In this page you will find: Ballroom History, Queer Subculture, Relationships in Fashion, Relationships to Modern Media
When we describe fashion, we attach descriptive verbs such as urban, elegant and classic, but rarely do we attach the word dangerous. Gender and sexuality walked hand in hand with fashion in 80’s and 90’s New York, but was entangled in an unaccepting world of homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. Although we, as a society, are more accepting and understanding of sexuality and gender identification today, as well as the global feminism movements of ‘me too’, we need to look to a world within a world to understand modern fashion resurgences and trends. A universe that took place in the basements of New York apartment complexes – where freedom was the only word on people’s lips and self-expression was celebrated. We need to look to the ballroom scene.
What is Ballroom?
Ballroom, or ball culture, rose to prominence in the late 20th century but can be traced back to 1867, where the first Annual Odd Fellows Ball was held. Both men and women came together to participate in a competition to be seen as the most convincing impersonator of the opposite sex. Momentum built through the 20th century where in the 1960s, racial tensions building within America erupted in the All-American Camp Beauty Contest, when Crystal LaBeija, a black contestant, accused the organisers of racism when it came to her
unfair judging, costing her the first-place prize. [1] Below is an excerpt from 'The Queen', a ground-breaking documentary following the contestants of the All-American Camp Beauty Contest.
From this injustice, LaBeija began holding her own ballroom events for the queer black community. Attendees were then welcomed into ‘houses’ where they would compete for their house in the many categories they would ‘walk’ in. These categories ranged from ‘Executive’, where participants would dress in their idea of what it meant to be an executive, to ‘Butch Queen', a more androgynous take on fashion. [1] Since then, ballroom has blossomed into an artform and opened itself up to the wider communities, becoming well known in queer television and music. From racial injustice, an entire subculture in the queer community was founded.
Ballroom and Queer Subculture
Subculture is referred to as a sub-division of national culture. This comes from a combination of divisible situations in society, including ethnic backgrounds, class statuses, residence, and affiliations to different religions but as a group, form a functioning unit which has an integrated impact on any one participating individual. [3] What LaBeija created was a subculture within the LGBTQ+ community, celebrating queer people of colour in a world of oppression and danger. New vocabulary was formed that, although is used in present by a majority more, celebrated the artforms they brought to the stages of underground New York.
Today, we use the term 'who are you wearing' as a way to distinguish wealth amongst others. Within the subculture of ballroom, 'who' was given a very different meaning. Instead of designers and runway haute couture, attendees gave concepts to the pronoun 'who'. Instead of answering with Westwood, Mugler or Moschino, the answers were 'Femme Queen Executive Realness', where transgender women were given the opportunity to dress in clothing that society deemed they could not wear because of who they were. 'Butch Queen Schoolboy Realness' allowed homosexual cis-gender men to poke fun at society by dressing in clothing and walking to pass as a heterosexual man. [4] With the danger that 1980s America was presenting, ballroom created an escape from the racism and homophobia, and allowed an entire subculture to express their true authentic selves. As time moves forward though, these two concepts of 'who' have managed to settle themselves in a symbiotic relationship that, at its peak, entered a new age. The age of media.
Notice what it's all about. Being able to fit into the straight, white world and embody the American dream. We don't have access to that dream, and it's not because of ability, trust me. I mean… isn't that what you're trying to do? Dance your way into that world? The world of acceptability? [5]
- Blanca Evangelista, Pose FX, Season 1
The brief ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’
2019 saw the annual MET exhibition, accompanied by gala, come to Fifth Avenue. With a new exhibition comes a new theme and, in a year, where New York signed a bill banning the use of conversion therapy on minors [6], as well as a third gender option ("X") to be included on New York City medical documents [7], the MET brought queer representation to the public eye with the theme 'Camp: Notes on Fashion', inspired by the 1964 essay 'Notes on Camp', penned by Susan Sontag.
Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on 'Camp'" provides the framework for the exhibition, which examines how the elements of irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality, and exaggeration are expressed in fashion [8]
When it comes to fashion, the term 'camp' is perfectly referred to by the MET (see above) where parody and theatricality are seen as a boon in terms of 21st century fashion. Where ballroom parodied the modern world around them, questioning the meaning of 'who', camp asks the question 'what if', and breaks the boundaries that fashion sets to further our own individual styles.
The symbiotic relationship that the MET creates between LGBTQ+ fashion and the runway spreads a message of acceptance. A message that differs from the streets of Harlem in the 1980's and brings joy and harmony. What was once dangerous and taboo is now celebrated, paving the way for future trends. The age of media creates a global audience for queer youth to look at a screen and see themselves represented on a runway, a poster or even on the streets of New York.
References:
[1] Lindores, M., 2018. Voguing: A Brief History of the Ballroom. [online] Mixmag. Available at: <https://mixmag.net/feature/a-brief-history-of-voguing> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
[2] Kinolorber, 2019. Crystal LaBeija's epic read from The Queen (1968) – "I have a RIGHT to show my color, darling!". [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYCQEl8TPeM> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
[3] Gordon, M., 1947. The Concept of the Sub-Culture and Its Application. Social Forces, 26(1), pp.40-42.
[4] Wallace, S., 2017. Ball Categories — House of Luna. [online] House of Luna. Available at: <https://www.houseofluna.org/ball-categories> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
[5] Pose., 2018, FX Networks, 04 June.
[5] Avery, D., 2019. New York to become 15th state to ban ‘gay conversion therapy’. [online] NBC News. Available at: <https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/new-york-become-15th-state-ban-gay-conversion-therapy-n958761> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
[6] McDonell-Parry, A., 2018. New York City Adds Third Gender Option, Makes ID Gender Change Easier. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: <https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/gender-third-option-new-york-city-735792/> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
[7] Metmuseum.org. 2019. Exhibition Overview. [online] Available at: <https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2019/camp-notes-on-fashion> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
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