We recently connected with Kia Barnes and have shared our conversation below.
Kia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
A former teacher and researcher, Kia chaired Atlanta Public School’s LGBTQ Taskforce’s Curriculum and Policy Board, and she also sits on the Fulton County District Attorney’s LGBTQ Inclusion Board. Kia also served on the city’s first LGBTQ Advisory Board under Mayor Keisha Bottoms.
Having left the classroom in 2014 to pursue a career in standup comedy, Kia has performed on stages across the country and has been featured on Netlix, BET, LOL Network, Popsugar, NBC and more.She has collaborated to cultivate queer safe spaces with numerous LGBTQ organizations and events, including: the OUT GA Business Alliance, the Human Rights Campaign, Georgia Equality, Atlanta Pride, Pridelines Miami, Clexacon Las Vegas, Women of Color Weekend, SisterSpace, and the list continues to grow!Kia also produces two nationally touring LGBTQ engagements, the Lez Laugh Comedy Show and the Andro Fashion Show, and she was instrumental in producing Atlanta’s first “Equality March,” in commemoration of the Pulse Orlando tragedy. Simply put, Kia “Comedy” Barnes is not just jokes.
Kia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Kia Barnes is a stand up comedienne, as well as an advocate for equality and diversity within the LGBTQ community. Her repertoire also includes event production, education, entertainment, and she’s a reputable social media influencer.
Comedy and advocacy go hand in hand. I’m not just an event producer or just an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community — I’m both which keeps me grounded and in touch with my community.
“I call myself an ‘edutainer’ because I began my career as an educator and somehow ended up working in entertainment as a stand-up comedian. Stand-up comedy was an outlet for me to really tell my story because in the classroom I was stifled.”
No matter the occasion, I makes all of my shows a safe space for everyone. A lot of my advocacy is genuinely just spreading awareness and merging communities and helping people understand that we’re so much more alike than we are different. I do events where 95 percent of the talent is queer, but there are families in the crowd and it’s just a loving environment.
I even invited political candidates to come to My Sister’s Room to make sure the LGBTQ+ community has a chance to meet them and be heard.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
A book that I find myself revisiting that has contributed to my success and business organizational skills is “Atomic Habits”.
As an entrepreneur, it’s super important to have an understanding of your mission but it’s equally important to establish the processes and healthy habits as an individual to help you stay grounded and able to produce and deliver.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Ironically enough, my partner is my fiancé. We work and support each other as business owners and entrepreneurs. She’s a Licensed Esthetician and owns her own skincare line called AlterEgo Cosmeceuticals and I do all that I can to support her as she does Kia and Co. We recently got engaged but we’ve always heavily supported each others dreams and businesses so it was a no brainer to officially partner in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kiabarnes.com
- Instagram: @kiacomedy
- Facebook: Kia Comedy
- Other: Linktr.ee/KiaComedy