General
banjee
What does banjee mean?
Banjee describes a streetwise, hyper-masculine urban look and attitude — someone who can hang with the roughest crowd and blend straight into the hood. In ballroom it doubles as a Realness category (sometimes called Banjee or Thug Realness): you have to pass convincingly as that tough urban guy, no softness clocked. The word came out of Black and Latino queer New York.
"He switched up his whole walk for the banjee category — hood-tough, no tea, no shade."
Origin
Black and Latino LGBTQ communities of New York; describing a tough, streetwise masculine presentation, later codified as a ballroom Realness category.
Frequently asked questions
What does "banjee" mean?
It describes a streetwise, tough, masculine urban type, and is also a ballroom realness category.
How do you use "banjee" in a sentence?
"His whole look was banjee — hard, street, all attitude."
Where does "banjee" come from?
It comes from Black and Latino ballroom culture, describing a tough, masculine street aesthetic.
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