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Paris Is Burning Sociology

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The Black and Latino transgender, gender-nonconforming, or queer community has undeniably been consistently persevering, portraying self-confidence, and showcasing who they are without fail as they are being denied their humanity by being subjected to homophobia, racism, transphobia. This suffering is portrayed to a high extent in the 1991 film, Paris is Burning, which was directed by Jennie Livingston. Paris is Burning showcases the amount of turmoil these individuals go through. Despite the hate speech, discrimination, and mistreatment, these individuals still wholeheartedly showcase their culture through the things that mean the most to them, like their ballroom dancing. Their balls are one of the only spaces where these queer people can …show more content…

Paris is Burning also relates to many different stories about the lives of many black queer individuals. This story undoubtedly showcases a side of gender that many may have never witnessed. As well as illustrating their daily adverse struggles, this film shows how they overcame them.
Paris is Burning demonstrates the misconduct that black queer people face on the daily. I had the privilege to experience the daily occurrences black queer people had to undergo. As said by Pepper LaBeija, the mother of the House LaBeija, if you were a black queer in the 1900’s, you had to be nothing but extremely resilient. “[…] But you’re black and you’re male and you’re gay. You’re gonna have a hard time. […] If you’re gonna do this, you’re gonna have to be stronger than you ever imagined”, as said by Pepper LaBeija’s father (Paris is Burning 1991). The turmoil begins from their family life. The majority of the members of the balls were previously kicked out of their own homes by their parents, all …show more content…

Many of the subjects touched on in Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies strongly coincides with Paris is Burning. The movie brings certain topics to light, such as the discrimination of transgender people, which is also touched on in Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies. “[…] connected transgender oppression (genderphobia) to other systemic oppressions such as colonialism and capitalism” (Kyla Wazana Tompkins 238). This additionally confirms that the experiences had by transgender people were horrendous and were comparable and connectible to colonialism. As also explained by this novel, black transgender people were significantly mistreated. “The colonial sex/gender system functioned as a weapon to discipline and control colonized and enslaved people; that is, people who departed from or did not conform to it […]” (Kyla Wazana Tompkins 238-239). Established here, black people were especially targeted if they did not integrate within the gender binary, which is also heavily demonstrated in Paris is Burning, as every black person in that film was heavily mistreated in some form. Additionally, the life experience as black trans women is massively discussed in Terrorizing Gender. Many different experiences are uncovered, and they heavily relate to the ones had in Paris is Burning. It is explained in this novel that

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