"Lovely Bouquet of Flowers: An Exploration of Non-Traditional Gender Voices
presented by Lovely Bouquet Foundation
ORIGINS
Lovely Bouquet of Flowers: An Exploration of Non-Traditional Gender Voices is a transformative theatre project, written and directed by Jazzmun Crayton and David Hays Gaddas, that amplifies transgender and gender-nonconforming stories to foster understanding, acceptance, and advocacy through powerful storytelling. Jazzmun is a Black trans woman, actress, longtime activist, and Associate Director at APAIT (Access Prevention Advocacy Intervention Treatment), whose career spans over 30 years in film, television, and theatre. She has over a decade of organizing and cultural leadership experience. David is a queer artist, educator, writer, and director with over 20 years’ experience in storytelling, performance, and community-driven programming.
In 2012, Jazzmun and David came together with the goal to use their experience as artists and activists in the entertainment industry to create works that elevate trans voices in theatre and film, and provide space for healing and community through the arts. Thus the original arrangement of Lovely Bouquet of Flowers was ushered into existence, having its premiere at the Renberg Theatre in 2013. In subsequent years the work has continued, with workshops in classrooms and as part of West Hollywood’s One City, One Pride. Lovely Bouquet of Flowers has also participated in multiple Trans Day of Remembrance and Trans Day of Visibility events, has been honored by a Mayor of West Hollywood, facilitated conversations with local government, and held performances and interactive workshops for theatregoers, community organizers, and educational institutions. Additionally, the play was the subject of the feature-length documentary, In Full Bloom... transcending gender, which premiered at the Pan-African Film Festival in 2015 and was favorably reviewed by the L.A. Times’ Tre’vell Anderson.
Since its first budding, cast members have gone on to serve their community as Commissioners for the City of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, become Peer to Peer Support Leaders, become an HIV Tester/Health Educator, a COO for TransLatina Coalition, and become Social Justice Advocacy Leaders, Case Managers, Social Media Influencers, and Model Citizens.
Now, in light of the current administration’s efforts to legislate transness out of existence, the call has come to revive our seminal work as a tour to sow seeds of trans joy from sea to shining sea.
THE ANTHESIS TOUR
Named for a flower's blossoming period, our journey starts with a special performance at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers on Trans Day of Visibility 2026, featuring the professional trans vocal ensemble, 8TPS. TDOV is our third stop on the tour and will be followed by subsequent events across the greater Los Angeles area with performances and events in partnership with local government, correctional facilities, educational institutions, non-profit theatres & non-profit advocacy organizations, culminating in a high-profile East Coast premiere featuring performances in New York City, and Washington, D.C. at a public venue.
Additionally, this performance along with a multipart "making of" docuseries will be released to stream free to reach a national audience, uplift trans voices, and foster deeper conversations about identity, justice, and resilience - ensuring that trans stories are seen, heard, and celebrated at this crucial moment in history. With your support, we can inspire opportunities for learning, connection, and activism, through the power of live theatre and film.
In our current political climate, this work is not just valuable; it is non-negotiable. Across the country, trans rights are under attack. Books are being banned. Gender-affirming care is being restricted. Our youth are being targeted, our elders erased. And the public narrative, if left unchecked, will only become more dangerous. This is why we need publicly funded, community-rooted, artist-led projects that push back with love, truth, and unapologetic presence.
HOW YOUR GENEROSITY HELPS OUR GARDEN GROW
Plant a Seed: $10
Helps provide meals or local transportation for a cast member during rehearsal or tour
Germination: $25
Helps a story take root - contributes toward fair pay for a trans actor, designer, or musician
Budding Nutrients: $50
Artist Care - supports travel, meals, and lodging for one artist on tour
Pollination: $100
Helps to enrich our production- Support two artists on tour, and scale our production value
Build a Bouquet: $250
Helps push our mission forward - Book new venues, supports film production
Gardener: $500
Take us from a bouquet to renewing garden- support for production and fair pay for ongoing projects
FUNDING GOALS
California Tour: $100,000+
East Coast Premiere: $70,000+
Docuseries: $80,000+
------------------------------
Final Goal: $250,000+
STRETCH GOALS
Coast to Coast tour allows us to spread our message beyond the United States: $500,000+
Full scale docuseries production with media package: $1,000,000
-------------------------------------------------
Your support is not just financial, it’s affirmational. By donating and sharing this campaign, you tell the people of the trans community that their stories are worth hearing. That their truths are worth holding. That their art is worth investing in. That they have allies ready and willing to uplift them. We’re not outsiders coming in to “help.” We’re not saviors; we’re artists. We’re community members and kin. And we’re ready to inspire the next generation of flowers in the spaces where it is needed most with all the care, clarity, and creative fire we’ve cultivated over the past thirteen years.
Lovely Bouquet of Flowers: An Exploration of Non-Traditional Gender Voices positions the trans experience with its champions and challenges as flowers: unique, beautiful, and resilient. We approach with softness in a world that can feel hard, but like a flower sprouting from clay, we push through.