Original subtitles

("A Love Bizarre" by Sheila E. and Prince playing)

PRAY TELL: Dip, spin, work, turn!

Yes, children, feast your eyes on these fierce

and flexible queens, baby.

-Yeah! -(all cheering)

This display of talent is the reason why

the world is trying to be us.

(cheering)

Ah, work it out!

Da-da-da-da-da, ah! Sha-wham, sha-wham, sha-wham!

Ah! Y'all drinking for free tonight.

Bartender, put they tab on Daddy.

All right, look. Clear the floor.

Clear the floor. All right, all right.

Now, we all know this Madonna song

has been bumpin' hard.

Madonna has accomplished quite the feat,

topping the charts for two consecutive weeks, right?

-Right. -(all cheering)

We done changed the culture, y'all!

(cheers and applause)

Now that everybody in the world

is trying to learn how to Vogue...

Mm-hmm.

...it's time for us to switch it up.

Keep 'em guessing.

Put a little twist on Vogue!

-(all cheering) -All right!

The category is... Lofting.

Yes, divas, I want to see all my banjee boys

and all my tops serving trade to hit the floor

and Vogue!

("The Power" by Snap! playing)

Come on, Shadow, giving us that signature line

that the world knows as Vogue,

but then he drops right into the banjee boy.

Yeah, you don't know nothin' about that.

Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Who's next? Who's next?

Ah... come on, Lemar Evangelis...

no, is it... yeah, uh, Wintour!

Lemar Wintour. You know, she a house hopper.

She a house hopper, baby.

It's all good, though. You looking real banjee today.

I got one thing to say, though.

That little shimmering earring will get you clocked.

Darling, you've been warned.

You know I love you, girl.

Oh... Yes!

Gravity Ebony certainly has his own laws

of motion.

And it's larger than the ocean.

Ah, what?!

Oh, that's for the young, hung, and full of what?

Ow!

(all cheering)

Oh, oh, the head, bitch.

-He don't even have the cardboard! -I need him in my house.

No, are you done?

He don't even need the cardboard, bitches!

Tens across the board.

Whew! Lord Jesus, y'all done wore me out on this evening.

Y'all done wore me out. If there's anybody else

who thinks they can top what we just seen...

I don't think there is, but if you're bold enough to try,

come on, the floor is all yours.

Going once, going twice.

Uh-huh, just as I suspected.

There ain't nobody, so the category is... ugh.

Oh, here we go. This bitch again.

-(excited whoops, cheers) -What's happening?

I can't with her.

*

Okay. (laughing)

Okay, cut the music.

Please cut the music.

(music stops)

I have to say, bitch,

you do have nerve.

You really do have nerve, but what are you doing?

I'm paying tribute to Madonna.

The woman that put Vogue on the map.

Now put that music back on, bitch.

The category is called Lofting.

It is a dance category for actual dancers.

We've been down this road before.

You are not a dancer,

you are not a Voguer, and quite frankly,

I'm concerned about your health.

Break dancing might burst that silicone.

And you don't want to go back to that flat ass

you used to have, now, do you?

Pray, that's fucked up.

Why you always reading me the riot act, Pray Tell?

You go out of your way to put me down.

I don't have to put you down

when you're always in the bottom.

(gasping)

You stood up there on your perch talking about "It's our time.

"Our time to be seen.

To show the world what we got."

-That's right. -Yes.

That's right.

But in this room, you the only one

that refuse to see that I got something to contribute.

I got heart. I got talent.

(crowd murmurs support)

I'm a star, just like Madonna.

(light cheering, applause)

Okay.

Judges, your scores.

Five. Five.

Zero.

-WOMAN: Nobody gets a zero. -Six.

Five. I don't know what to tell you, girl.

The cards don't lie.

(indistinct chatter)

You gonna regret your words.

I'm a star. I know who I am.

WOMAN: Yes, you are.

I am somebody.

