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More than a fifth of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and

transgender people have
experienced abuse

in the past year.

Attacks both verbal
and physical.

It seems homophobia is even
more widespread now.

Anti LGBT hate crime in Britain
have increased significantly.

The figures for transgender
people are even higher.

Official statistics from the
British government

show a steady rise in racial or
religiously aggravated offences.

The referendum it would seem
has given a minority an excuse

to voice latent hatred.

Stonewall say it's not clear
what precisely might be

driving this apparent rise
in anti LGBT hate crime.

Four in five, that's 80 percent

of LGBT people that
experienced a hate crime

didn't report it at all.

They didn't feel that would be
taken seriously.

For me Vogue was-being
a working class,

mixed-race male from up North,

I absolutely took to Vogue
and I absolutely loved it.

What we've tried to recreate
was something which was us.

You will hear lots
of voguers saying

when you're dancing
and you're performing

tell your story.

When you're battling in
a solo tell your story.

When you're walking on a catwalk
in an outfit tell your story.

We are selling a Northern story.

It's about showing off.
Voguing is about showing off.

Because I myself am trans,
when you're trans

people react to you
in a very different way.

And so for me to just
like stand there,

naked on stage pretty much

and have people like...

cheer for me and, you know,

encourage me and tell
me that I'm fabulous

and that I'm beautiful - I carry

that fierce stage
persona every day.

Vogue inspired -

I was inspired by Vogue
because it was more

of an escapism.

They had this amazing energy
when they were performing.

I was 15/16? Sort of not
wanting to be at home.

So coming out onto a gay scene.

What was really exciting is
that after the club had finished

about 3 a.m. we would go
to the cathedral grounds

in Liverpool.
There's a runway,

a brick runway like an L shape

and we would promenade
and compete on there.

So what we'd do is we'd

copy each other and
learn off each other.

I think it's important
that it becomes culture

and not just queer culture.

I think when people see what a
vogue ball consists of

they want to be involved because
they see it as a positive thing.

Yeah, I'd like to go,
erm real close. Don't mind us.

There's nothin' like
this in Burnley.

Woooo I love that bit!

When I hit that dance floor
even if it's just in a club

with my friends.

It's just nice to feel
like, the colourful lights

on your skin and live a
fantasy or livee right now.

Live right in the
present moment.

The Manchester vogue ball
to me means confidence.

It means freedom to
express who you are.

Doesn't matter where you're from
Doesn't matter what you like

Doesn't matter who you are
you are going to be accepted.

It's so elegant yet so, like,
ratchet, classy, ghetto.

I don't know what it is,
but every time I see the bitch

I flip

Somebody must have told her
her vogue is sick

Somebody needs to tell here
she needs to quit.

I don't want to see a bitch
let it all out

Bring it back for
to count of three

One for the money,
two for the set,

DJ, drop the beat

I don't think I really realized
about queer history

and what an integral part
of queer history voguing

and the vogue ballroom
scene is until I became

surrounded by other
queer people.

Let's go way back. Let's
go back to the 1930s.

Drag queens used to have
these things called drag balls

like a pageant or a competition

They'd have different sections
and gowns just like Miss World.

Men would dress up and
they'd be glamorous

and they're very private

but very magical.

And that evolved into

the balls later in the
years, 30s, 40s, 50s

where people start to pose
and dress like movie stars

and channel movie
stars of the day.

Racism was prevalent.

So the black drag queens
would never do as well

as the White drag queens
because of the perception

of white being more beautiful.

So what happens is a lot
of these black drag queens

then went away and
created their own balls.

The American way built
on the segregation

of black and Latino gay kids.

Through desperate times
they created a world

where they felt safe,
where they were looked after,

where they could be
a star for that night.

And they start forming houses

and coming together as
a their familial groups

because they'd been
rejected so much

by the white drag ball scene

That became then a runway thing

and people would
sit on either side

and be Karl Lagerfeld
with their fans

and judge you on your glamour

judge you on your authenticity

or on your style or on your...

on your realness.

Could you look like a real woman
was obviously a starting point

but then could you look
like a "real man?"

So it became could you
pass for a movie star

even though you can't be one?

Could you pass for a President
even though couldn't be one?

Or the president of a bank?
Or an Ivy League student?

You have sections like
executive realness.

How convincing, even
though you're poor

you're black and you're gay,

Can you look as an executive?

How well can you look
as a straight person?

So you could have a
straight person realness.

Or butch realness.
Or fem realness.

Anything that gay people felt
like they could either

not be part of

or that you will have to pass
for straight to be

or black people thought they
could never be part of

or you'd have to pass
for white to be.

As time went on that
kind of developed into

the wider ballroom scene
going into the 70s where

it was a real place for
black people, Latinos,

trans people, gay people,

those people who were
really marginalized

in their day-to-day lives

it became a place for them
to come together

and celebrate each other.

Yes?Let me ask you something.

