Ballroom Community, LGBTQ+ and History

Bc. Iva Koudelová

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Tato práce analyzuje mnoho dokumentů, událostí a dalších vlivů, které ovlivnily kul-turu ballroomu. Mezi ně patří Fairies ball, zákonný útlak queer lidí a aktivit, dokumentární film Queens at Heart, dokumentární film The Queen, role Crystal LaBeiji, podpůrné skupi-ny známé jako houses, vliv Williho Ninji, Paris is Burning ball, epidemie HIV, událost Lo-ve Ball, píseň „Deep in Vogue“, Madonin singl „Vogue“, dokumentární film Jennie Li-vingstonové Paris is Burning, vliv YouTube na ballroom, dokumentární film How Do I Look, seriál RuPaul’s Drag Race, dokumentární film Kiki, seriál Pose, seriál My House a seriál Legendary. Cílem této práce je vysvětlit, proč a jak tyto vlivy ovlivnily a utvářely kulturu ballroomu. Vlivy jsou seřazeny a analyzovány chronologicky a často jsou navzájem porovnány, aby byly vidět rozdíly mezi nimi. Na závěr práce vyzdvihuje, jak se tato kultura rozvinula, zatímco si stále zachovává stejné hodnoty jako v jejím počátku.

Abstract:

The present thesis analyses many documents, events and other influences that affect-ed the ballroom culture. These include the Fairies ball, the lawful oppression of queer peo-ple and activities, the documentary Queens at Heart, The Queen documentary, the role of Crystal LaBeija, the support groups known as houses, the influence of Willi Ninja, the Par-is is Burning ball, the HIV epidemic, the Love Ball event, the song “Deep in Vogue”, Ma-donna’s single “Vogue”, Jennie Livingston’s Paris is Burning documentary, the influence of YouTube on the ballroom, the documentary How Do I Look, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Kiki documentary, the Pose series, My House series, and the Legendary series. This thesis aims to explain why and how these influences affected and shaped the ballroom culture. The influences are sorted and analysed chronologically and often compared to each other to show the differences between them. Finally, the thesis highlights how the culture expand-ed while still managing to keep the same values as it did in its beginning.

Keywords

LGBTQ+, vogue, ballroom, drag, culture, history, cultural appropriation

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 13. 12. 2022

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 26. 1. 2023
• Supervisor: B.A. Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel
• Reader: Mgr. Veronika Vargová, BA

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Bachelor programme / field:
English Language and Literature / English Language and Literature