-Yes, you are. -(cheers and applause)

Okay, you go on ahead and be somebody, Miss Jesse Jackson.

Just not on my floor.

Music, please.

("The Power" resumes)

* I got the power *

Take a hike and don't ever come back.

* I got the power, power, power. *

(door opens)

(footfalls approach)

PRAY TELL: The category is...

Live...

Work...

Pose!

*

-You two are looking fierce. -All right, Nurse Debbie,

work it out.

Now, you may want to visit a mirror,

perfect some of them moves, girl.

Sometimes I feel like God is playing a joke on us.

We've been trying to break out into the mainstream for years,

and now she lets it happen in the middle of a plague.

Yeah, and white folks just want a smile and a show.

Not all but most.

Well, that's why we got to do this AIDS Cabaret again.

Give 'em a show but also spread awareness.

Girl, that bitch was Voguing at us.

-Been watching too much MTV. -(laughing)

I can't blame her, though.

-I love that damn song. -Yes.

Which is why you have to come up and see what we're doing

at the balls.

The crowds have been crazy, crazy packed.

Which means everybody is on their "A" game.

You and Wanda would love it.

I want to, but, you know, we're asleep

before you kids start putting on your makeup.

(laughter)

Listen, I only have a 20-minute lunch break.

-We got to get down to business. -Oh.

So we're meeting in this hellhole

because of your schedule, huh?

That's right, honey.

(laughs) All right.

Well, I've been putting a lot of thought into it,

and, after Lorna Luft's surprise appearance

at last year's cabaret,

we can expect much larger crowds, right?

So I'm thinking maybe we start with a big group number.

Get the energy going, and the crowd...

Pray, we're not here to talk about the AIDS Cabaret.

What?

This isn't another intervention, is it?

I've been doing real good with my drinking.

Blanca, may I?

Yeah.

This is Blanca's blood work.

She's been on AZT, as you know, for a few weeks now,

and already we're starting to see her T cells climb.

I told you a million times I'm not taking that toxic shit.

I don't trust it, I don't like it.

I ain't doing it.

Well, that was then, this is now.

Blanca told me about that voodoo shit

you were doing over the weekend.

Oh, did she, now?

You skinny queens are gonna experience

some fat bitch food tonight.

JARED: This is disgusting.

The guy at the yoga center said eating a pound of butter

every day with some mineral oil

can help lower an HIV viral load

by flushing the virus from the gut.

This guy said a pound.

Bitch, don't act like you didn't use a pound last night.

Don't act new.

(laughter)

All right.

Bon... apé... tit.

My pilot light was broken,

I needed Blanca's stove,

and it wasn't none of her business

to be telling you nothing.

If you're willing to eat a pound of butter a day,

it's obvious that you're investing

in improving your numbers.

Why won't you go on AZT?

Because I prefer a more holistic approach.

That shit ain't gonna work. Your numbers are dropping.

Mine ain't that low.

I really, really don't appreciate y'all

talking down to me like this.

Can I not just enjoy my life for one minute?

Just one!

Pray, we want more moments with you, that's all.

We're doing it because we love you.

Find another way to love me!

Please find another way.

Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to go

and resuscitate what's left of my good mood

that y'all just killed.

I have a life to live.

(knocking on table)

Hear ye, hear ye.

Now that we have all ordered our grand slam breakfasts,

it's time for the first bi-monthly

Masters of Ceremony Council to officially begin.

Manhattan, as our secretary, you will read us the agenda.

So please tell us what we all dragged ourselves out of bed

to talk about this morning.

We need to find a way to get these bitches

to pay up their dues and donations.

Those trophies don't buy themselves.

I know that's right.

And the moments of silence for individual brothers and sisters

is getting out of hand.

We need to vote on just one moment

for the ones we've lost at the beginning of each ball

to save time.

It's come to that? Jesus.

And on a lighter note, we need to discuss Madonna.

-Ah... -The queen.

She's putting so many new eyes on our scene.

We need to be prepared.

