[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]gnacio “Nacho” Nava, nightlife promoter and co-founder of Mustache Mondays and a beloved impresario of the downtown scene, has died. Nava passed on Saturday, January 19, prompting tributes from members of the diverse underground queer scene that he helped develop.
The Los Angeles Times reported Nava died after a bout with pneumonia.
His signature night, Mustache Mondays, was founded in 2007 with the goal of creating an intersectional scene that would become a nightlife “home” for segments of the gay community that were not always reflected in the established LGBTQ enclave of West Hollywood. In downtown Los Angeles, partygoers — largely people of color — found a community among transgender, nonbinary, lesbian, gay, and other subgroups that were often discriminated against in WeHo.
“It wasn’t just about the party,” said producer Anita Herrera, a longtime friend and collaborator of Nava. “Nacho was creating spaces for people to be themselves and feel free. The spaces he pioneered were for the creative community without judgement. There were no social, class requirements.”