Leisure as black survival

Ballroom, vogue, and black queer and trans+ embodied activism in Canada

Bibliographic Data

ID21729806
AuthorsJ Joseph (0000-0002-4018-2908, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Naomi Bain (University of Toronto)
Year2024
Volume48
Issue2
Pages315-332
Publication date2024-04-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLeisure/Loisir (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1492-7713 • E-ISSN: 2151-2221
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14927713.2024.2308911
OpenAlexW4391723480
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited30

Within Canadian leisure spaces anti-Black racism can make survival difficult, not least for those who identify as two-spirit lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and trans+ (QT+). The Black QT+ Ballroom scene in Canada is a leisure practice that began in Toronto within groups of chosen families called 'houses' that offer participants a physical and social place of love, comfort, refuge, leisure, physical activity, fashion, dance, music and art. The events that bring these artistic and embodied skills to light are referred to as 'balls' in which participants gather to socialize and compete, showcasing their dance skills, runway walking/moving, fiercest outfits, and ability to tap into beautiful parts of their body, gender, sexuality, and race. This article describes Black QT+ ballroom and details how expansive and affirming bodily worlds created in and through ballroom afford true self-expressions and full vibrant lives. We answer the question: why is ballroom important to Black QT+ survival

Aesthetics · Art · Ballroom · Dance · Embodied cognition · Queer · Sociology · Visual arts · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access