Realness: is it "real" anymore?

Realness literally depends on whether or not people can assume either your true sexuality or your true/inner gender. For Butch queens, they're looking for the most passable male. The one who society would think was straight based on personal appearance. For Transexuals, judges are looking for the one with the smoothest transition. The one who looks like they were biologically born in their current gender. For Butches, judges are looking for the woman who could pass for a male naturally while living their life as a female.

After watching some recent ball footage, I noticed a pattern. Why is the violent black man considered the image of male figure realness?

In male figure realness, there are four distinct sub-categories, Executive (business suit conducting boardroom meetings), Schoolboy (appears to be in HS/college wearing trendy streetwear), Prettyboy (Metrosexual clean cut and masculine) and Thug (hoodies, jeans and construction Timbs). I noticed that 5 times out of ten, Thugs win over any other sub-category. When I asked someone why that is, he replied "wouldn't you pick the one that looks like he did time?" My reply: "Why is the violent drug dealing hoodlum considered to the "real" image of a black man? Why is a black male in a conservative image the caricuture?"

Have we, as a people, become so jaded by society that REAL is the epitome of a ghetto mentality? That one must scare and intimidate in order to be considered real. Now don't get me wrong, everyone likes a "daddy"; someone who dominates and takes charge but how has that image been distorted that you are ONLY real if you're brave enough to run the streets. Are men who dress stylishly, work a 9-5 and take care home a fading ideal? And if being hood, feared and intimidating will win you the category, is it the reason the ball scene butches are tempted to take T?

T is short for testoserone, a natural hormone that when injected into the body tricks the brain to produce male physical characteristics. It first causes a deepening of the voice, balances the softness in the face, creates body and facial hair and helps to sculpt a male physique if muscles are the desired results. Injecting this hormone not only fools the judges. This is the hormone used to assist Transmen with their physical transition from their born existence to their true inner gender.

This nurtured need to win trophies has fueled the AG/Butch community to not only inject themselves with strange hormones (most are not prescribed to the actual users but shared throughout several others) but fuels them to take on masculine names and ask the community to feed into their psyche by calling them by male pronouns as well. I'm sure that the use of a fake name or faked gender transformation doesn't assist anyone at being "real".

With the new uprising of hormone injected butches hitting the scene in alarming rates, one must consider what this does to the transmen community fighting for equality under the queer umbrella. Recently at the Milan Ball 2010, Icon Sean Ebony, an advocate for transgendered rights, publicly protested the butch realness category because three well known transmen walked it. A judge disputed that butches have been taking physique altering drugs for quite some time. It doesn't seem quite fair to be in a life transition and be seen as "every other butch" based on the greedy whims of a small few who want a trophy. Think of what this would do for the Femme Queen community if every drag category was rushed by dozens of boys using homones to win the category. Most BQID love the fact that they without chemicals can be a girl if only for a day. When will butches love themselves in the same fashion?

What does this do for lesbian women who when choosing a mate will have to accept a more masculine appearance then a lesbian should have to? They are forced to find attraction in a woman who takes drugs to look like a man only for a moment. In my opinion, this now opens the door for more femme/femme relationships since the femmes will be the only true women available. All this for a trophy or local recognition...?

A butch by definition is a woman who carries a more dominant way of thinking and mannerisms and for realness they must be easily can be mistaken as a man. Why is being your natural you not real enough? Your thoughts...?

Who is Roxi (Moulin) 007? Testimony of my walk down the runway...

Hey everyone to my FIRST ballroom blog...

First I'd like to formally introduce myself to you all. My name is Roxi (Moulin) 007. As a child in the ballroom scene, the proper way to identify yourself is by hyphenating the houses you stormed in to your name. I wasn't always a Moulin though...

I first was introduced to the ballroom scene by now Legend Dashaun Evisu, (most of you know him from Vogue Evolution). He was one of my first kiki girlfriends prior to either of us walking balls. We would sit on the pier and play beats and go off and dream about what house we wanted to join.

I started actually walking about ten years ago when B-52's (now Club Remix) would throw random mini balls on Wednesdays. My first category was Face. I was chopped or sat down for face numerous times before I ever heard my first critique. "Darling, not every pretty girl can walk face. A smile tells on you". To this day, I'll never forget that the comment wasn't meant to be harsh but to teach me something. Not every chop is shade and not category is mine.

I then moved on to sex siren. As a previous dancer, I had had some experience being seductive in front of people and won a mini ball in '01. I wanted to learn more about the scene, so I took a hiatus from the scene attending every ball I heard of to get pointers, network and find out more about the other categories that were given.

I decided to become an avid walker in 2006. I changed my category once again to runway. At that time, I was a plus size model walking in every urban fashion show I could get booked for. My time to shine was being asked by Legendary Jevon Legacy (former Khan) to audition for the NY chapter of the House of Khan. I walked and waited patiently to get recruited and with one sashay and flip of the hair later, I was! After years of patience and confidence building, I was in a house. My debut ball was the Candyland Ball thrown by the House of Mizrahi in Newark. My parents, Legendary Luna & Steve Legacy were both impressed with my ability to design and create my own effects for the ball. I didn't win but it propelled me into wanting to walk the biggest ball of the year - The Latex Ball! I easily received my tens and had my first major ball battle battling Isis King (ANTM contestant). She won but I feel that I gave it my all.

During this time, I received word that there was a womens scene brewing fun for the girls down in VA. I threw my name into the hat by walking women's runway at the daVinci ball 2007 at the Lab in Brooklyn. At the time, I was also awaiting confirmation on my application for the House of Moulin. Overall Mother Reign Moulin asked me to walk this ball so she could see what I could do. As a ringer with an entrance, I felt confident that my strut, stunts and pizzazz would win me a spot in the house. After walking and ending up in the final battle, three weeks later, I was MOULIN!


It took me 6 months of helping out every way I could to be promoted to Mother of the Northern chapter. I was over evey Moulin from NY to Boston. I took pride in my title and my "girls" and helped them succeed every way possible. After 6 more months, countless parties hosted and balls walked, I was promoted again to Queen of the Royal Court. My job: bring honor and notoriety to the house at all times and I feel like I succeeded. By August 2008, I had a new title, a revamped chapter and a mission: REINVENTION. I shocked the ballscene (and myself) when I walked sex siren again... watch the video below and get acquainted.



I continued at my post walking sex siren and runway until I discovered that perhaps I needed to set a new example. As a beacon to the dozens of girls who were inspired by me, reinvention was once again needed... so I walked for the first time best dressed for the first time. The response was great so I continued until where I am now...

I have since left the House of Moulin but not without instilling in them all the love I have in my heart and making sure that they would be just fine without me... Ask them - their trophies STILL pile up. (M's Down!)

So there I am, in a nutshell. The next question is: what does my future hold?

Wouldn't YOU like to know? Keep watching!

xoxo
Roxi