Realness as Visionary Fiction
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24233081 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Luna Ákira (0000-0003-2925-8526), Diego Pereira (0000-0003-3706-6313), Johari Terra |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 373-389 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | TSQ Transgender Studies Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2328-9252 • E-ISSN: 2328-9260 |
| Publisher | Duke University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1215/23289252-12457219 |
| OpenAlex | W7221605710 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
This article explores the realness category in ballroom culture, emphasizing its roots in Black and queer communities. Realness involves performing specific gender and racial identities to pass as cisgender or heterosexual in society. The article discusses how realness operates as a survival strategy, as well as a form of visionary fiction and as an afrofabulation, in which Black and LGBTQ+ individuals create alternative realities through their bodies and performances. It focuses on Brazil's emerging ballroom culture, highlighting its evolution and cultural significance within marginalized communities. The article presents key insights from a conversation between the authors, in which the trailblazer Mother Ákira Avalanx discusses how this category has been understood and evolved over time, especially in Brazil.
alternative reality · ballroom culture · gender performance · marginalized communities · realness · survival strategies · Arts and Performance Studies · Gender and Feminist Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
| Highly cited | No |
|---|