LGBTQ+ comedians are redefining roasts as an art form in West Hollywood

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Gay comedian Sam Oh peered over to his roastee, Julian Stern, and prepared his first stream of jabs at his straight counterpart.After whipping through a few jokes about his appearance and occupation, he paused and looked to the audience at Beaches Tropicana nightclub in West Hollywood.“Oh wow, I actually learned right now that I really love roasting,” he remarked.

“I’ve never been happier.”He quickly returned his gaze to Stern for another quip.At “Queer Roast for the Straight Hosts,” this dynamic is common.The monthly comedy show invites queer comics to roast straight comics in between stand-up sets and dares ranging from re-creating “Heated Rivalry” to dressing up (or down) in outlandish seasonal outfits.

It’s a very gay time that challenges queer comics to test their skills in roasting (a straight-dominated style of comedy) and welcomes straight comics into a community of artists and audiences outside of their primary demographic.After celebrating its first anniversary in November, “Queer Roast for the Straight Hosts” has successfully brought together a powerhouse of comedians, including Jenny Yang, Brendan Scannell, Liz Blanc, Guy Branum and Paige Gallagher, among others.

Andrew Stier created the event to build community as a gay comedian trying to find his footing in Los Angeles.As the show progressed, he recognized that “Queer Roast for the Straight Hosts” had become an opportunity for LGBTQ+ comedians to grow artistically and build their audience one roast at a time.“I wanted something that was going to help unite us with other stand-up comics and not separate us, so that someone who’s growing through my show is growing in the actual stand-up scene, not just in the secluded corner of queer stand-up that they’re allowed to perform in,” Stier said.“Queer Roast” was inspired by advice Stier received from Zach Zimmerman, a gay comedi...