Which is why I've been saying

we need to vote on a new modern category.

Agreed.

Some of these categories are from 1973.

Yeah, but we got to be careful, protective.

Remember who this is for.

-Yeah. -Us.

Our community.

We are not a tourist attraction.

No, we're not.

Our greatest asset is our authenticity.

One of the children suggested we add a lip-synch category.

Ah, ah, ah. I'm shutting that shit down right now.

If they want to go do that, they can go on down to the Village

to one of them gay bars and pretend to be Patti LaBelle

for all them white boys in their blue jeans.

Yes. Okay, downtown.

-All the way downtown. -What is real

about flapping your jaw to a cassette tape?

-Okay? -That is not how you do a ball.

-Mm-hmm. -It's how you do ventriloquism.

(laughter)

CANDY: Bullshit.

PRAY TELL: Well, well, well, if it ain't the dummy herself.

Did you follow me here, Carmen Sandiego?

No. A little birdie told me

that the council was meeting this morning.

And everybody knows that this is where you bottoms brunch.

Listen. I heard y'all was gonna be talking about new categories,

and I just wanted to be here in the flesh to state my case

before you girls end my dreams.

Candy, please don't do this to me today.

My patience is as thin as your wallet.

Candy, what is your problem, girl?

You snag trophies every time

you walk the face category.

It's not just about winning.

It's about getting seen.

And I clocked Junior Vasquez at the ball the other night.

Who that?

Girl, is you asleep at the wheel?

It's only the biggest DJ in New York.

And you said it yourself, Pray Tell.

The eyes of the world are on us.

And I need to catch that gaze. You hear me?

I'm a performer.

A star. So why don't we just come up

with some categories so we can show that off?

So, would you like us to put a pole in the middle of the room

-so you can show us all your hidden talents? -Ooh!

Lip-synching is the future.

Girls are making serious coin in those downtown bars.

Okay, this is not The Gong Show.

This is not Puttin' on the Hits.

You are relentless, Candy, I'll give you that.

And I admire it, but I suggest

that you take this energy somewhere else,

because I will never bring this category up for a vote.

Motion denied.

-Oh... -Done. -Yeah.

-(laughter) -How about that?

Oh!

Why can't you take me seriously, Pray Tell?

What are you gonna do? Stab me in broad daylight?!

Do it, bitch.

You ain't seen the last of me.

(knife clatters)

Enjoy your meeting.

(mouths)

(shouting, screaming)

She's...

Motherfucker.

Yeah, I'm done.

I assume she's a Scorpio.

(laughter)

Ah, the category is Higher than Heaven.

This is an avant-garde fashion category.

You bitches best not waste my time now.

Because I'm looking for innovative experimentation.

Oh, come on, girl.

Oh, give me that little shimmy.

Look at you there, like you just fell

into a vat of powdered doughnuts face-first!

I ain't mad at you, bitch!

Judges, your score!

Wow, work it out!

(cheering)

And what have we here?

Swirling around in intergalactic splendor, bitch.

Like you going to a party at the Jetsons' house, baby.

Mm-hmm.

Yes. Give me the-- ooh. Ba-boo, boo, boo.

Give me the scores, y'all.

Uh-huh.

(cheering, applause)

Oh, shit.

All right, Kiki, I see you.

Oh, shit!

I see your new piece of trade works at the pet store,

don't he?

(laughs)

It's for birds, real fucking birds, bitch!

Yes. Judges, your score?

Ten, ten, ten, ten, ten.

Come on and get-- well, I don't know

that you can pick up your trophy,

'cause you ain't got no arms, bitch.

What you gonna do?

-Yo, can we have some birds at the house? -No, we not doing all that.

-I want some birds at the house. -Come with me.

-What? -It's important.

-* Hold on. * -It's Candy.

She missed her last two shifts at the club.

And she hasn't come home yet.

That's not like her, not to check in with me after.

After what?

Being a mother's expensive, Blanca.

