By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Cape Breton Post
A Cape Breton-based event and media company is growing that aims to both showcase the LGTBQ2S+ community and also make it more accessible to the general public.
Dawn Joe-Pierro and their business partner Desna Doucette are co-founders of “Rezerved Productions,” an event-based company that creates space for LGTBQ2S+ artists and performers to present their talents, skills and knowledge to all people. The venture aims to create a safe space for LGBTQ2S+ performers and act as a bridge between entertainers and the corporate/cultural world.
Joe-Pierro says Rezerved Productions is an avenue for the public to engage with the LGTBQ2S+ community in order to learn and accept different lifestyles and cultures.
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Both Joe-Pierro and Doucette know what it’s like to be non-conforming and part of a metaphorical quilt of many colours. The Eskasoni First Nation entrepreneurs are talented performers and self-identify as transgender and, in Doucette’s case – non-binary.
Last weekend, Joe-Pierro could be seen in all their fabulous glory aboard the Sobey’s float in the CBRM Pride parade as their persona known as “Nykitene.” The normally quiet and soft-spoken long-haired brunette wears their role of the outgoing drag queen with sheer joy. Nykitene is graceful, classy and entertainingly energetic.
Doucette is an actor who works under the stage name of Desna Michael Thomas. They were nominated for an outstanding performance award by Screen Nova Scotia in 2022 for their role in the movie “Wildhood”. They will soon be seen in a supporting role in Glen Gould’s new movie “Jeffery’s Turn” to be released in 2026.
At the same time as Joe-Pierro was taking part in the Pride Parade, Doucette was working as one of the emcees at the recent Mawio’mi (Powwow) for the Wi’kipaltimk 2025 festival in Open Hearth Park.
Rezerved Productions is the organizer and promoter of the popular Eskasoni Two-Spirit Festival held in June as well as City Native: A Two-Spirit Drag Show series in Dartmouth.
“We do these events because as queer people, we want to be welcomed into space that everyone else can go,” Joe-Pierro says. “And in return, we want to welcome everyone to be at our events.”
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Joe-Pierro attended their first Pride Festival when they were about 16. Watching their first drag show was “an awakening moment” for them. Today, they don’t have a gender-specific identity, and categorizes themself not as a drag queen, but as an artist.
“We want to create a space for LGBTQ artists in general,” they say.
Joe-Pierro and Doucette, who has a drag persona known as “Cicero Crow,” seek to provide work and social opportunities for other drag performers. They say that they look for events that may be mainstream such as bingo and offer to host them as a way of harmonizing the LGTBQ2S+ lifestyle, transgender people and drag personas with those outside that community.
Rezerved Productions has always been a dream of theirs to create.
“It started slowly, but now it’s building itself,” Joe-Pierro says. “It’s a manifestation of love, acceptance and energy.”
The team is concentrating on building more of an on-line presence to be able to reach out to performers looking for a safe community where they can thrive. A new podcast called “The Rezerved Podcast” is being planned now.
“That’s the biggest part – creating safe spaces,” Joe-Pierro says. “We want to be a hub for two-spirit development.”
The other part of the business is encouraging the public to contact Rezerved Productions for help to coordinate events and/or appear at events.
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“We want to be a tool for businesses that want to move into LGTBQ2S+ events,” they say.
When they began the business, they thought there was a lack of events featuring or for the LGBTQ2S+ community. They’re hoping to change that by creating events they or others can host as they go along.
“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve been getting from the community so far,” Joe-Pierro says. “Our company is steadily growing and now that we have some new technical equipment, we’re more prepared for our events.”
Rezerved Productions is on Facebook and has a website at: rezerved.ca.
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