Why do you feel there's more
freedom in New York

to express oneself than
anywhere else in the world?

Why? Because there's so much
of everything in New York.

There was a lot of baggage
that came with those times.

There was a lot of repression

like, outside the ball scene.

And the reason why

it comes to life so much

in the ballroom is cos like
it's their moment to shine.

And even now, like sometimes
people haven't been applauded

until they get into
the Vogue Ball.

Generally to enter the ball
you'll enter as a house.

Now each house usually
has a mother or a father.

So you get these houses
which would consist of

disenfranchised poor
black and Latino guys

with drag queens at the helm

and generally it was drag queens
cos they were the ones who

were normally workin'.

So they'll have some money.

It's called the house
and ballroom culture

because the balls are the
places that the people go

to dance and walk.

But it's the houses and
the house structures

that underlie
those competitions,

that is the social bonding that
keeps the people together.

Go on Rene.

Yeah we definitely
feel like a family

A dysfunctional one but
it's a family nevertheless.

Are we doin' this? Are
we all getting naked?

No

I'm like...

Because vogue is bringing
together people who

are marginalized in
their everyday life

it became so much
about aspiration

and for a lot of those
young queers it was about

looking at the
fashion magazines,

looking at the life
of the rich and famous,

looking at the celebrities,

looking at the fashion,

looking at the poses of
these gazelle-like women

and they would go out mopping,
which is where you steal stuff

to to get glamorized

and they'd get dressed up
for the evening and be

and be stars to the evening
before going back on the street.

The way vogue came
to Liverpool was

There was voguers from
New York or from the states

in Ibiza and some Liverpudlians
at the same time.

Three guys who were
living in london

who were from Liverpool.

They came to Liverpool,
brought this style.

I started being a club
kid seeing these

five or six people
doin' this dance form

and I just fell in love
with it straight away.

I know that Darren
and his friends

after, you know nights out,

seven o'clock in the morning

would go outside that cathedral

that is right outside
this flat now

in the grounds of the cathedral

and they would dance
on the graves

voguin' in the graveyards
of the cathedral

so there was nowhere for
them to go, the vogue kids

so they were findin' anywhere.

They would be dippin'
and twirlin'

and posin' and droppin'.

So I decided to take a risk
in 2006 and I set up

House of Suarez.

I asked three dancers
to get involved.

That's all they need to know
that we're the best

and they will follow
and they will look up

and they will emulate.

I'm one of Darren's par-dancers

in the House the Suarez

and then this is what
we're doin' now.

In 2008 I done a collaboration
vogue ball in the Adelphi Hotel

which was a huge success.

So from that success I
decided to go alone.

And then we broke away
as the House of Suarez

and we did the Justice
Vogue Ball cos

one of Darren's good
friends got killed

in a homophobic attack
and we was like,

if we was to serve justice
to society how would we do it?

So we decided to do
it as a vogue ball.

The Justice Vogue Ball
was a personal note

to a friend of mine
who was murdered.

He was murdered over
20 years ago and

it was a homophobic attack.

It was a brutal murder and
people got away with it

and stuff. So that
was like a justice ball,

it was in remembrance
to my friend.

I've known Darren
since we were 11.

Snotty-nosed little teenagers,

who are just as,
I'd say as feminite

now as we was then.

We did alright.

I think we've talked
about being wierd

but we've not
actually shown you.

Oh lord.

Like let's just be really
avant garde. Fuck with them.

We're a very queer house,
and we're very multiracial,

multicultural. We all come
from different backgrounds.

That's really the spirit
that we love to keep.

One of the things that me
and Josh always say

is like we need a dancer
for this or that

and then we'll be like
"But is he a faggot?"

"Like, IS HE A FAGGOT?"

That's what I seek in people.

I would never ask performers
to do something I wouldn't do.

But there's pretty much
fuck all I wouldn't do.

Apart from drink and do drugs.
Say no kids.

We are very punk in our kind
of mentality and in the way

that we choose
to present ourselves.

You know like the people
that are in our house

like you don't just get
fabulous people without them

having experienced
life in the way.

That's what one of the things
that really binds us together

and I think we enable
each other to really

let our arses hang out a bit.
And I like that.

Josh and Grace started
the element of this house

so they are the mothers,

/father technically,

and then they've brought
us who are the kids

into the house so it's a very
family/friends group,

creative house.

When you're the mother
of a house that's

what you kind of do.

You've got to make sure your
children look their best,

feel their best, can
perform to their best.

Josh obviously does all
the choreography and helps

them with their dance.

I'm kind of -

help more with helping
with character and

I do all the costumes
and the makeup.

So yeah it's pretty dangerous.

So it's a very kind of
creative space to be in

but as mothers we
obviously decide

what the concepts
are and where we're

gonna be going and what
the direction

of the house is.

But then we also
kind of nurture.

Being part of this house
is like really done a lot

for me and someone who's very
young and someone who is...

like gender fluid but
didn't really know that

or didn't know what it was
before I came into the house.

