Emerging in 1970s Harlem, ballroom culture was a safe haven for Black and Latino LGBTQ youth. While gay men walked in "realness" categories, trans women dominated categories like "femme queen realness." The ballroom gave us voguing (mainstreamed by Madonna), the House system (chosen families), and slang like "shade," "reading," and "yas." Icons like Pepper LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent, and later, Leiomy Maldonado, became legends revered by both cisgender gay men and trans women. Ballroom remains one of the purest examples of cultural fusion within the LGBTQ umbrella.
: A national organization that provides support, education, and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Their website has a wealth of information on various LGBTQ+ topics. shemale lesbian videos