General
house of labeija
What does house of labeija mean?
The original. The House of LaBeija is the first ballroom house, born when Crystal LaBeija walked off the stage of a rigged white-judged drag pageant in 1967 and decided to build something for Black and Latino queens instead. With Lottie LaBeija she threw the first House of LaBeija ball in Harlem in 1972, and the entire house system, every chosen family that came after, traces back to that move. Crystal is the Mother of Ballroom for a reason.
"Every house owes a debt to LaBeija, that is where the whole system started."
Frequently asked questions
Why was the House of LaBeija created?
Crystal LaBeija was tired of Black contestants being passed over in white-run drag pageants. She and Lottie built their own house so queens of colour had a place to compete, be celebrated, and belong.
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