People think vogue,
people think queer/gay.

But we've realised, we've all
come together, I'm not gay

but I'm definitely queer.

Yeah.

It's such a misguidance
when people are like,

"Oh you have to be gay
to be queer."

Oh no you do not.

Because I'm not gay.

I just wears mummy's dress.

The House of Suarez
is a family of,

not just performers, people
who create costumes,

people who mix music,
people who can dance,

people who can do paperwork,
people who can raise funds.

That's the house. It's not
just about dancers.

A joke?
You gonna do a joke?

Spacing through from the top.

I don't talk to my family
so it's strange that voguing

came to me because

I have no connection
with my family. Yet,

I found Darren

well Darren found me etc.

And then now I'm in the House
so Darren is like my dad,

which is strange.

Well, mother.

So again.

5 6 7 8,

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8.

1 2 3-

There's a reason why it was
called the House of Ghetto

and there's a reason why
it's six black females

and I was originally gonna
call it the House of Austerity,

because it's got a ring to it,

but I wanted a name that was
more reflective of me

and my sensibilities
so I though, yeah Ghetto.

When people assume that
Ghetto's like angry black woman

and it's just like...
No. It's it's not.

And then we're
the models for it.

And that's what Ghetto
really is, in vogue.

Yes.
Yeah. Yeah.

Like it's that getaway
from the everyday job,

being a mummy.

Is that like just that get
away to go to relax,

let off some steam.

I think it's representing us
in a different light

because a lot of people
always stereotype black

females as angry and, I know
we're the House of Ghetto, but

to me it represents us
differently and actually

puts us there, cos black
females are sometimes not

looked at, at all, great.

Like if you see someone walking
down the street somebody will

probably like move away
or think that you're angry

just cos of the way that
you've said something.

If you get what I mean.

So I just think
the representation

is a-is a great one.

Just shows that we're not
all just angry and black.

Angry black women.

We're not.

Obviously having a baby,

I just thought like dancing
and performing again

that was just kind of done
for me. Because,

erm, I did have an agent
when I left dance school

and obviously had the
baby I gave him a call.

No answer.

OK I'll give you a minute,

I'll call you
again. No answer.

Darren was just there
like "No not for you.

C'mon we'll get you back
on it" and like it like I said

I've never looked back since.

And there's me thinking
like I was done dancing

and for him to just
say "No come on.

You can do this, like,
I've got you.

'You're doing the ball."
And it was just amazing, like,

I just felt, no I can't do this.
D'ya know what I mean?

You should use what you've
got to help other people

and I've been given some
little form of platform where

I can help some other
people and I've chose

a certain demographic.

Me personally I take it on
into my everyday life now.

I walk down the street like
I'm still in vogue ball.

You don't stop!

Vogue's one of those styles
where the history is a bit

transient and there's different
people who say different things.

The dance style vogue actually
started in the late 70s

and there was a dance
called whackin'

which was a precursor
to Vogue in L.A.

It's a funk style.
It's very party.

It's whacking your arms around,

but there's a quality of
sensuality to whackin'

L.A. was all about
film and movies

and then by the time the dance
form reached New York it mutated

into something else because
they brought their

dance training, kung fu,
then gymnastics and yoga.

The actual movements of vogue
come from modelling.

It's called vogue because it's
from a fashion magazine.

It's all the poses.

Yeah. But there is also, this is
where it's conflictin',

there's also a kind of,

I don't know if it's a legendary
it is actual fact.

I had a specialist over,

a legend called Aviance
Milan and he mentioned

that it was started
in the prisons.

Said it started in the jail.

Battling. That's where
the battling came from

so like disputes would be
settled through voguing.

So instead of fighting the
guys would throw shapes

based on famous film stars
or photographic poses.

It would be so sick. I would
love to be in that ward.

Slay!

Within the vogue dance
style specifically

there's three forms. So
Old way is I think pre-90s,

New way is post 90s, and Vogue
Fem is very prevalent.

Fem. New way. Old way. Hand
performance. There's loads,

but House of Suarez and Darren
has taught me a New Way.

So lets - New way,

New way adds in an
element of contortion.

So if you're here then you
start contortin'.

Vogue Fem is kind of more
down and here. A lot more,

with the hands and
a lot more feminine.

Then Old way is very kind
of structured and it really

hits the beat cos the music -
Yeah - was a lot slower. So,

yeah. So that's a kind
of quick hybrid

of the techniques and
not done very well.

So thanks for me on the spot.

Sorry!

A dip is like a death drop.

There's numerous ways
to get to the end result.

Turn it into a dip girl.
Turn it into a dip.

So soft and cunt!

Cute. Cute.

Soft and cunt!

Cute.

Yaaaaaaas!
Yaaaaaaaas!

Cute.

Cute.

Houses are like you've got
the House of Cards,

which is Paul Fearne's who's
an ex-boyfriend of mine.

