Joshua Napier and Joe Fejeran’s: Freaky Kiki Horror Ball Is Queer, Fierce, and Fearless
By Cesar A Reyes
Joshua Napier and Joe Fejeran are the creative forces behind Fright School, a podcast that dives deep into horror movies from a queer perspective. Joshua, who calls himself a “friendly neighborhood Spooky Kook,” brings this warm, passionate energy — a lifelong horror fan who’s all about building and supporting queer communities in Southern California, especially San Diego. Joe matches that passion with an infectious enthusiasm and a bold statement: “Horror IS queer. It is a genre that is for queer people, and always has been.” Together, they blend sharp insights with playful geekiness, making their work feel like a conversation between friends who just happen to love spooky stories and queer culture.
Together, they dreamed up something really special — the Freaky Kiki Horror Ball. It’s this wild, fabulous fusion of queer ballroom culture and horror fandom where people don’t just watch horror, they embody it. When Joshua and Joe linked up with Amber St. James, Shraven 007, and Lambda Archives, it all came together. Joshua told me they wanted to make a yearly event to support queer folks and organizations in SoCal, but mostly in San Diego, because they saw how vibrant the community is here but also how much it needs spaces like this. Joe even joked about imagining ballroom houses named after horror icons — “The House of Craven,” “The House of Carpenter,” “The House of Romero.” It’s hilarious but also speaks to how deeply they love both worlds.
Last year was the first time they threw the ball and from what Joe told me, it was an absolute blast. One of his favorite moments? Seeing a bunch of people voguing as Jason Voorhees — you know, the guy with the hockey mask and machete — and just owning it on the dance floor. That’s when Joe knew they’d created something special. Joshua admits it was a whirlwind for them — they had only about three months from idea to event — and they learned tons about ball culture, fundraising, and planning as they went. But all that hustle paid off, and this year’s event is looking even bigger.
Speaking of this year, mark your calendar: October 17, 5 p.m., at the Soap Factory in Logan Heights. The theme is “Creature Feature Academy,” which basically means you get to unleash your inner monster — in the most creative, gorgeous, and wild ways possible. There are categories like Runway, Sex Appeal, Performance, Bizarre, and yes, “Shake That Ass.” It’s not just a party; it’s a celebration of queer creativity, horror love, and bold self-expression.
Joshua gets pretty serious when he talks about why this matters. He points out how horror, historically, has often excluded queer stories or turned queer folks and people of color into tokens or worse. And let’s be real — it’s sometimes been pretty rough on women too. But the Freaky Kiki Horror Ball flips all that. It invites people to reclaim those scary stories and characters — the ones that once caused pain or erased queer identities — and turn them into something fierce and beautiful. “It was a breathtaking spectacle,” Joshua said, still clearly wowed by last year’s event.
What do they want people to feel when they leave? Joshua hopes attendees come away with a fresh appreciation for San Diego’s ball culture, which he says is “thriving” and deserves so much more love and support. He also wants folks to think about horror differently — to see it as a space where queer people process fear, trauma, and resilience. Joe keeps it simple and real: “I hope they all leave wanting more.”
And the final word: The WORD is FEARLESS. Joshua says it perfectly, “Even though we are here celebrating horror and the things that go bump in the night, the Freaky Kiki Horror Ball is about facing what makes us afraid and empowering us against the dark.” It’s about standing strong against forces that try to silence queer voices, all while looking absolutely fabulous.
Honestly? If you’re in San Diego on October 17, you owe it to yourself to check this out. It’s spooky, it’s queer, it’s wild, and it’s exactly the kind of magic we need right now.