Johanna P. Perez ( MrKingWezzy ) She/Her/Hers

Johanna P. Perez, a Community Advocate, who has dedicated her life to bringing awareness on various matters in the LGBTQ community. She is an outstanding community leader and grass roots organizer, frequently referred to as Mr. King Wezzy, King, or Johanna. King’s love for entertainment started in 2008 in her hometown of San Bernardino hosting house parties. She was randomly discovered at Long Beach Pride by exotic entertainer Carter the Body, who recruited her to dance for Tom Boy Swag. King won her first exotic dance battle and became a model along side AZ Marie from the show Empire. Her popularity within the LA area grew vastly when King started dancing and co-hosting at The Shake Down Pros as well.

Now known as WezzyBaby, she then started hosting her own LGBTQ themed nights at the historical Catch1 Nightclub in Los Angeles under her entertainment company, The Royal Family in 2009. Catching the owners attention, because her events were such a success she was hired by the Catch1 to host events with top promoter, 14K. Striking while the iron was hot, King opened up her own club called Thirsty Thursdays along side Ms. Theresa. Now she was considered one of the hottest promoters in Southern California with hosting three nights a week at three different nightclubs consistently. Capitalizing off her notoriety, King frequently volunteered doing community service work with the owner of Catch1, Jewels Thais-Williams under the non- profit The Village Health Foundation, Inc.

In 2013, Flawless OZ from Houston Splash booked her to perform a birthday dance for her best friend SheShe. King performed and the video received over 20k views within an hour timeframe on Facebook, which gave her the big break in the Exotic Entertainment Industry. She was now known as Mr. King Wezzy performing all over the country. Traveling and promoting King also hosted Celebrity Tattoo Parties putting her in high demand with being a female tattoo artist.

In 2015, King moved to Las Vegas, NV to expand her brand. Through the years she hosted parties all over the city while still not having completed her 10-year-old dream of planning an Urban Pride in Las Vegas that cross promoted in all communities. To be born in Vegas, raised in California than return to Vegas to accomplish something so historic. Founding her own Urban Pride was a dream come true.

October 25, 2018 she received a Proclamation from the City of Las Vegas Mayor Goodman, Congresswoman Titus and US Senator Cortez-Mastro declaring the day be recognized as Johanna P. Perez Day. The Governor and Senators defined the event as the first urban, diverse and heterosexual inclusive Las Vegas Pride Block Party of its kind in Southern Nevada. Now known as Vegas Urban Pride, LLC the three-day six event Festival is in its third year hosted at the Hard Rock Café. The first Urban Pride that has ever been held on the Las Vegas Strip. The VUP Festival is black women owned and operated. In Which attracts tourists, national sponsors, and celebrities from all over the country.

Every year the last day of VUP Weekend a celebrity basketball game “Drop the Guns Pick Up A Ball” Tournament is held on the West Side of Las Vegas where on a national level communities come together to donate bikes, and sports equipment to every child in attendance. The mission is to promote athleticism and entertainment through music for the urban youth by providing positive peer role models who exhibit sportsmanship, and driven talent showcases of individuals under the age of 18. The purpose is to refocus our youth introducing them to sports to help engage to keep them off the streets. This cause is near and dear to King as her mother was gunned down violently at the age of 7. Her mother left behind 6 children. Vegas Urban Pride also promotes and conducts free HIV testing throughout the year at all their events for VUP proud sponsor The Aids Healthcare Foundation as community HIV Activist within the LGBTQ and Black Communities.

In June 2020, Vegas Urban Pride organized a Stand in Silent Solidarity Rally, which brought together the LGBTQ and Black communities who have shared the trauma of discrimination and violence exemplifies to this day an unsettled matter in America. The goal was to reconnect both communities again to fight together for equal and civil rights just as the did in the 60’s & 70’s. As well as bring awareness to the similarities between the Stonewall Riots, and the Black Lives Matters Movement. Public speakers in attendance included openly gay NV Senator Dallas Harris, Urban Chamber of Commerce President & Ally Ken Evans, Stonewall Trans Rights Activist Judy Bowen, and more.

In 2021 Covid hit but that did not stop Johanna from still working. In the mist of the storm she took a leap of faith. She decided to change her pride name from Vegas Urban Pride to Vegas Black Pride. With hopes she could make a direct impact on the Black LGBTQIA+ and Straight community. She felt her pride would make a huge statement. She stands with all Blacks for equality. “ If they won’t allow us to come in then we will create our own platforms to bring us in” stated by King.

By December 2021, King had successful changed her pride name to Vegas Black Pride. She was nationally recognized and accepted into The Coalition for The Center For Black Equity. She plans to celebrate her 4th Annual Pride Festival and birthday coming this April. King is a proud Black woman who believes that equality can exist as long as we advocate for Pride, Love and Unity for all. Her milestones are only a mere testament for her continued fight for the greater good of our society. King plans on keeping her dream alive that one day we will all be viewed as equal Human Beings No matter our race or sexualities.