W-We've been tight on cash, and...

to make ends meet,

she been taking tricks down at the motel on Grant.

-You know that's not safe. -I told her not to, Blanca.

But y'all know Candy.

She gonna do what she want to do.

Well, did you go to the motel and see if she was there?

No.

Blanca...

Blanca, I don't want to go alone.

Come on, let's go.

(door opens)

(music playing over TV)

(screaming over TV)

(bell chimes)

Hi. We're looking for a girl named Candy.

We get a lot of girls in here.

Here.

This is her picture. Please.

Girl, tell him about the vanity.

She told me on numerous occasions she always asked

for room 44 'cause it has a vanity in it.

Do you see the sign out front?

We rent rooms by the hour.

People are coming in and out of here like Grand Central.

Wait, someone's still in room 44.

Can we knock and just see if it's her?

-Fuck that, and fuck you. -LULU (crying): Look,

-just do your fucking job, please. -Lulu, stop.

-Okay. -Listen...

Here's my home phone number.

We'll leave it here with a picture of Candy.

If you hear anything, please just...

...just please call me.

Come on, Lulu.

This is all we gonna have for Friday night dinner?

BLANCA: Friday night dinner is canceled this week.

All hands on deck to look for Candy.

DAMON: Okay, so I'll search the west side pier.

-And Pray and I will go to Harlem. -Yeah.

Angel, you stake out the club.

Oh, yo, I'll do that with her, too.

I'm sure you would love to do that, but you're on phone duty.

Call in every hour so we can coordinate.

No one sleeps tonight until we find her.

She might not have been in our house, but she's our sister.

-(phone ringing) -LIL PAPI: Please.

Allow me.

Hello?

Ma, it's for you.

Hello?

This is Blanca.

(knocking on door)

(applause over TV)

That's her.

(knocking continues)

(doorbell ringing)

-Hey. -Hey, girl. Come in. Let's...

-We got to talk. -What is it?

-Did you find Candy? -Let's just wait

-until Elektra gets... -Tell me now, please.

Candy's not coming home.

What do you mean?

Listen, I don't know how to say this. I just got the call.

Candy's dead.

What?

That's not possible.

I just talked to her two days ago.

(crying): No...

She was just making plans for the future.

-I know. -(sniffles)

(sobbing)

Blanca.

No.

Thank you, Mother.

(crying softly)

I need you to tell me what happened, please.

I got a call from the motel manager.

He said after we left, he was curious

about what was happening in those rooms.

So the maid went into the room to clean it.

-(knocking on door) -MAID: Housekeeping.

(gasps)

BLANCA: They found Candy's body dead in the closet.

(Lulu crying)

Oh, God.

-Do they know who did it, Blanca? -No.

But they are looking.

The NYPD doesn't care about a murdered transsexual.

We've never been treated with respect or dignity.

Candy's death isn't any different.

Well, it should be.

Especially to us.

No matter what, she was our sister.

What is it, May?

And 11 girls have been killed this year.

We just keep sitting around here, looking all sad.

We're letting it happen.

Candy would've wanted us to fight.

Okay? She would've wanted us to stand up

and say this is fucked up.

She would have wanted us to honor her memory.

ANGEL: So, then what do we do, Elektra?

We plan a celebration of her life.

But we got to get her body from the morgue.

And I just don't know how to do that.

None of us are her blood relatives.

You and I will handle that.

Angel, you get ahold of Candy's parents.

Let them know what happened.

We're going to make it through this.

I promise you.

NURSE JUDY: I work on the eighth floor.

You used to date my coworker Jeff.

You broke his heart, actually.

He wouldn't stop talking about you.

Is that what he said?

Yes, but that's really not what this is about.

Listen, I'm gay, you're gay.

We're all dancing under the same fucking rainbow.

-We need your help. -I'm sorry for your loss,

but you're asking me to break the law.

(sighs) Okay, l-let me put it to you in a different way.

Let's say things had worked out between you and Jeff,

and you'd gotten married.

