Blah, blah, blah

Voguing came from NYC queer culture, specifically among the Black gay and transgendered community. Folks would hold Balls, which were parties that had style and performance contests. The contests would have many different categories, which people would dress up and perform.

Contestants would be judged based on the “realness” of their performance, that is the ability for them to pass on the streets without other people questioning or doubting their authenticity. The winner would receive a trophy.

For example, a category could be corporate executive or fashion model, and the winner would be the person who best resembled and acted like an executive or model.

Because of heterosexism and ostracism against the queer community, the contestants formed their own “houses.” The houses acted as a family unit under one of the older members who acted as the “mother” or “father.” It was a support system. After a person won a trophy at a Ball, they would be invited to live in one of the houses. The houses were named after someone “legendary”–a person who won many contests.

Shading was a subtle way of putting someone down, of insulting someone. It involved acting or speaking in a way that someone would know they’re inferior without explicitly saying it. Voguing was a way of shading during the competitions. It was a way to show your superiority to the other competitors.

The term “Voguing” came from the fashion magazine Vogue. Because it used many of the same poses used by the models. Voguing became popular outside of queer culture when fashion designers began using it in runway shows in the late 1980s. Then Madonna used it in her 1990 hit.

Information source: Paris is Burning. A great documentary about the subject. I highly recommend it.