Alex had just turned twenty-two and had recently started their gender transition. They felt like a new piece, rough around the edges, unsure where they fit. Alex was transgender—assigned female at birth but knowing, deep down, that "she" was never the right word. Now, Alex used "they" and "them," and on good days, the mirror reflected someone closer to the truth.
Originating in Black and Latinx trans communities, "vogueing" and "drag balls" provided a chosen family and a stage for those rejected by society. This culture eventually influenced everything from high fashion to global pop music.