And after 30 years of bliss, he dies on you.

According to the law, you'd have no right to claim his body.

Or his crazy family could have blocked you

from entering his hospital room in his final days.

That would be fucked up, wouldn't it?

Yes, it would.

Well, we have the same situation here.

Blanca and Elektra are Candy's family,

and I need you to release her body to them

so we can give this girl a proper funeral.

I'll take the fall for whatever happens.

Just, please give us a break.

(paper rustling)

Write down the address

of the funeral parlor you'd like to use.

I'll send her there.

Where's Lulu?

She can't take it. She can't see her this way.

You think she blames herself for getting Candy that job?

I don't know.

I never understood that one.

She always walked in Candy's shadow.

I embalmed her myself. No charge. She had been here

almost every week these past few months

paying respects to so many friends.

She would always take the time to greet me by my name.

I appreciated that.

I'll give you some time.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

That makeup is tore up from the floor up.

What the hell is with that church lady wig?

Even I wouldn't wear that.

We can't let her go in the ground

looking like my Aunt Carol.

She will come back and haunt us to the end of our days.

We have to do something about this.

Ladies, empty your purses.

We have two hours.

They couldn't even acknowledge her

as their daughter.

-I feel like I failed her. -No.

Don't you go blaming yourself for their faults.

I had one final obligation for Candy,

and I couldn't even do that.

Shit.

Lulu ain't even show up.

Grieving is tricky, baby.

We all deal with loss differently.

She'll find her way.

You must be kind to yourself today.

Besides, look how many people

-showed up for Candy. -Right.

This is her family. We were real to her.

Trust.

Now I'm-a go get this thing started.

Hey, y'all.

Hey.

How's she doing?

As best she can.

How you holding up, hon?

I'm all right.

Okay.

I think it's time.

*

*

So, I'm not gonna stand up here and lie to y'all today.

Miss Candy...

She was a pain in my goddamn black ass.

(laughter)

Y'all know what I'm talking about.

(sniffles)

We didn't always see eye to eye,

but she was still my sister.

Like you all are my sisters

and my siblings and my children.

My cousins.

Y'all know family don't always get along.

-(indistinct chatter) -(Pray Tell laughs)

It's all right.

You know, I was...

I was sitting in this very room, what?

Maybe a couple months ago...

(sniffles)

...at another memorial

saying farewell to yet another friend.

And I overheard Miss Candy say

that funerals were a waste.

She said they were a waste because...

"only the living get to partake."

(laughter)

The departed are just propped up for viewing.

-Mm-hmm. -You know that's right.

Unable to see who showed up.

Unable to hear who cried out.

Unable to respond,

to speak their final truths.

We all have so much...

...that we want to say to her

that will have to remain unspoken.

We will never again get the opportunity to...

tell her what she meant to us,

to thank her for what she gave us,

and to give her the grandest,

shiniest motherfucking trophy

for her contribution to our community!

-(overlapping chatter) -Yes, sir.

(mouthing)

But unfinished business is the burden of the living.

We are charged

to continue on,

living through this tragedy

so that we can fight our hardest

to protect our sisters from the hands

of men who are weak!

Who are afraid

to deal with their desires.

Today we mourn.

But tomorrow we stand firmly together,

never losing sight

of who we truly are.

-(overlapping chatter) -Yes, sir.

Goddamn right.

Now...

let us take a moment of silence

for our dearly departed,

taken too soon sister...

...Miss Candy Ferocity.

*

CANDY: I forgive you.

That's right, bitch.

I said I forgive you.

You need to know

I was a forgiving woman.

How the fuck else you think I dealt

with all the backstabbers in this world?

A woman's got to forgive.

Otherwise, her complexion gets all hazy.

Least I died beautiful.

Not that you ever noticed.

I collected the finest trade

that Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx had to offer.

But you?

I never once impressed you.

Why?

Why were you such an asshole to me?

You gave plenty of other people breaks

when they didn't deserve it.