He lives and breathes for it.

He's so passionate about
how he enters and he's -

in fact it's a bit scary.
You'd think I should -

I should be the drill
sergeant but he's -

he's evil with his dancers,
really evil.

We walk in we have to cut
the atmosphere

because he's like kicking
off on them left right and -

he's a perfectionist you see.

When you say blood sweat
and tears into the dance floor

it literally is.

Like, very week one
of us goes home cryin'.

Every single week.

It's just - he really pushes us.

I feel everything he does for us
just makes us ten times better.

You know you need
dancers with fire.

You need dancers
who want to compete.

You know, you need dancers
that will feel no way

about giving pure shade.

So I'd like to win the same
again for Manchester. Okay?

Yeah. Make it happen.
Thanks. Yeah.

For me personally
I'd love to win it.

If I win it...sick.

But if I don't I know
that I have gone on stage

and done the best that
I can and I've just

shown what I love to do
and what I just want

to give to the world
is just happiness and -

watch me dance. I'm amazin'.
Watch me dance.

I want to compete
but I also wanna

to celebrate what we're doin'

I'm going to beat you,
obviously,

but let's work together just
in this back-and-forth

dance fight, this
battle of life.

And if I lose I go okay,
but we had a sick battle.

That was sick. Well done.

I applaud you for that,
because you slayed.

In battles because obviously
you're against someone

tryna get the judges to be
like "Yes you're the winner."

So occasionally things can
get a little bit catty,

like, but you just have to
ignore it and just be like....

Oh my Lord!

Ohhhhhhh!

Ryan from House of Suarez

and House Decay.

Are we talking about
a battle here?

Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am.

Do we have a winner,
beautiful judges?

Yes we do.

House of Decay won.

Let's face it a bitch was evil.

She pulled out every
single trick.

Every single trick.

Of course. It's all
about the body.

Oh my God it was insane.

I was in shock that I
actually got put through

and to be up against Ryan.
It's like,

let's just have fun onstage.

And just do I thing
into what we love.

I never see it as a competition,

but I won!

In the vogue ball everyone's
just equal.

It's all about just
churning out that look.

A place to be able

to express yourself

and also be comfortable

with your sexuality

as well.

This is going to turn into
like an African goddess,

witch doctor, voodoo priestess,
kinda mystical bitch.

With a bit of a basic tribal
face underneath the mask.

Like, have loads of piercings
going along. Auburns, gold,

bronze.

That's kind of good actually.

Hmmm.

Put like crinoline underneath
so it'll puff out.

So it's gonna add more drama.

Making the costumes and seeing
the costumes on stage

performance and then see
everybody's reaction.

That is the best ever.

It really is.

Just get me giddy on.

This is what I kill gender with.

I made this one.

Flawlessness is so boring. Yeah.

Mine and Grace's financial
situation comes down a lot

to like our vision and Grace's
creativity and skills to make

like a bed sheet look
as fucking fabulous

and couture going down
that runway and expensive.

We wanna fuck with people.

Like I get off on
fucking people up.

Why do you think you get
off on fucking people up?

Cos they fucked me up
so much as a child.

Oh come on!

It's me just returning the
energy that was put into me.

Like, if you got two people,
you got a woman and a man,

and you got the woman and
you put her in like

a football strip and

gave her a short-back-
and-sides hair cut

and she has no makeup
on or anything.

And then you got the guy
and you, like, you know,

sissied him up a bit,

made him look all cute,
maybe a bit of make-up,

and then they both
walk down the street.

I guarantee the woman
in a bloody football strip

wouldn't get an eye
batted at her because

it's not degrading to represent
masculine features,

but unfortunately in our
society, even to this day

to be feminine, to be
female is degrading.

When I was a young queer kid
in high school in rural Cumbria

goin' to school in like
the girl's school uniform

and getting battered
every day and stuff.

I felt so alone.

I didn't have anyone
and it fucked me up

for many many years,

because I was this
super-sociable,

super-extroverted person
who didn't have any friends!

You know.

And makeover is complete.

At that time in my life
there was this overpowering

voice telling me that everything
that I was doing was wrong.

There was no counter-voice
for that.

A lot of my performances
are kind of using

the trans body as a canvas.

Displaying the things
that I don't feel

confident or comfortable
with and in doing so

it's like a kind of
theatrical exorcism,

because I get to express myself

and then I have this
roomfull of queers

and supportive, like-minded
people celebrating those

things about me.

Why is she gagging so?

She bring it to ya every ball.

Obviously everyone should feel
like they do at the ball

all the time.

Like that should just
be how it is.

Everyone should just feel
included whenever. So yeah,

but I think at the same time
is that ever going to happen?

But there's always the ball and
the ball will always be there,

which is nice. So.

And that's one of the beautiful
things about this scene

is that it will always retain
a core word-of-mouth,

underground side.

Because you can't just
walk down the street

as a flaming black queen.

