This is my favorite documentary... the subtle undertone of this movie that not everyone gets is the socio-economic commentary. Most people see this movie as an introduction to the world of drag queens or introduction to voguing and "balls". But if you dig deeper it is even sadder believe it or not. It's sad to think that most of these wonderful "larger than life" folks are dead, but it holds a very deep social commentary for anyone who is not a straight white well to do male. (by the way, despite my user name I'm a biological female ! ha ha... but I'm Hispanic so I am marginalized by sex as well as ethnicity...) Anyway the comments on being female... Pepper Labeija explaining why he would never get a sex change "women have it worse than anyone" or Octavia St. Laurent... "all men are dogs... sooner or later they all start barking" are comments u'd hear straight women say all the time. And what it means to be a black or Hispanic in the trickle down world of Reaganomics and beyond... before you even factor in homosexuality... please watch it again and really listen for the racial and economic commentary. Those from Pepper Labeija and Dorian Corey are particularly poignant... ("I emulated Deitrich and Monroe... it wasn't acceptable to emulate Lena Horne... even as a black"- Dorian Corey) I'm sorry to be "preachy" but I love this movie and it has a lot more to say than the "fad" it glorified. I am a straight Latina who grew up in the NYC club scene but for me the best thing about this movie besides the great dancers and "characters" is what it says about being a marginalized group in the dog eat dog 1980's, and what they did to hold on to a semblance of family and fame. Most of the house "mothers" died within a few years of the movie... Pepper Labeija (my very favorite) died recently... but before he died he sadly had his feet amputated because of diabetes... yet he, I should call Pepper SHE... appeared in a Ball, in full Egyptian regalia, carried by strapping shirtless men to the delight of all those in attendance. May we all enjoy love and acceptance, no matter what it is that makes us different.
