Rest In Power and Peace Miriam Rivera

2019 is already turning into a less than stellar year for the House of Xtravaganza. 

The iconic New York ballroom community house has already lost one of their iconic founding members when Hector Xtravaganza passed away at age 60 in December.

Now they have lost another iconic member to an apparent suicide in Miriam Rivera.   If you recognize that name, you may not have been aware of the fact that our trailblazing sis was also a member of the House of Xtravaganza.

Rivera was part of the 2004 British reality TV series There's Something About Miriam and the cast of Big Brother Australia.   She also survived a horrific attack and fall from a fifth story apartment back in February 2007

Miriam was living in Hermosillo, Mexico at the time of her death, and the Xtravaganzas and all who loved her are mourning her untimely passing.

As of yet haven't heard if there is going to be a memorial service for her in New York, but will pass that info along to you TransGriot readers as I receive it. 

Rest in power and peace Miriam. 

Leiomy's Nike 'Be True' Commercial

Was happy to hear about and see the Nike commercial that vogue icon and dancer Leiomy Maldonado recently was featured in

The Bronx native is so well known in the dance world there's a signature dance move she created called the Leiomy Lolly that both Beyonce and Willow Smith have borrowed for their videos.

The 'Wonder Woman of Vogue' has stayed busy since that appearance as the leader of the Vogue Evolution team on the America's Best Dance Crew show back in 2009.

In addition to this Nike commercial, she's was also recently featured in this high energy one for Kimpton Hotels and their 'Let's Never Stop Dancing' campaign.



So I was exceedingly pleased and proud to see her in this Nike commercial to promote their Be True' line in which she was not only recognized as the legendary trailblazing talent she is, but also as an athlete.

Because lets be real, you have to be in serious shape to do the things she does on a dance floor and look good as she does doing it.

I'm also proud of seeing a trans woman of color and trans Latina featured in this Nike commercial, and I'm so looking forward to meeting this legendary woman someday.

Enough jibber jabber from me, here's the ad.

RIP Bianca Baxter

Sad news from the ballroom community courtesy of ELIXHER. 

On December 21 the House of Mizrahi suffered the untimely loss of their House Mother Bianca Baxter, known in the Ballroom world as Barbie Mizrahi.

The cause of death of the actress and model from Charlottesville, VA  hasn't been confirmed, but she was a popular and well loved figure in the ballroom world.

Every trans woman in the ballroom and pageant community is my sister, too. We have much to learn and teach each other, and need to do a better job in 2015 of connecting and working to solve our common problems together.  
And while  I'm saddened to hear about Bianca leaving us far too soon, the cool thing is there is plenty of video of our ballroom sister, and you can check it out here.

Call For The Ballroom Community And Allies To Boycott Saks

Saks Fifth Avenue is facing a discrimination lawsuit filed by trans woman Leyth O. Jamal, that occurred when she was an employee of the location here in Houston. 

Yep, the same anti-trans discrimination our lying anti-HERO opponents claimed wasn't happening in H-town. 

Yeah, it is, and if y'all hadn't fought HERO's implementation after it passed May 28 this Saks trans discrimination BS wouldn't have happened.

Saks is now attempting a disgusting legal defense strategy asserting they have a 'right to discriminate' against trans people.

Attorney General Eric Holder, the EEOC, several federal courts and the trans community have dissenting opinions, but if y'all wanna be that stupid and waste that money fighting this, that's on y'all. 

Saks, y'all need to admit you were wrong, pay the trans lady and move on.  

Trans activist Mariah Lopez, a member of the House of Ebony, is calling on the Ballroom Community and their allies to boycott Saks.    Thanks Mariah for giving me permission to post it.

And here's Mariah Lopez Ebony's Saks boycott call to all the communities she intersects and interacts with..

• To My Communities. ...especially the Ballroom Community,
  
  It is important that we stand behind Ms. Jamal and going forward, demonstrate that support by indefinitely boycotting Saks Fifth Ave.
  
  There are two reasons for this call to boycott Saks.
  
  Number one. Economic pressure is one sure way to declare our community's buying power.  Ballroom members and allies undoubtedly shop at Saks ("Labels Labels Labels!!!").
  
  Although we clearly do not have the numbers to hurt Saks financially, Ballroom's choice to finally get involved in the Trans Rights Movement through an all out boycott of Saks stores and affiliates nationwide may be just what we need to demonstrate Ballroom's huge following and support. The press may even take note.
  
  The second reason:  Ballroom without a doubt has infiltrated all levels of mainstream pop culture and contemporary media from Beyonce and Tamar's Glam Squad, to the voguing and other NYC Black/Latino GLBTQ art which is now common in both Europe and Asia.
  It's time for the so called friends and admirers of GLBTQ Of Color Culture to use their platforms, wallets and voices to do more than copy and spread our art and vernacular.
  
  But in order for everyone from Madonna to Nicki Minaj to stand with us, our Ballroom  community members who have access to these artists need to call in favors!
  "If you support the ballroom scene and its trans members, BOYCOTT SAKS!"
  
  Then and only then we will be able to see if their  (celebrity) dollars and shunning of Saks will be enough to catapult Trans issues into the mainstream conversation about GLBTQ equality and bring justice in the Jamal discrimination case.
  
  For any of us in the Ballroom Community or our allies to shop at Saks Fifth Ave would stink of weakness and complacency!
  
  Ballroom and its friends are not weak or powerless!   Let's prove it with this Saks boycott.

Happy 50th Birthday Octavia St Laurent!

Today would have been the milestone birthday of one of our ballroom legends in Octavia St. Laurent.had she not gone to be with the ancestors on May 17, 2009.

Many people were introduced to her through the documentary films Paris Is Burning and How Do I Look, and if you peruse YouTube you can still see her lovely visage in some of the uploaded video from ballroom competitions of the 90's and 2k's

I also liked this salon talk one from 2005 in which she discussed the changes in her life as she was getting her hair done for the Legends Ball.

I also love this quote of hers from the June 2000 funeral of the slain Amanda Milan in which she stated during her fiery eulogy for Amanda, "Gays have rights, lesbians have rights, men have rights, women have rights, even animals have rights. "How many of us have to die before the community recognizes that we are not expendable?"



Happy milestone birthday sis!.  It's hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching five years since you exited this plane of existence.  You are still loved and missed by all the people inside and outside the ballroom community who had the pleasure of knowing you and for whom you graced with your presence. 

Continue to rest in power.

Octavia St. Laurent- Salon Talk

Octavia St. Laurent passed away in May 2009, but she still lives on not only in the hearts of those who loved her, but also the memories of the people who had the pleasure of meeting her or seeing her in the ballrooms.

Here's YouTube video of Octavia getting her hair done before the 2005 Legend's Ball and talking candidly about some of the changes in her life. 


Part 1




Part 2.

Happy Birthday Carmen Xtravaganza!

If you go deep into my archives you'll see this series of Women I Admire posts.  It was my way of paying homage to the women trans and non-trans who had qualities that I was looking for and admired and wanted to emulate in my own life in terms of the type of woman i wanted to project to the world.   

One of the persons I wrote a post about was Carmen Xtravaganza.   

She is strikingly beautiful (still is) and one of the many people I looked up to during that 80's time period I was in trans information gathering mode and weighing the decision to transition. 

In the wake of this post I wrote, I realized that I wanted to lead by example and get to know, have regular conversations with and hopefully form lasting friendships with my sisters in the ballroom and pageant worlds.  

I was thrilled to get a FB friends request from this ballroom legend recently, and we've been chatting from time to time.   It's been a blast getting to know her and I am so looking forward to meeting her the next time I'm in the New York area or wherever our paths cross. 

Anyway, she told me during our chat yesterday that April 9 is her birthday, so I'm giving her TransGriot birthday shoutout treatment .

Happy birthday Carmen!   May you have many more!.

NY Ballroom Community Calling For 2013 Latex Ball Boycott

Interesting things happening in the New York Ballroom Community and they center on the 2013 Latex Ball.

It's considered the largest ball competition for the ballroom community in the world.  The 22nd annual edition of it at the historic Roseland Ballroom in New York back in August 2012 drew over 2000 people from the New York area and around the world competing in 26 categories in dance, vogueing, fashion, appearance and attitude.

It was an event that counted among the people attending it fashion models from Wilhelmina Models, members of the Imperial Court of New York, and countless others. The event incorporated HIV testing and sexual health messaging provided by GMHC, other community-based organizations, and the New York City and NY State health departments.   Over 2,000 people from the NYC area, across the nation and around the world attended the ball which raised nearly $28,000.