You will still get people
shouting at you

tryna fight you.

So you know unfortunate
as that sounds there will

always be an aspect where
it will always be underground,

because mainstream civilization
hasn't accepted this shit yet.

So.

My dad recently passed away.
Passed away last week.

Having the sporadic
family that I have,

it's all over in Jamaica.
I'm half Jamaican.

It's a bit difficult to
supply funds and stuff.

I try to take on
the responsibility.

I guess it's my way
of grieving with things

and try and raise money
via a GoFundMe

and this fundraiser
that we're doin'.

The Fundraiser's called
Celebrate Life because

my dad wasn't a serious person
and I'm definitely not.

This is a community response

and we have come here tonight

as extended family.

It's about love.

It's about support
and it's about giving

people like me the opportunity,

maybe a little bit
of an exhibitionist

at some level,

the opportunity to appear
on a raised dias,

and almost feel,
dare I suggest valid.

For me it was a very beautiful
moment to really realize

that I was surrounded by
not just LGBT people

but like artists and creatives
that were there for not just me

but like it was
a community response.

Massive thank you to
everyone tonight.

I think like the passing
of my dad really has put

into perspective that life's
too fucking short.

Let's keep it Shirley Bassey.

Let's keep it light and frothy.

It's part of our community,
is that people can die.

People are gonna get killed
and people are gonna

have drug overdoses.

People are going to contract
sexually transmitted diseases.

For transgender people
it's not easy to get a job.

It's really not
easy to get a job.

People look at you and
think you're weird

and that you're like,
an unhinged person.

Especially like at
the beginnings of your

transition when you
literally look like

a man in a dress and
you're just trying to -

it's like the worst.

So that would just sit
round there like that.

Oh my God.

They are sticking out more.

Oh. My. God.

That's actually alright innit.

I think we've got it yeah.

Unfortunately to be black
you have to be better.

And it's - we're still in that
world where the UK is very

institutionally racist
and you do have to be

better than a lot of your
counterparts to succeed in life.

But I, like I tell the girls,
that's the situation.

Own it and just strive
for the best.

As a black company as black
females you're gonna work -

have to work twice as hard
to achieve twice as little

so we just have to be
twice as good.

That's why everything's -

- Well we're gonna bring it.
- Preach Darren.

No this - no it does work hun.
What you do - yeah.

No wonder it's going down.
You're pumpin'

and air's coming back out

I still made this bit up,
but it's alright.

We've got tomorrow
and Thursday still.

Yeah.

So we'll be fine.

It's excite!

I literally want you to-
Pull his head back?

Yeah.

And right, you got to tease it.
Don't put it straight in.

Then when you're here,
place it here.

And let him come and
then bite it there.

If they had advert running
on viral I'd be eating apples,

oranges, mangos, bananas.

Well, being a gay black man
on the gay scene,

it's - for me it's -

there doesn't seem to really
be a place basically.

Initially I did feel
like I was supposed

to fit into something
and now I've realized

that I don't need
to fit in fuck-all.

I can do my own thing.

Legend on the runway!

Legend on the runway!

Fashionista!

Legendary!

But yeah you can get
turned away from doors.

I've not been turned away
as such but I've seen other

people get turned away
and they would say well

you know basically you're not
gay because you're black

and it's like, what
you're a bit butch,

so you know you're not
fittin' a stereotype.

So you get turned
away and that's,

that's annoying.

The years ahead of us are
gonna be really really

interesting creatively because
there's gonna be a lot -

there's a lot of very
disenfranchised queer people.

I definitely feel it.

But when you historically
look at things that have

happened in reaction
to heightened political

negativity against
minorities it's always

times of great creativity.

Creating this armor for yourself
and saying no.

Like most kind of,
underground subcultures

there's a music
that goes with it.

Kind of queer visceral
sexy dance music.

It has to be synced up
to the very specific

categories of the people
who were coming down the runway

and what they were representing.

Are we in the South?

- Are we in London?
- No!

No we're in Manchester,
so fuckin' act like it

You bunch of bastards.

DJing at balls is some
of the hardest

DJing I've ever done.

Because they're very demanding
audiences not just

within the rules
of what they have,

and what they need to hear
for their own categories,

but also just in terms
of "I'm not feeling it."

"I'm not dancing to this,
I'm just not feeling it."

Well there's different voguing
scenes in the UK.

The one that I get to host
isn't the most kind of rootsy,

ghetto-ey, authentic,
old-school one.

Yeah the Northern scene
is more commercial

and the Southern scene
is more hardcore.

For instance in London there's
a lot less choreography,

whereas here there's
much more choreo

and they do bigger routines
with more people involved here.

Up North we're a lot
more theatrical.

We're a lot more performance
and like there's a lot more

up on stage sort of thing.

One year we had a house thaT
was elderly white women.

And so it's-it's much more
secular and it's much more

embracing of different-of all
these different cultures.

