Ballroom culture, famously documented in the film Paris Is Burning and celebrated in the television series Pose , served as a mutual-aid network and a competitive arena. Terms used widely today—such as "spilling tea," "throwing shade," "vogueing," and "reading"—were created by trans and queer people of color in these spaces.
Transgender individuals, particularly Black and Latina trans women, experience disproportionately high rates of hate-fueled violence, homelessness, and discrimination in employment and housing.