Maybe...

Maybe I didn't want to look at you.

You are unapologetic,

loud, black, femme.

(voice breaking): All the things I try to hide about myself

when I go out into the real world.

You are all of them.

I guess...

...in a way, I was just trying to protect you.

What good is everyone's opinions when you're gone?

I'm a free bird now.

No regrets.

That.

I was jealous of that bravery.

I never had a choice to hide who I was.

My loudness walked into the room before I did.

-(chuckles) -Not a damn thing I could do about that.

Maybe you're just doing what you got to do to stay alive.

Maybe.

I'll tell you what.

It's gonna be a sad, lonely life

at those balls without me.

You know I would have killed that lip-synch category,

-you bitch. -(laughs) Yeah.

Yes, you would, girl.

BLANCA: Pray.

Pray.

Get on with it.

(Pray Tell sniffles)

(exhales) Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you. So, y'all know

that Candy wouldn't want us to drag this shit out,

so let's keep it moving.

I understand

that people have different ways of mourning and grieving,

so if you have something

that you want to share or say,

please come up here and express yourselves.

We are all here to love and support each other.

(Angel crying)

I don't even know what to say.

(sniffles)

This could've been me in there.

(sobbing)

Why you?

Wh-Why not me?

CANDY: This needs to be a reminder to you

to reach for something more than a quick coin.

But I'm not doing that no more.

But I can see you holding those piers in your back pocket

in case this modeling thing falls through.

-But we not allowed in that world. -Stop doubting yourself.

You right. You the first,

the best of us.

Who better than you, bitch?

You gon' crack that door wide open for girls like us.

That is your duty.

I better not see you back at those tollbooths, neither.

-No. -Unless you want me

-haunting you from the depths of hell. -No.

-I'm gonna miss you, Candy. -(clicks tongue)

(Angel sniffles)

Don't waste your time missing me.

(Angel cries)

Spend that energy on a Candy girl out there.

Beautify her in my stunning image.

Oh, and thanks for trying with my parents.

You did right by me, sis.

(crying softly)

LULU (voice breaking): Angel?

ANGEL: Lulu?

I didn't think you were coming.

(crying): I'm not staying.

I can't see her like that.

Laid in some box with a bad beat.

It's not how I want to remember her.

Lulu.

You choose how you want to remember her.

This is just the moment.

Y'all have had thousands of memories together.

(crying): Yeah.

And it's the bad ones that always play in my head.

(Angel sighs)

But... but don't you want to say goodbye?

(crying): I'm so scared.

Me, too.

But, Lulu, the regret

that's gonna come over you tomorrow is gonna be unbearable.

Trust me.

(crying)

NURSE JUDY: Seat taken?

Go ahead.

Any more luck getting through that thick skull of Pray Tell's?

He won't budge, and I'm getting worried.

He'll never admit to this,

but I can tell he's lost a little weight,

and he's been drinking coffee day and night

just to get his energy up.

I don't know what to do.

Well, you can't do anything.

It's up to him.

Excuse me. Will you two magpies

take your chitchat somewhere else?

Some of us are trying to be respectful.

Oh. Excuse me.

(laughs) Don't even worry about her.

That's how she is.

(Lulu gasps softly)

(Angel whispers)

LULU (crying): Girl, I can't believe you're gone.

Now I have to run this house by myself.

You know I can't rely on these girls for nothing.

I'm gonna miss your crazy ass.

You were a...

You were a thieving bitch!

That's my brooch!

You convinced me Florida probably stole it.

You stole my style, my ideas, and my gloves!

-(crowd gasping) -Is she taking her gloves?!

(crowd clamoring)

That's my motherfucking hat!

Lulu, stop, stop, stop, stop...

(indistinct, overlapping chatter)

Get the fuck off of me!

(Lulu cries)

Get the fuck out of my way.

-Oh. -Uh-uh.

I'm not coming to no family reunions.

(sniffles)

CANDY: They gonna be talking

about this funeral for years now.

You know half the shit you took off me wasn't even yours.

It seemed like a waste to bury it with you.

True.

I was dying of boredom from all those crocodile tears over me.

None of those people could stand

to give me one kind word when I was alive.

At least you was honest.

I know why it was hard for you in there.

You never liked me neither.

And why should I?

(Lulu scoffs)

Yeah, we could do some damage

when we set our eyes on someone.

We could talk some shit.

But you and me--

we wasn't no Laverne and motherfucking Shirley.

When did you ever show me kindness?

I was your accessory, and you resented me

because I was light-skinned and thick.

And I played my strengths at the balls.

It wasn't that bad.

Yes, it was.

Come on.

Remember that time

we stole that giant down coat from Bloomingdale's?

And went to the A&P and walked out

with an entire Thanksgiving dinner underneath?

Or that time we snagged, like, six trophies in one night.

That has got to be a record or something.

Yeah.

Or when it was 20 below,

and we didn't have no heat, and we had to snuggle together

under that giant Bloomingdale's coat all night.

Okay, fine. Maybe we had some good times.

We weren't all bad.

We weren't all good, either.

But some years gone,

something crazy or terrible

or hilarious is gonna happen,

and you're gonna look at that space next to you

where I should be,

and I'm not gonna be there to talk about it.

And you're gonna miss me, girl.

Time's gonna heal us

in a way it never could if I was still alive.

You making me cry and messing my makeup.

(crying)

(Blanca humming)

(both humming)

(Blanca humming)

(Elektra clears throat)

There's an old couple out there looking like George and Weezy,

partaking in our refreshments.

What do you want me to do about it?

Get out there and shoo them away.

Hello.

Hello, I'm Blanca.

I'm Darnell Johnson.

This is my wife Vivica.

How did you know Candy?

Candy?

What kind of damn name is Candy?

It's the one she chose.

Candy was... our child.

He... was our son.

I'm so sorry.

She was a good person.

And Candy was loved.

You know, if it's any consolation,

everyone showed up for her.

She was one of a kind.

Why don't y'all come on in back and say goodbye.

I'll be right over there.

Just let me know if you need anything.

Darnell, I don't know if I can do this.

It's already okay.

Oh, my God.

Candy's parents came.

I can't believe you showed up.

Baby.

Why did it take me so long to see you?

You refused to.

Ma, how many times you catch me wearing your Revlon Charlie?

Or trying on your wigs?

Why didn't you ever scold me,

smack my behind, shoo me away, something?

I thought you welcomed it.

Like me and you had some sort of pact.

(voice cracking): You were my gateway to the feminine.

But when you rejected me, I tried to tell you...

I didn't know.

I just thought maybe you was creative.

At worst, gay.

But becoming a woman,

how was I supposed to respond?

Wasn't no guidebook instructing me

on how to raise a child like you.

This is me, Ma.

This is who I truly am.

I see that.

You know...

the outside is different,

but beneath it,

all I see is my baby.

(crying): I've missed you.

I missed you, too, Ma.

(sniffles)

(shudders)

CANDY: Daddy?

You always did have a sweet spot for me,

in spite of my frilly ways.

You never knew how to throw a spiral, but...

your tough behind sure could tackle.

My little fighter.

All them...

boy things just wasn't your way.

But you had guts.

I got that from you.

(chuckles softly)

Remember that dollhouse?

(chuckles)

How could anyone ever forget?

You asked for it for two birthdays,

a Christmas, and a Kwanzaa.

I knew you were the one who got it for me.

(chuckles): I saw you,

sneaking in at bedtime.

I pretended to be asleep, but I watched you

setting it up.

It was the best Christmas.

Ever.

I wanted my baby to have what he...

I guess...

what she wanted.

I know you didn't fully understand who I was

or what I went through.

But, that night,

I felt seen by you.

(voice breaking): And having my daddy...

see me...

(sniffles)

...it gave me all the courage I needed to become who I am.