It's not a pure black gay event.

Some people would say

the evolution of voguing

that you get in the North here

is cultural appropriation.

I was still grew
up as a Christian

young guy from Devon.

I knew I was different to how
my family wanted to be and how

the church wanted me to be.

So it's tough when you just
say, "Yeah I can sympathize."

and people are like,
"No you can't."

But then there's elements
where you can.

I've known what it's like
to have similar things.

To question who you are.

To have your sexuality
kind of almost tear a hole,

because I was really
into the church as a kid

and with my family and whatnot
and so that kind of, you know

it was quite a conflict for me,

because I was like "Who
I am is not okay."

And so and I can sympathize
with that.

That's essentially
I feel that's one

of the most important
bits of any any human

in any community.

Obviously official Adidas.

Motorbike outfits.

It's the wonder of rubber,

you can literally get
anythink made in it.

As a human, we are -
we are, you know,

a species that thrives on
community. We need community.

We need to belong.

We need to feel part
of something or we just,

you know, people do awful
things. And,

you know,

and that all comes out
of not belonging and not

having that place to go to so,

A vogue ball or a fetish
event or drag club can be

those things for people that
feel like they don't fit

into the normal mould
that don't fit

don't feel they are part
of the normal real world.

Are we proud of what?

Proud of diversity. No it makes
me physically sick.

I voted Brexit.

Ultimately vogue is all
about socialism.

It's all about passing your
skills on and lifting

people up and giving people
opportunities and giving

people the opportunity to shine.

We went to my gran's for dinner
the other day and we literally

the journey there was like
the worst journey.

Like it was three guys
who walked past me

who shouted like, "Oy mate,

what's up with your fucking
face?" Like that.

And me and Grace both went,
"Sorry love,

just being shagging your dad.
It was really rough!"

And they were like -
popping back at us.

And I was like, "Sorry
can't hear you!

Just gonna fuck your dad!
Bye!"

I mean, I don't think
many people can -

can say that they know
what it feels like to be

literally laughed
at on the street.

For their existence.

Just actually laughing
at my existence.

Some people that really
affects people and

really take it to heart.
We just got on the train.

And I always sense
it in the beginning

of our performances,

it's a bit of a, "What
the fuck are they doing?"

And you've got me comin'
on stage in a fucking jockstrap

spittin' fuckin' teeth at them.

Get ready to fall backwards
into a crowd of people

because I will push you off
my motherfucking stage.

Because you're gonna get dashed.

You're gonna get dashed now.

You wouldn't believe how nervous
I'll be before I go onstage.

I feel like outside of the
ballroom I'm very

quiet and I keep
myself to myself.

Like I say things when I feel
like I need to,

but otherwise I'm very quiet.
You don't really hear me.

But then as soon as I'm
on stage I think,

"There's my voice.
Now you can hear me."

The way that women are highly
sexualized in everything

and the way that gay men are so
- are hit so hard,

we all suffer in some
kind of sense.

Gay men are like they're
so receptive to us as well.

Yeah.And so welcomin'

and the fact that we feel
comfortable with each other.

We have a common denominator,
we just want you fabulous.

That's what it is.

Like when I'm going
onstage I'm like,

"We're not going on stage
for second place."

And all the houses think that.

Paul is very competitive. Yeah.

Paul likes to win.

Will he beat you if
you don't win?

Yeah. Yeah probably..

Competition, that usually
suggests,

that usually suggest
that there's other sides have

an equal opportunity to win.

Oh.

And we don't win anything.

We're returning as
the best house

and I wanna keep that title.

This year it's going to be
a tough one cos

for the first time
ever all the houses

from Liverpool have signed up.

All the killer strong houses

so the show is going
to be phenomenal.

I'd say our main competition
would be House of Decay

with Josh and Grace. Hmm hmm...

Very fierce they are.

So it's the ball is Saturday,
how do you feel?

Is it?! Shit!

Did you remember?!

Oh my God. We've not
done anything!

Oh my God, what are
we gonna do?!

Okay so guys it's -

we've got a vogue ball
next Saturday and basically

we just need to clean up
everything we're doing today.

So the last section needs
really working with the line,

the execution,

the performance and definitely
with your direction as well.

Darren's brought over the two
judges from the Netherlands

and stuff to judge,

which is really nice cos
they've not performed

here and they get to see
the Manchester Ball.

So it's a first time for me
also in Manchester,

so I'm really excited to see
what's going to happen tonight.

But I'm as a dancer so I know
exactly what to look for

in Choreography,
Sex Siren, all that.

So it's gonna be exciting.

You know I think people
might not be aware of

the history of it,

but I think it's
really important

that that doesn't disappear.

It's not just about the
dancing but there is

more to it than that and
Ricky's really excellent

in bringing across.

The Ball started in Harlem
back in the day when there

was absolutely no chance
for a young black

boy to be president.

Now any motherfucker can do it.

