NATCHEZ — Y’all Means All Natchez — a non-profit group that advocates acceptance of the LGBT+ community, support for mental health and suicide prevention — is hosting a weekend fundraising event Oct. 25-26, and will include an event called “The Weekend Battle of the Belles.”

The main show starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Natchez Auditorium where five straight men from Natchez will face off in a drag show hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star, Nina West, and accompanied by a performance from Grammy-award winning country music artist, Ty Herndon.

Tickets to the Oct. 26 show start at $50 to $75 each.

The goal of the event is to unify the diverse community in Natchez and broaden the tourism base by inviting new people and other like-minded groups who have never visited the area to a weekend of tours and entertainment, said one of Y’all Means All’s founding board members Troy Bickford.

“We are very fortunate to live in a very accepting community like Natchez,” Bickford said, “but we realize not everyone has that same experience. We thought we’d try to raise the profile of the LGBT+ in hopes of inspiring others who may not have had the same experience to hold out for a better tomorrow.”

Bickford said Y’all Means All first assembled when a young Natchez resident committed suicide after he struggled with his sexuality.

In response, both gay and straight members founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and uses proceeds to contribute to mental health counseling and promote Southwest Mississippi’s mental health crisis hotline 877-353-8689, Bickford said.

“The proceeds from this event would be spent entirely on mental health and suicide prevention,” Bickford said. “We are going to give a portion of the proceeds to another non-profit group here in Natchez for emergency hotline assistance and mental health counseling. Then, depending on the success of the event, we may work in connection with other non-profits to launch a social media campaign with an emphasis on suicide prevention and mental health.”

Bickford said the weekend of festivities would kick-off at 6 p.m. Oct. 25 with a wine and cheese reception at Choctaw Hall followed by an after-party at the Natchez Brewing Company geared toward welcoming out of town visitors, tickets to which are $35 each.

“This event would give newcomers the opportunity to view a beautiful historic home and experience some of the elegance Natchez is known for,” Bickford said.

Those who attend the show the following Saturday night would also have the opportunity to take a bus tour of a selection of historic homes in Natchez from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. before the show — which is included with the cost of their ticket, Bickford said.

Tickets to the show and reception may be purchased at www.bontempstix.com. More information about Y’all Means All Natchez may be found on social media platforms and the group’s website at www.yallmeansallnatchez.org.