I was admittedly late to the media phenomenon that is Pose and since finishing the first season I have had many thoughts and feelings I have been reflecting on. What pulled me into it was watching Disclosure, a documentary that assessed how Hollywood depictions of transgender people impacts society. Seeing that Pose received overwhelmingly positive feedback and had a predominantly Black and brown cast, I knew I had to give it a try. My partner and I didn’t go into the show knowing very much about ballroom culture other than what was depicted in Disclosure. For those who may be unfamiliar it is a subculture started by Black and Latinx LGBTQIA+ people in New York that often took form in pageants and competitions. It transcended being solely aesthetic as it became a place of community and chosen family for many.
Pose begins in 1987 when the AIDS epidemic was steadily increasing and killing many in LGBTQIA+ and POC communities. The story centers on a young Afro-Latina trans woman named Blanca as she starts her own ballroom house and takes in many young people who would otherwise be homeless or not achieving their full potential. All the while, she keeps her positive status secret from them, confiding in only one friend, all while watching many in their community suffer and pass away at a rapid rate. Though the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole suffered disproportionately, it strongly illuminated how hard things were for POC and trans people at the time. Though the nature of the viruses differs, living in 2020 and beginning 2021 while watching the show and educating myself more on the AIDS epidemic has revealed some undeniable connections in the US. Coupled with COVID-19 have been significant outcries for racial equality as not only has the virus itself disproportionately affected POC but acts of police brutality have been increasingly viral. Beyond that, as I have written before, many violent killings of Black trans women occurred in the last year. The power of seeing Black trans women as main and supporting characters on a mainstream television show to me is indescribable. The fear of having so many loved ones and not being able to know who out of all of you would be affected was almost understandable, though is very differently weighted. The main difference that struck me was how much of an entire generation of Black, brown, and LGBTQIA+ people were lost. I always logically knew that to be true, and yet seeing how it likely played out for many interpersonally and applying it to my life made it very painful as a young Black and queer person. Had my partner, friends, and I lived only a few decades earlier, it would have been us. We fight our own battles now, but it is of great importance to remember those who came before us as well. In part, I have Pose to thank for showing me that. -Bek
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January 2024
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