I can't let you go.

We're just getting started.

You have to.

It's okay.

I love you, Daddy.

*

We want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Johnson for coming out today.

Thank you so much.

So, if the MCs could come and join me for a minute.

We have a very special announcement to make.

So, we were gonna wait until this weekend's ball to do this,

but I think now is a, a more appropriate time.

In honor of Candy, the MC Council has decided

that from here on, we will be offering

a lip-synching category at each and every ball.

We're gonna call the category...

...Candy's Sweet Refrain.

I think she'd like that.

To Candy.

-To Candy. -To Candy. -To Candy.

To Candy.

(exhales) So, if the pallbearers could come,

it's time.

(cheering and applause)

(enthusiastic cheering)

("Never Knew Love Like This Before" playing)

* I never knew love like this before *

* Now I'm lonely nevermore *

* Since you came into my life *

* You are my love-light, this I know *

* And I'll never let you go *

* You're my all, you're part of me *

* Once I was lost and now I'm found *

* Then you turned my world around *

* When I need you, I call your name *

(all cheering)

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* Opened my eyes *

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* What a surprise *

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* This feeling's so deep inside of me *

* Such a tender fantasy *

* You're the one I'm living for *

* You are my sunlight and my rain *

* And time could never change *

Judges, your score.

* What we share forevermore *

* Ooh *

* I never knew love like this before *

* Now I'm lonely nevermore *

* Since you came *

* Into my life *

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* Opened my eyes *

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* What a surprise *

* 'Cause I never *

* Knew love like this before *

-* Inside of me * -* I never *

* Knew love like this before *

* Opened my eyes *

-* Never * -* Never *

-* Never * -* Never... *

* Never knew love like this *

-* I never knew * -* Never *

-* Never knew * -* Never *

* Never *

* Never knew love like this *

-* I never knew * -* Never *

-* Never knew * -* Never *

* Never *

* Never knew love like this *

-* I never knew, I never knew, I never knew * -* Never. *

Hey.

I bet you Candy's smiling in heaven right now.

She finally got what she always wanted.

For you Chatty Cathys to shut the fuck up.

(laughter)

Pray, give us a toast to Candy.

Yeah. (clears throat)

(exhales sharply) To Candy.

She was a funny bitch,

and we will all miss her.

-To Candy. -ALL: To Candy.

On a lighter note,

what the hell is going on with Lemar's wig?

(laughter)

I was waiting for somebody to say something.

Yo, he drowning in them waves.

LEMAR: Nobody's drowning. This is not a wig.

This is an inspired Josephine Baker look.

BLANCA: Let them know, let them know.

LEMAR: Okay.

Next time, you need to make them kids stick around

and help you clean up before they go out to the club.

Nah, they need to go out and be young.

-It's been a very rough week. -Who you telling?

I need to go out and shake my ass, too.

Oh. Are you sure them old-ass knees gonna let you?

I'm being serious.

I know.

(chuckles)

I've been holding on to a lot of stress for way too long.

Listen, I like an empty house, nice and peaceful.

Just me and my thoughts.

They don't scare you?

Sometimes.

But I got my friends to lift me up.

And I will be here to do the same.

That cup is clean.

Just fill it up.

I'm thirsty.

Now, where in the hell did you get those?

After the funeral I went to see Judy.

I figured it's time I started taking these.

What made you change your mind?

I was looking at the children.

Full of dreams,

thinking they have all the time in the world.

And I'm standing over here trying to stay alive.

I don't want to go to my casket...

with any regrets.

Nothing left undone...

or unsaid.

(crying): Candy's--

Candy's death reminded me

that life is so precious.

And I don't want to waste mine. I don't want to waste it.

(exhales) And...

I have an obligation to fight for my life

just as much as I've been fighting for Act Up.

(both laugh)

Pray, I'm so proud of you.

(sighs)

Oh, it's a party now?

No, more like a toast.

(laughing)

To life.

To life.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH