The American documentary “Paris is Burning” directed by Jennie Livingston is a legendary film that portrays the lives of those from minority groups such as African Americans and Latinos who are gay and transgender. In New York City during the late 1900s, these individuals would come together to live their best nights participating and contributing to underground ball/drag culture. Ball culture consisted of a mix of dances particularly voguing, music, fashion, modeling and competition for trophies and making a statement within the LGTBQ community. It was inspiring for me to recognize that this film resembled a similar fictional TV show named “Pose” that shared this similar issue of being LGTBQ and violating traditional gender norms. They were exploited and treated differently in society due to this intersectionality among their race, sexuality and gender identity. As a heterosexual female, I enjoyed seeing the unity and supportiveness within the gay and transgender community as they chose to express themselves in a comfortable space where they are able to fulfill their dreams of having the fame and fortune that comes from the entertainment industry. It’s fascinating how creative and talented they are because of how important these performances are to them since they work hard to have a good time and respectfully show off. I also love how there are what are known as different “houses’ ‘ under a house mother which can either be black and Latino gays or transgenders who form these groups in respect to those who have been rejected by their real families for being LGTBQ and are often left homeless due to poverty. It was interesting that just like any other human being they gained their influence and found their idols through mainstream media and looked up to that famous person for their looks, fashion, attitude and even lifestyle. It seemed like in the back of their mind this is obviously how they pictured themselves to be like but it was hard because once the night is over it’s back to being a part of a society that wasn’t as accepting of one’s sexuality. 

    In connection with fighting toward race, sex and class oppression The Combahee River Collective Statement (1977)  by Demita Frazier, Beverly Smith, and Barbara Smith who are all black feminists came together to create a movement to address the issue between race and sexuality like being both black and lesbian struggling to make ends meet in American society and politics. In the reading it stated “We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters and our community which allows us to continue our struggle and work” (Smith). This meant that based on the social issues and inequalities they face because of their race and sex as black women, they are all they got to keep each other strong and continue standing for justice within their community. The needs of black women are different from those of black men and white women because they are not valued equally, and are often judged and mistreated. 

      It seems like what I understand from Sadira’s snapshot is that no matter what race someone is, when people die they all turn into skeletons, all bones, nothing left to distinguish the color of their skin that can determine that person’s role in society. It’s good to know that over the years adjustments have been made to allow those from the LGTBQ community and even black women a chance to go about society without being discriminated against as harshly since there are laws and regulations that may protect them from these issues. 

Paris is Burning, a documentary by Jennie Livingston focuses on the lives of New York City drag queens by providing insight into their unique culture by the use of an untraditional aspect of a documentary. She breaks the fourth wall. Livingston interacts with her subjects to draw out more specific information by asking personal questions regarding aspirations and particular events, and to grasp an emotional response from her audience by publicizing the subjects’ perspectives in an effort to make her work more meaningful. By including the interviews with the members in the documentary, Livingston allows her audience to view this phenomenon from a different perspective, the perspective of the people directly involved in the struggle to be accepted as whom they see themselves as. In the series of short, casual interviews throughout the documentary, Livingston breaks the fourth wall by questioning her subjects in regard to their most private personal values and aspirations. Livingston intentionally involves herself in this engagement to increase the comfort and relations between the audience and the interviewees. In present-day society, cultural assumptions often dictate that sexuality and gender are mutually dependent categories and that one posits the other. Societal norms imply that gender is divided into men and women, and that appropriate sexual behavior is thus determined through innate biology. This notion suggests right and wrong ways of being male and female, and postulates that their interaction stems in heterosexual attraction. The play Cloud 9 and documentary Paris is Burning call into question of the notion of codependence of gender and sexuality by demonstrating a lack of coherence between identity, sexual expression, and innate biology. In this way, the works demonstrate that sexuality does not pigeonhole associated gender based on tropes of hypermasculinity or effeminacy, but instead allows both to exist on a spectrum. Furthermore, in these creative pieces, the personas identified utilize gender performance and unique expressions of their perceived identities to demonstrate that gender exists on a spectrum and is independent of both assigned sex at birth and sexuality. The implications of this extend to the ideology conceptions of what constitutes gender and its relation to inherent sexuality, suggesting that societally.

