Queer Comedy for Gaza holds New Year premiere in Sunset Park

On a chilly January night, a queer standup comedy show made its debut in Sunset Park, drawing laughter and donations to a neighborhood venue.

“New Year Same Show,” a fundraising event organized by the comedy collective Queer Comedy for Gaza, took place Sunday evening at Sunset Stoop. Shortly after 7:30 p.m., audience members filtered into the space, gathering around the stage as seats filled up and drinks were passed around.

The show brought together seven queer comedians from New York and beyond.

Founded last year, Queer Comedy for Gaza uses comedy as a way to raise money for humanitarian causes while creating stages for queer comedians. The Sunset Park show marked the collective’s first performance in the neighborhood and its first event of the new year.

Al Klee, the founder of the collective, opened the night by welcoming the crowd and introducing the lineup. Throughout the evening, performers leaned into themes common to standup, dating, relationships and daily frustrations, also drawing humor from their queer identities.

Gigi Hernandez, the first comedian to take the mic, described herself as “bi-coastal” and “bi-sexual,” setting the tone for a set that played with identity and queerness and quickly won over the crowd. Erica Green, Dezzy and Reed Motti joked about navigating queerness in the corporate world. Soraya Sis drew frequent laughter, and her sparkly red dress also caught a few eyes. For audience members unfamiliar with queer dating terminology, the jokes sometimes doubled as crash courses.

Ash Anderson, who heard about the show through a friend in Sunset Park, said she appreciated both the comedy and the purpose behind it.

“I think it’s very important, especially in times that are really politically stressful, to come out and laugh together — especially for a really good cause,” Anderson said after the show while sharing a drink with friends.

Asked if she had a favorite comedian, Anderson tried to be diplomatic. “I think every performer was really on their game,” she said. “It was fun to just come out and see what everybody did.”

Another audience member, Tanner Gilliland, reflected on the role of humor during difficult moments.

“Laughter is medicine,” Gilliland said. “It’s good to break the tension when we’re feeling a lot about big, difficult issues, and to feel like we can come together to contribute, not just make ourselves feel better, but also feel like we’re helping in some small way.”

Since its inception, Queer Comedy for Gaza has performed six times. The collective hopes to perform monthly in its second year and aims to raise $5,000 by the end of the year. While the group began by raising funds for Gaza, it has also donated proceeds to causes in Sudan and Congo and plans to rotate beneficiaries on a monthly basis.

By the end of the night, the show raised $471 and judging by the steady laughter throughout the room, delivered plenty of relief along with it.