And then, that aside,

it is a really great celebration
of gay culture and there's just

a great atmosphere. It really,
really is. It's fabulous.

I think the guys,
House of Suarez,

House of Ghetto,
the two Darrens,

they've done an amazing
thing keeping this alive.

I've been doing this
since they started

doing the vogue balls
in Liverpool and Manchester.

So I do spring and
autumn collections.

My job is to work up and down
this runway. Not walk,

work up and down this runway
and try and whip the crowd

into a fever that they will
never forget or never

recover from.

Politically obviously 1980s,
Reagan, AIDS, homophobia,

politically now what -
why do we need vogue now?

Aids, homophobia, politics.

Politics at the most
thrilling and scary time

it's been since the 60s.

People are on the streets
with pussy hats on. People -

people are rediscovering
feminism and gay rights

and people are arguing
about black lives matter

and all lives matter and all
these different issues.

Everybody is a Facebook
political warrior.

I think it's an incredible time.

We've never been able
to communicate as quickly

and as widely as we can now.

We've got extraordinary
people in power some of whom

we like some of whom we don't.

Every election is a nail
biting rollercoaster.

Will the right get in?
Will the left get in?

What freedoms will we have?
What laws will they put in?

What things will they take away?

It's such an exciting time
and everybody needs to be

engaged on every level.

And of course you wanna
get out on the street,

you want to get in the voting
booth do you wanna

start having conversations,

but also you've
got to embody it.

You've got to be a beacon
for what is possible

in the world.

So there's never been a more
important time to be yourself.

The greatest revolution
that anybody can instigate

is to truly be themselves
it's so rare

and this is an opportunity
to be yourself.

This is our first ball.
Very excited.

What are you expecting
to see tonight?

Hopefully wall to wall gay soup.
Yes.

Well it's Andy Warhol
Campbell's Soup inspired.

Camp belle cream.

I mean it's just casual look
we're dealing with right now.

Just like Tesco, Asda,
just a little jaunt.

Because vogue is real.

Because it is a celebration
making beauty out of nothing.

And particularly at this time
when there is more and more

prejudice and diversity seems
to be less and less celebrated.

And identity seems to become
more and more fluid

vogue kind of brings that
celebration of you are

into one place.

And it doesn't matter
whether you're gay,

straight, black, white,
dressed in jeans,

dressed in a dress,

it doesn't matter
about any of it.

It's everyone together
in that place,

celebrating beauty and power.

It's time we brought
the icons back.

This is the Icons Ball.

Every single one of us
can be more than people

see on the outside.

Every single one
of us can transcend.

We are all made of
the stuff of stars

and every single one of us
can own that tonight!

People kind of get spat out
into the street and just go,

"What does happened to me?"

It's obviously a kind
of life's-changing

experience for people.

It's just such
an exciting atmosphere.

It makes you just feel
really proud. You know,

kind of,

having grown up through
the 90s and gone out

clubbing at Paradise Factory
and like kind of just being

part of the gay scene here,
to like -

to just sort of just be -

that freedom that people
have to express themselves

and what that means to people.
You know,

it's just makes you feel,
kind of, really, like,

it's just a great thing
to be a part of.

Yes. What she said.

Yes, be proud of who you are.
Be proud of what you can do.

Be proud of who you could be.

Just enjoy every single cell
and fibre of your being

and just forget about
all the Trump crap that's

going on outside the door.

And just be your god
and goddess self.

I love how flamboyant it is.
You know, it's heartwarming,

cos it's so many people
and everyone's cheering.

It's makes you want
to cheer as well.

It just makes you feel great.

So tonight House of Decay
are serving you iconic

video game realness. We've
got Tekken characters,

Street Fighter characters
and Mortal Kombat characters.

This is like mine and Josh's
opportunity to live

our childhood dream.

I get to be Sindel and
he gets to be Cammy.

It's gonna be cute.
S'gonna be fierce.

D'ya wanna see my outfit?

Hiiiiiii

Like that?

I won with the House of Decay
for Fantasy Category.

My name's Arca, boy name
is Simon Peters.

It's just a great creative
output for me, like,

I love these sorts of events.

It's a great cultural
aspects to Manchester.

It's different from like,
your normal nights

that you would find
on like Canal Street

or like a more commercial kind
of nights.

It means everything to me.

It means that you're
being acknowledged.

Obviously the crowd loved it,
the judges loved it,

so yeah it means a lot.

To be honest I think the House
has made me the person

that I am today.

It allowed me to express
myself the way I want to.

And for them to allow straight,

white women to participate
and feel accepted -

sometimes it's nice
to be on the flip side.

You know rather than be
in the majority,

I'm now the minority
and I love that.

You can feel the energy.

Like even as we're here
talking to you guys

you could just feel bouncin'.

You just can't deny the fact
that it is going off tonight.

I think being involved with it,

I think definitely
crosses those barriers

and molds everyone into one.
Exactly of course. Gay guys,

straight girl.

