The documentary Paris is Burning (1990) introduced the world to the Harlem ballroom scene. This subculture, created by Black and Latino queer and trans youth excluded from white gay bars, gave us "voguing," "reading," and "realness." Icons like and Angie Xtravaganza were trans women who served as mothers of Houses. Today, every time you hear Madonna’s "Vogue" or see RuPaul’s Drag Race, you are seeing a trans-coded art form. (Notably, RuPaul has faced criticism for using the transphobic slur "tranny" in the past, highlighting the tension even among gender-bending celebrities.)