But it is that $28,000 from last year's event that has the ballroom community ready to chop their participation in this mega event.  There have been calls from various quarters of the community to boycott the 2013 edition of the Latex Ball because of unanswered questions about where the money went. 



The Historic and Cultural House Ball Institute and its council that represents 20 houses and 12 ballroom hall of famers on it are reflective of the simmering anger in the ballroom community about this issue.   They argue (and they have a major point here) since there wouldn't be a Latex Ball without the cooperation and involvement of the community, there should have been some effort by GMHC to give a portion of the proceeds raised to the ballroom community so that it would directly benefit the ballroom kids. 

Gay Men's Health Crisis is claiming they used the money raised at the 2012 Latex Ball for expenses related to putting on the ball and other projects but won't say exactly what projects, programming and how much of the $28,000 raised at the ball was allocated to that GHMC programming. 

GMHC is resisting calls from Wolfgang Busch, the director of the How Do I Look documentary and a longtime supporter of the NY ballroom community and the Historic and Cultural House Ball Institute to produce the documentation backing up their version of the story. 

        




In the meantime the things that make you go hmm questions keep coming from people in the ballroom community.   Sean Coleman asks of GMHC,  Why charge an entrance fee? You are charging $50/$100 for VIP tickets. Where does that money go?  

And the interesting one from Sean:  Why are you as a health service agency allowed to and why would you serve alcoholic beverages at a function in which you are doing HIV/AIDS testing?

Of course, GMHC is doing what most organizations in the middle of a controversy do.  They are circling the wagons, deny, demonize the people criticizing you and engage in radio silence hoping to not draw the considerable attention of the New York media corps to it.  GMHC hopes they can outlast the controversy and make it go away.  But Busch and the ballroom community are just as determined to get the story out there and have countered with protests and YouTube videos designed to get people to ask the hard questions about it..   

But GMHC is in a no win position.  The only way the controversy will die is if GMHC not only starts talking, but opens their books and prove they spent the 2012 Latex Ball money on programming.

It's either you do so to Wolfgang Busch and the ballroom community or find yourself in addition to facing a boycott that would put a crimp in a highly anticipated ballroom community event, you'll be facing a federal indictment and having to prove to the feds where the money went.

The Pageant and Ballroom Community Girls Are #GirlsLikeUs, Too

One of the subjects that I talked with Jahaira at length about yesterday was the need to recognize that #girlslikeus also includes the crossdressers who have the gender epiphany, start making the move toward the transitioned full time end of the spectrum but the girls in the pageant and ballroom community.

We're not all middle class, college educated peeps that get to congregate at the increasing palette of wonderful conferences like OUT on the Hill and BTMI/BWMI.   For some of our sisters who fit that middle class collegiate description their ultimate goal is to spend a Labor Day weekend in Chicago competing for the Miss Continental title or striving for legendary status in their various categories in the ballroom community.

What some people (I'm looking side-eyed at you TS Separatists) fail to realize is that for many non-white transkids, the pageant and ballroom communities ARE their transition pathway and support system if their families reject them.   They use the prize money they win from the pageants and balls to pay for their transitions and the work they need to do to feminize their bodies.

As they gain prestige, affirmation and legendary status in the pageant and ballroom communities our sisters begin to overcome the shame, fear and guilt issues that plague all girls like us at times and have a support system in place for those moments when they need to talk to someone about the issues we all deal with.

For example, if you are a young person competing n the Fem Queen Realness category in which you must be as close to feminine perfection as possible in the judges minds, you get 10's across the board from them, and get affirmation and love from the ballroom patrons and the competitors from other houses, you begin to build up the confidence that you can actually become the woman of your dreams and successfully interact with the world outside the ballroom community.

If you think I'm kidding about that, just check out the examples of  Leiomy Maldonado and Isis King who have parlayed their time in the ballroom community in their respective categories to mainstream success. 

Just as in the ballroom community, the lessons you learn from competing in pageants also carry over into your life as well.  In addition to learning how to stand tall, speak clearly and concisely and make sure your feminine presentation is on point,  you also learn you can do all that and still not win. You learn to be a classy winner and a gracious loser.  You learn that it's going to take a lot of hard work through stiff competition to reach your goals.  You also learn that a beautiful face isn't everything.  You also have to have a beautiful heart and keen mind to go with it.        

