Crystal LaBeija was a Black trans woman and drag muva who refused to water herself down. In standing her ground, she forever shaped Black queer culture.
In a time where Black LGBTQIA+ people faced constant police brutality, social pressures to lighten their skin, and racism within whitewashed queer culture, LaBeija felt something building inside her.
Was it rage?
No. It was immense pride for her people.
After refusing to seek validation from a popular pageant, Miss All-America Camp, LaBeija created her own space.
The Annual House of LaBeija Ball was the first to center the Black and POC queer community. Doing this carved space for the iconic Black ballroom scene that has shaped so much of Black culture, inclusive of Paris Is Burning, the hit series Pose, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance.
LaBeija’s legacy reminds us to be loud and proud about who we are. Her courage to carve her own path created space for other people to do the same.
Creating abundant space for ourselves and others to move freely is what chips away at anti-Black systems. How do you carve space for your most authentic self to shine through?