Leisure as black survival: ballroom, vogue, and black queer and trans+ embodied activism in Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT 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?