There are some thoughtful, intelligent voices in the pageant and ballroom communities who are ready, willing and able to do what they can to advance trans human rights if we activists peeps humbly ask them for their help.  One example of that is my homegirl Amirage back in Louisville who is not only a major figure in the pageant world, but was part of the efforts to get the Fairness Ordinance passed in the late 90's. 

There are proud girls like us in the both the pageant and ballroom community who have donated their time, talents and efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in not only their respective circles, but the African-American community as well. 

It's past time we started including our trans sisters in those sectors of our trans community into the discussions about owning our power.  We need to chat with our pageant and ballroom sisters about what they need, how they see the world and what policies they would like to see happen.  They need some love, respect and media light shined on their sectors of the community.

And if we're going to craft solid trans specific policies that will shape how Trans World will look in the rest of this decade and beyond, representatives from the pageant and ballroom communities need to be at the table when we have those ongoing policy discussions.

But one thing we should never forget is the pageant and ballroom community girls are also girls like us, we all have being trans women as a common thread, and we have people that irrationally hate on ALL of us simply for having the courage to honestly live our lives.

So let's get busy focusing on what unites us and doing what's best for the entire trans community human rights wise rather than what divides us.  
.  

Stacey Blahnik Lee Case Still Open Two Years Later

October 11 marks two years since Stacey Blahnik Lee's boyfriend Malik Moorer found her lifeless body in the South Philadelphia home they shared.   While there was a person of interest in this case, the ongoing investigation has yet to lead to enough solid evidence to get an arrest.

Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Capt. James Clarke said in a Philadelphia Gay News interview last year that there was DNA evidence that placed the person of interest at the house, but it was not enough to warrant an arrest.

But that's of little comfort to the people who loved her, the members of the House of Blahnik and the Philadelphia LGBT community.   The recent death of Kyra Kruz Cordova has only heightened the sense of frustration and nervousness people feel in the community about the lack of resolution of the Lee murder.

Damon Humes, founder of House of Blahnik, said to PGN Blahnik’s survivors worry that the case could fall to the wayside because of the identity of the victim.

“We feel like had it not been a trans person, there would have been more attention to finding and capturing the person who did this to her,” Humes said. “It reminds us all how alive and kicking transphobia really is, as well as heterosexism and all the other ‘isms’ we fight against every day.”

Gloria Casarez, director of the city’s LGBT affairs, said the most alarming aspect of the unsolved murder is that the person responsible remains free.

“The biggest frustration is that there is still a killer on the loose,” she said, noting that the recent murder of transwoman Kyra Cordova reiterated that idea for many in the community. “Kyra’s case brought this all back for a lot of people. It was a reminder, and it wasn’t a pleasant reminder, that there are murderers out there and there are unsolved murders in our community. These cases need timely eyewitness participation, and I think when you don’t have that, you’re going to have a harder time.”

Police spokesperson Lt. Ray Evers told PGN that investigators “don’t have much new.”

“They have some folks at the house but that’s still where they’re at,” Evers said.

As Ms. Casarez and the PPD investigators have noted, in order for this case to get solved witnesses will need to come forward and provide information.  Bear in mind that information you provide may be the final piece in the puzzle that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who committed the crime.
  

Paris Dupree Discusses Ballroom History

Something for you TransGriot readers to enjoy while I'm traveling.   The late Paris Dupree discusses and breaks down ballroom history during the 2006 Icon Ball in Atlanta.

Xtravaganza Powah!

It was two years before Paris Is Burning hit the theaters in 1990, but this photo of members of the House of Xtravaganza hit Vogue magazine in its December 1988 issue.

I not only saw Paris Is Burning at the River Oaks theater during its run, that movie is in my DVD collection 

That Jennie Livingston documentary led to the iconic ballroom community house became internationally famous, but as you can see, they were already starting to blow up and make a name for themselves in the New York area before that movie debuted.

Seeing the photo reminded me of this New York Times article discussing the recent 30th anniversary House of Xtravaganza Ball (yes, people they are still having balls).   It also remnded me there's a lot of history in the ballroom community, and sadly we've lost more than a few of the people that were chronicled in that 1990 film.

