Emmy-winning actress, writer and producer Lena Waithe has paid a touching tribute to the cast of iconic documentary Paris Is Burning.
Having just accepted the Trailblazer Award at the 27th annual MTV Movie & TV Awards, Waithe praised the trailblazers who appeared in the 1990 film, including New York City ballroom scene icons Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtravaganza, and Willi Ninja, as “the only reason I’m allowed to stand here.”
“A lot of the people featured in this film are no longer with us, but their legacies will never die because they live on in all of us,” Waithe said.
She added: “And every time someone says ‘shade’ or talks about ‘reading’ or decides to serve face for no reason at all, please look up to the sky and give thanks because we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They strutted through a brick wall so we wouldn’t have to."
The 33-year-old, who is currently developing a show for TBS about being a queer black woman, has previously spoken out about the importance of visibility.
"So many of our black, gay, lesbian, queer, and trans foremothers and forefathers and those who never felt comfortable with either gender had to hide," she said after at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards earlier this year.
She continued: "They made sure not to look at each other too long in the cotton fields. They were forced to hide in plain sight at the March on Washington, even though they were the brains behind it. They had to prevent their truth from bleeding onto the typewriters when they wrote about what it meant to be black and human in Harlem in the 1920s."
"When they were killed by homophobic hands, they tried not to scream too loud, so as to not bring shame or embarrassment to their families or their race. Even in death, they hid. They were forced to hide with hopes that one day we wouldn’t have to, and now look at us," she said.
“Still hiding. Hiding because we don’t want to lose an endorsement deal. Hiding because we want to be normal. Hiding because we don’t want to make white folks feel uneasy."
"But most of all,” she added, “hiding because we don’t want to make our own people feel uncomfortable."
Directed by Jennie Livingston, Paris Is Burning chronicles the lives of drag queens living in New York City in the 1980s, exploring their iconic "house" culture. It is the birthplace of much of our present-day queer language and is often referenced on shows including RuPaul's Drag Race.
You can watch the trailer below:
