria & Chrissy below and hit up the Rush Center for the shOUT show, featuring opener Ricky Simone and hosted by OutMusic Award winner Katharine Cole.
Tell me about how and when you guys met. It was at a gay bar in Atlanta, right?
This is one of Chrissy’s favorite stories. We met at the Atlanta gay bar, Mary’s in September of 2011. It was Chrissy’s first time ever going to a gay bar and her first attempt at finding a girl she could fall in love with. I was out with some friends and when I saw her walk out the door and pass me, I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. I went over and introduced myself and we felt a connection pretty quickly. We started dating soon after that night and the rest is history.
What made you want to be so public about your relationship?
We are both performers at the heart and have always been pretty open about our lives (Chrissy as an actress and me as a musician). About nine months after we started dating, we put up our first YouTube video. After realizing how few LGBTQ+ centered channels there were on YouTube, we felt motivated to use our channel to help reach people struggling with their sexuality, relationships, self-love, etc.
What do you hope will happen by bringing your story and the issues you raise to so many people?
We are comfortable with sharing ourselves and our relationship and hope that doing so helps break down barriers, open more minds, and give hope to people who want to be comfortable with themselves and the one they love, regardless of their sexual orientation.
What can somebody expect at a Bria & Chrissy show?
At a BriaAndChrissy show, you can expect to be surprised, be accepted for who you are, and DANCING—no worries about judgment, we are shamelessly proud of our, er, not so professional moves.
What’s next for your two?
Our next move is Los Angeles! After our show at the Rush Center Friday night, we will say our goodbyes and head to Mississippi to visit Chrissy’s family for a few days. After that, we continue west and will play a show in Houston, TX on the 15th and in Austin on the 16th of April. We’ll wind through several more fun stops and states on our road trip and arrive in Las Vegas for Dinah Vegas where we are playing at the Infinity Pool Party on the April 26th! It will be an amazing way to finish up our trip and the next day we head to L.A. to look for a new place to begin the next chapter in our lives together and continue growing our YouTube channels (BriaAndChrissy, OurLesbianLove) as well as playing more shows together.
The shOUT Show
April 11, 2014 at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Phillip Rush Center
1530 Dekalb Ave., Ste. A
Atlanta, GA 30307
Suggested donation $10
The shOUT Show will occur every second Friday of the month at the Rush Center. Artists interested in performing or displaying work are encouraged to contact Katharine Cole at katharinecole@yahoo.com.
(photo via Tagg Magazine)