The Combahee River Collective was a Black Feminist Lesbian organization that was active between 1974 and 1980. This intersectional group was created because there was a sense that both the feminist movement or civil rights movement didn’t reflect the particular needs of Black women and lesbians. The collective joined together to develop the Combahee River Collective Statement, which was a key document in developing contemporary Black Feminism. 

My classmate Patience Ocran posted a snapshot of Michelle Obama who I look up to a lot. I believe that she’s one of the feminists which is what the reading was about for this week. I thought it was well connected with the reading. My classmate Sandra Mohammed posted a snapshot that says The Myth of Race and I thought it was the right snapshot to post as it makes sense with this week’s reading.

The “Paris is Burning” documentary was very interesting to watch, especially the scenes with the dancing. The balls, which were formal events to showcase costumes, the applause and having to be the center of attention all seem to be very pleasing. As I was watching this film, I was reminded of the show “Pose”. The only difference is that the show has more dram. I would say that, if not exaggerating is the exact reenactment of this documentary/ film. We see that the balls that are organized for these Drag queens creates a kind of new world for them. Underaged kids (minors), some abandoned, some that had left home found solace and joy in participating in the events. It is their world, and at that place they can portray whatever they want and in anyway as pleased and will not get judged or discriminated. As some say, the ball occasions are like their “Oscar” or “Grammy”. They are praised while on the stage and that makes them feel very good and highly about themselves. “Balls are like fantasies of being superstars”. Some of the members of the LGBTQ (people who are then termed as executives in this film) have created this world, where people can be whatever they wish to be. Unlike the real world, where drag queens may be labeled as not being mentally stable.   

The ball, during the past centuries used to focus on very specific themes, but as time went on. The themes were made more diverse to increase the involvement and number of participants. As the movie proceeds, we come to realize that a lot of the people indulging in the ball events are either very young or started when they were barely teenagers. These kids, even at tender ages are aware of the kind of life they would face against society for being who they want to be. Those that decide to leave their homes or get abandoned get lucky enough to betaken in by owners of houses who had also once encountered similar situations. There are several houses, named after people or persons who had first acquired it. The balls are not just for showing off outfits, it is also a competition, a fierce one. An individual termed it as “World War 3”. This should give us an idea of how intense the balls are. Winners get prizes, could be a trophy or money. When it comes to competition, the executives always change the theme for the competition, it could be modeling, reading (throwing fun shades) or even voguing (a way of combining dancing and posing). Aside from having exhilarating joy from being in the spotlight, these drag queens have their own hustle, a job on which they depend help them support themselves. The Drag queens live their fantasies on stage at the balls, nonetheless those are dreams they wish to acquire in the real world. Thus, to get Famous, to be wealthy, to live freely and happily. It is such a shame one of the Drag queens who dreamed of having a family got killed. She was strangled and left under a bed in a hotel in New York City.

This week we watched a film called, “Burning in Paris” and a reading “The Combahee River Collective Statement” by Combahee River Collective. The reading “The Combahee River Collective Statement” speaks about the black community’s oppression as well as the feminist movement. I personally feel the information is getting repetitive, we have read multiple readings describing the oppression the black community faces, as well as the result of that oppression. In the entire reading, there are 4 focuses. These four major topics in the paper that follow: (1) the genesis of contemporary Black feminism; (2) what we believe, i.e., the specific province of our politics; (3) the problems in organizing Black feminists, including brief herstory of our collective; and (4) Black feminist issues and practice. I found some parts of the readings tedious while other parts contained new information. For example, at the beginning of the reading (1) the genesis of contemporary Black feminism talks about the historical struggle Afro-American women have for survival and liberation. It was similar to a past reading “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions” by Audre Lorde. Where the argument is women who identify as multiple communities can not live happily. In this reading, they argued that women who had a specific sexual identity and a racial identity that was struggling determine black women’s negative relationship to the American political system. The reading continues by explaining oppression brings communities together and creates organizations. One of these organizations was National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO). The part of the reading I found interesting, and new information was (4) Black Feminist Issues and Projects. I thought it was interesting that they were listing the issues they worked on sterilization abuse, abortion rights, battered women, rape, and health care. The reading says white women put little effort into the injustices they face, but that they will continue to fight for them. To my understanding, they argue their injustices are also their injustice.
The documentary, “Burning in Paris” was interesting and informative to watch. I think the film was blunt, heartbreaking but also informative on the issues of the era. I was happy Hispanics were represented in the film. It gave us an in-depth look at how the LGBTQ and POC communities lived based on their sexuality and race. The documentary was filmed in the mid to late 1980s and you can clearly see the difference from then to today. The film clearly shows the viewers how these individuals were treated based on their sexuality and race. They created a safe space in their community with the “ballroom” where everyone came to express themselves. Everyone was welcoming and encouraging. People would literally be half-naked and everyone cheered welcoming. People also came to balls showing their fashion, makeup, the colors, the culture was amazing. In addition, my classmates’ snapshot, Isabella Celentano shows photos of women happy and being in the spotlight. They are smiling and have colorful beautiful clothing on. In the background, the crowd is cheering the ladies on. This just proves a support system was created within their community. At that time the LGBTQ community was not accepted socially so seeing this film now when the LGBTQ community is way more acceptable to society was nice to see. The film also spoke about the poverty the community faced. Speaking with individuals getting one-to-one interviews speaking about their day-to-day lives. It warmed my heart many were appreciative of what they had and who they shared their happiness with. I think this film was great to educate others on the struggles the LGBTQ and POC communities faced.