It's all kicking off.
It's all amazing.

Am I talking to you or it?
It's all kicking off.

Everything is just
started. We're about,

we're probably at the middle
level of the vogue ball

at the moment and it's brilliant

people are charged. People
are very articulant.

And people are very blinded
by what they've just seen. But,

it's about to get better.
So we're all bracing.

We're bucklin' our seat
belts and I'm gonna go.

Heeeeey!

Tell us how that went.

Really fun. Not performing
like my best.

I'm probably say
I was 90% on that.

Everyone did me proud though.
So far we've already won two,

we've won Fantasy and we won
Solo, such deserves.

Simon deserves it,
Aston deserves it.

We've worked really hard
so whether we win

or lose walking away winners
and that's what it's about.

I'm very proud and hope
we win best house

because I think we deserve it.

If there's anything I can
say it that I've,

me and Grace have kept
the mutley children in check

and I definitely feel like -
like -

we had a good
consistency tonight.

We made that up
in like 48 hours.

And also I mean me
and Grace got to fill out

a childhood fantasy.
And like,

the ball is about
living your dreams.

And I don't I'm dressed like
Cammy and gettin' my life.

Can you run through everything

that went wrong in
the run up to it?

Where do I begin?
Because there's so much.

Things like previous
members who said they'd

be here not turning up.

Then people who said they would
do it and replace that person-

dancers are really
fucking flaky.

And they're not really
organized. And it was -

this van has something much
more important to say than I do.

And this person with the child
as well also has something

more important to say than I do.

One of my dancers turned
up and said she were ill.

She didn't dance until
the day before the show.

One of them was on a
Jennifer Hudson music video

Costume malfunction.

Hair malfunctioned.

Things not turning up when it
arrived. I think -

I think why it affects
me so deeply

is because when I have
an intense vision

and it's something so specific -
yeah I'm lenient when it's-

When it's little things
like, I don't know,

maybe like the glove snapping.

I had to tack that like
last two seconds.

This happened fuckin' two
seconds before going on stage.

If you get run over Aston
I will be so fuckin' sad.

Ch - Ch - Chun Li.

Can a runner make sure these
guys don't get run over?

Anna!

Everyone give a pose.

What's the,

What's the House
in everybody's mouth?

Decay.

London's my - my town,
so it's a great city,

but they're not -

here they understand what I mean
when I'm talking about rising

from oppression and rising
from - they get that.

They understand that here
and so to me it's-

this is the best place to do it.

Somewhere where they,

whether they're black,
or gay, or not,

they understand what
those things mean.

They understand what
it's like to be

under the thumb and have
to rise and look fierce.

Manchester! I know,
I know, I know.

Obviously there's always
people going

"Well they're appropriating
our culture."

But, you know imitation is the
best form of flattery, right?

The most sincere
form of flattery.

And so for me it's
not a spirit that

has to be just held
for ourselves.

That core has to be
remembered and honored,

but I feel like everything
is for everybody

and we should be sharing
and and interacting,

because the whole point
of vogue ball is that you're

appropriating and the vogue
ball you are appropriating

all those worlds outside that
you are not allowed to be in:

the world of the supermodel,
the world of the movie star,

the world of the Wall
Street Banker,

that world of privilege
and success.

So the vogue ball is about
appropriating and reclaiming,

why not offer that
to other people?

There's an inner. black
gay child in everyone,

there's an inner drag
queen in everybody,

there's an inner drag
king in everybody.

There's - you know,

we're all inside one
another like Russian dolls

and we should every now
and then you should just

take off your fake skin
and show what the real skin

that you've got underneath,

which is not always
what people think it is.

It stays with you.

Whenever it comes one
of these I go home

and it's like vibrating through
me for the next few weeks

just like colour and glitter
and that feeling of,

"I can go and be fierce
in my life too."

I just want more. I think -

I think once a year
is not enough.

You have to give them
what they want. If they -

they do just chant
Ghetto don't they?

They just say "Ghetto! Ghetto!"
The house and then you just say,

"OK. I really have to show
them how good we are."

Just as you thought it was safe,

they brought you the
imperial House

of Ghetto.

Ghetto! Ghetto! Ghetto!

Ghetto!

Ghetto!

Ghetto!

Like a proud mother!

Woooooo!

Just to shout loud enough
that people know

that they're not alone
and it's okay to be freaky

and it's okay to express
yourself however

you want to express yourself.

I don't really want for fame
and fortune but if at least

I've got a voice and people -

it can be heard and it
would have just

made my life so much better
to just have someone go,

"You're not the only one love."
You know I mean?

Like just one person.

Anyone that feels like they're
not safe or they can't be

themselves needs somewhere.
They need that safe place,

they need somewhere
they can belong.

Even though austerity is hittin'
there's two ways

You can either go, "Oh poor me.

This is so hard."

Or throw a vogue ball
and celebrate life

and what you've got and
owning what you are.