The WBT Ballroom Coalition - Week One

For those who don't know, the Women, Butch and Trans Ballroom Coalition have been actively trying to form an Executive Board in order to revamp, re-educate and restore our ball scene in order to continue an age old legacy established in our history. The members have been pushing hard to reconnect with the original women's scene members/houses and also trying to find supporters in the mainstream ball scene willing to back us and assist with formulating such a historical event. This week makes the first official week of progression and, in such, marks grand steps made.

This past Wednesday October 19th, Whats' Da Tea Radio (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/da_tea) aired the first Coalition meeting entitled "Meeting of the Minds" where the WBT Ballroom's biggest supporters and parents from its biggest houses spoke on key elements needed in the scene as a whole. [To hear the archived call - (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/da_tea) OR to read an overview of the call: (click here)]

The night's speakers were :

Icon Sean Ebony - Transman Realness
Legendary Overseer Khi Mizrahi - Butch Performance
Legendary Mother Aisha Prodigy-Iman - Women's Face
Legendary Father Kiron Ebony-Alpha - Transman Realness
Midwest Of The Year Mother Bunni Blahnik - Womens Body/Sex Siren
Nina Divine-Revlon - Women Best Dressed and VA ballroom promoter
Mother Diva Monroe - Womens Face and Big Girls Body
Legendary Shady Prada - Butch Realness, Labels, Streetwear
Grandmother Susan Mizrahi - Ballroom Historian
& myself as the Moderator

It was a grossly beneficial call detailing the hopes that each speaker had for the new scene and also outwardly expressive that we were all on the same page of doing our part to contribute toward a scene that was inclusive and unbiased. A refreshing and needed attribute to a scene that was waning due to bouts of shades, ego and blatant segregation.

Icon Sean Ebony proposed a conference call in which all the speakers and those involved in the Executive Board detail duties and responsibilities for themselves to execute and this call will take place on Wednesday, October 26th at 9pm. This is the time for proper organization and precise execution. We each want to present the best that ballroom has to offer as well help those interested to uplift themselves outside the ballroom.

WHILE YOU HAVE THE ATTENTION OF SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE... BE SURE TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING REAL TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER #BALLROOM

- Susan Mizrahi

Week One was about gathering support and detailing our hopes for the scene. Next is about setting in stone our responsibilities and setting goals to reach these dreams. The picture is slowly being painted and from here; I see a Mona Lisa in the making.

Here's some WBT Ballroom links you should know about:

GettingYourLife Youtube Channel - videos of Women, Butch & Trans walking both Mainstream and WBT Balls, personal opinion videos and 101s - (http://www.youtube.com/user/RoxiContin2011)

What's Da Tea Radio - online radio show focused on the WBT Ballroom scene (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/da_tea)

The Women, Butch and Trans (WBT) Ballroom Coalition - Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/163561787023421/)

WBTBallroom twitter page - (http://twitter.com/#!/WBTBallroom)

Make your voice count by being involved, informed and included!

Until next time...

xoxo
Roxi