This week’s reading was really great, and I also love the fact that it is all about intersections. “The Combahee River Collective Statement (1977)” issued by The Combahee River Collective is an amazing and interesting book to read. It talks about the “Multiple oppression & sexual oppression within the black community and racism that is within the wider feminist movement.” From the beginning of the reading, it talked about how a collective of Black feminists have been meeting together since 1974 and getting involved in political work within their groups including partnering with other organizations and movements. These feminists were very committed to struggling against racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression. “The Combahee River Collective” brings forth the idea that black feminism is “the logical political movement that all women of color face.” The movement’s genesis surfaced out after its members’ dissatisfaction with other movements for Black Liberation “particularly that of the 1960s and 1970s; Civil Rights, Black Nationalism, and the Black Panthers,” which they see as racist toward their female peers. The Black feminists let their voice out for social change concerning Black Lesbians and all women of color to be heard. A classmate snapshot from Raquel Hernandez shows us some of the social justice movement these women fought for in order to belong in the community. In their snapshot, we see a list of the social justice these feminist women were trying to change like seeking politics & representation, law & justice, right to their bodies & sexuality, health & wellness, less violence & more power, etc… These black women needed a sense of belonging and the right to do what they want. 

The Combahee River Collective Statement also makes an emphasis on Black women’s relationship to their own oppression and how it has shaped their identities like the said, “We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our Liberation are us”. Through this embodiment of identity politics, especially their queer experience, they will encourage a politics that focuses on the important need to Liberate Black women. At some point, the Combahee River Collective was unafraid to build on their politics. Through these responsibilities to self-criticism, they “question whether Lesbian separatism is an adequate and progressive political analysis and strategy for those who practice it since it so completely denies any but the sexual sources of women’s oppression, negating the facts of class and race” and acknowledging “the psychological toll of being a Black woman and the difficulties this presents in reaching political consciousness and doing political work which can never be underestimated.” 

The documentary “Paris is Burning (1990)” talks about drag queens that lived in New York and their house culture. It shows how different groups compete in balls walk a runway as if they were fashion models. These queens were judged based on several things: they must be talented dancers, they must be wearing the finest of fashion, and they must look like the gender they are claiming to be. They are also judged on whether they can also portray this gender outside of the world for people to see. A lot of people were interviewed, some were the leading light of the ball scene. One of the people interviewed was Angie X’travaganza who was the founder of the House of X’travaganza. Angie was a transgender singer & dancer and a superstar within the ball scene. Angie talked about how they adopted several street children who later became influential performers. The documentary also talked about Pepper Labeija who was also as famous as Angie. She was a fashion designer and was basically behind many of the costumes worn by contestants. Most of her performances had an Egyptian theme on them. Each of the main performers in the documentary talked about their lives and explains the culture of the balls, and their importance to the LGBTQ+ and it also explores gender roles. An important element of the film is the view/study of how AIDS affected the leading performers and the ball contestants. At the end of the film, we see the news of Venus’s murder reaching Angie; Venus was strangled to death and Angie believed that it was a client who became enraged with her and killed her. Many of the contestants in the balls were all disowned by their families, which was why they had many houses popping up. Each of these houses served as a second home for those who were rejected by their family or suffered homophobia at home. Paris is Burning gives an intimate picture of rival fashion houses from contests for trophies to house mothers offering support in a world filled with homophobia, racism, and poverty.