And the Category Is.

<b>A 2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Nonfiction</b><br><br><b>An <i>Electric Literature</i> &#147;Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of 2022&#148; Selection</b><br><br><b>A love letter to the legendary Black and Latinx LGBTQ underground subculture uncovering its abundant legacy and influence in popular culture.</b><br><br>What is Ballroom? Not a song a documentary a catchphrase a TV show or an individual pop star. It is an underground subculture founded over a century ago by LGBTQ African American and Latino men and women of Harlem. Arts-based and intersectional it transcends identity acting as a fearless response to the systemic marginalization of minority populations.<br><br>Ricky Tucker pulls from his years as a close friend of the community to reveal the complex cultural makeup and ongoing relevance of house and Ballroom a space where trans lives are respected and applauded and queer youth are able to find family and acceptance. With each chapter framed as a &#147;category&#148; (Vogue Realness Body et al.) <i>And the Category Is . . .</i> offers an impressionistic point of entry into this subculture its deeply integrated history and how it&#146;s been appropriated for mainstream audiences. Each category features an exclusive interview with fierce LGBTQ/POC Ballroom members&#151;Lee Soulja Benjamin Ninja Twiggy Pucci Gar&#231;on and more&#151;whose lives work and activism drive home that very category.<br><br>At the height of public intrigue and awareness about Ballroom thanks to TV shows like FX&#146;s <i>Pose</i> Tucker&#146;s compelling narratives help us understand its relevance in pop culture dance public policy with regard to queer communities and so much more. Welcome to the norm-defying realness of Ballroom.