Long before RuPaul's Drag Race revolutionised contemporary drag culture and introduced it to mainstream audiences across the world, there was Paris Is Burning.
Jennie Livingston's iconic 1991 documentary captured the essence of the extravagant ball culture of New York City during the 1980s - considered a safe haven for members of local African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender communities.
The ballroom movement was the birthplace of voguing as a form of dance as well as popular phrases still used by the queer community today, including “spilling tea” and “throwing shade".
Now, 25 years later, Viceland's documentary series My House is proving that the subculture created by and for marginalised communities is still thriving.
Introducing viewers to a new generation of voguers as they tackle the ballroom scene, the 2018 series effortlessly moves between competitive balls and the personal struggles of those who run them, unafraid of focusing on issues including race, class, and gender.
The series follows the real-life stories of Tati 007, Alex Mugler and Jelani Mizrahi - each of whom have since won a legion of new fans, including high-profile names like activist, writer and director Janet Mock.
For fans of RuPaul's Drag Race, the series provides an invaluable opportunity to brush up on the indisputably political history and context of modern-day drag culture, particularly as Drag Race struggles to adequately address ongoing issues of racism in the drag community and broader LGBTIQ+ community.
The show also offers a refreshing break from the glossy mainstream production values that come with signing a deal with VH1. These characters, while entertaining and endearing, are real people who aren't being poked and prodded and placed under insurmountable pressure to perform for the cameras.
Quite the opposite, the team behind My House includes a number of black and queer-identifying creatives - and it's evident in the way these important stories are told.
Executive Producer Elegance Bratton told that the ongoing "for us by us" nature of ballroom culture has to do "with the inability of the gay rights movement to engage people of colour."
He continued: "... the ballroom scene has to be that way because the culture simultaneously educates working class communities of colour about the variant queer identities within them, but also shelters the exiles of uninformed families."
"In this way the FUBU [for us, by us] nature of the culture is both a necessary survival tactic and outreach strategy."
"Ballroom is a form of activism," added field producer Nneka Onuorah.
"When you struggle to be heard, it’s important to have a space where you can use your voice and amplify it. It says 'I’m taking everything you said I can’t do and I am going to show you just how much I can and will do'."
My House:The Real Pose airs on November 13 at 11pm on SBS Viceland.
