Made famous by Paris Is Burning (1990) and Pose (2018), ballroom—an underground scene of competitions, houses, and voguing—was created primarily by Black and Latinx trans women and gay men. It provided chosen family, safety, and artistic expression at a time when trans people were excluded from both mainstream society and some gay bars.
Shows like Pose (FX) did more than entertain; they educated a global audience on the 1980s-90s ballroom culture—a subculture created by Black and Latinx trans women and gay men. Ballroom gave us "voguing," but also created chosen families (houses) that provided shelter and love when biological families rejected trans youth. Mainstream now draws heavily from these roots, from runway fashion to slang like "shade," "reading," and "spilling the tea." shemale video preview