HT Koko and Karl Xtravaganza

NY Ballroom Hall Of Fame Awards

For those of you who were introduced to the Ballroom community via the Paris Is Burning and How Do I Look movies, bet you didn't know that since 1994 the New York City Ballroom community has honored its legendary performers and icons and Ballroom houses by inducting them into the Ballroom Hall of Fame.

The awards happen at a NYC induction Ballroom Awards Ball and here are the winners since 1994.

The Ballroom Hall of Fame

1994: Stewart Ebony, Paris Dupree, Pepper Labeija
1995: Danielle Revlon, Avis Pendavis, Octavia St. Laurent,
1996: RR Chanel, David Ultima, Kevin Omni,
1997: Moldavia Labeija, Marcel Christian, La Duchess Wong
1998: Richard Ebony, Michael Princess, Junior Labeija
1999: Carmen Xtravaganza, Ronnie Moschino, Pepa Oran Montana,
2000: Porscha Labeija, Patrick Ebony, Eric Christian Bazaar
2001: John Moschino, Tracey Africa, Gerald Labeija
2002: Ricky Revlon, Jose Xtravaganza, Kenny Ebony, Ira Aphrodite
2003: Ross Infiniti, Tanay Pendavis, Dre Ebony, Whitney Mugler
2004:Tony Revlon, Chris Labeija, Fuquan Essence, Bernie Jourdan
2005: Andre Mizrahi, Tony Milan, Raquel Blahnik, Hector Xtravaganza
2006: Onjenee Milan, Sinia Ebony, Ashley Icon
2007: Aylssa LaPerla, Stephanie Milan, Christina Tsunami, Mahogany Prodigy, Alvernian Prestige
2008  Terry Chanel, Roy Ebony, Melsun Milan, Shawn Ebony, James Icon
2009  Eric Milan, Al Allure, Lisa Garnett Revlon, Chuckie Montona, Derrick Ebony, Patricia Fields
2010  Larry Ebony, Kevin Milan, Michael Dupree, Julian Garcon, Cabbage Ebony, Tiny Infinity, Terry Revlon, Terri Revlon, Kevin Ki-Ki Khan, Theresa Mizrahi and Elana Jourdan and the Original Butch Queen Face Erskine Christian

The 2011 Inductees are:

Raquel Balenciaga, Jahad Ebony, Jose “Stiffy” Revlon, Derrick Xtravaganza, Jamal Milan, Brian Ultra Omni, Hicabe Milan, Muhammad Ultra Omni, Otis Mugler

Since 2004 the Legendary Ballroom Houses are also inducted into a House Hall of Fame.

The House Hall of Fame

2004: The House of Ebony
2005: The House of Chanel
2006: The House of Xtravaganza
2007: The House of Revlon
2008: The House of Milan
2009: The House of Allure and the House of Mugler
2010: The House of Omni, the House of Infinity and the House of Khan

The 2011 Ballroom House Hall of Fame inductee is the House of Escada


The 19th Annual awards ball will be presented by Jack and Andre Mizrahi starting at 8 PM ET until 5 AM ET on March 31 at The Lab in Brooklyn, NY.   The address is 1428 Fulton St. with the doors opening at 9 PM ET

My congratulations to the 2011 Ballroom Hall of Fame inductees as you continue to make history and keep the ballroom legacy alive.    

Devastating Ballroom Beauties

More YouTube ballroom footage of the legendary ballroom ladies of the late 80's and 90's compiled by Eve Harlowe.

 

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A Taste Of The 'Paris Is Burning' Ball

In my Paris Dupree post I briefly touched upon the Paris Is Burning ball from which the documentary movie took its name.   The scenes in the documentary are from the 1987 ball.   While searching for video of Paris Dupree to add to the post ran across some classic video of the 1991 ball uploaded to YouTube..

I'm posting the femme queen face, high fashion, and femme queen luscious body categories.   The femme queen designation are the categories that transwomen compete in the ballroom scene. 

There's also femme queen realness, runway and voguing in addition to the other special ones that make up a ball competition.  

I like posting the video from the late 80's and early 90's because you see not only the legendary girls, but you'll note how laser focused they were for the most part of projecting a classy, feminine image.