“Some of them say that we’re sick, we’re crazy. And some of them think that we are the most gorgeous, special things on Earth!” — Venus Xtravaganza
Even amongst the glittering constellation of performers featured in the epochal documentary of 1980s NYC ballroom culture Paris Is Burning, Venus Xtravaganza stood out. The film was a vibrant chronicle of the golden age of New York City drag balls and the Black, Latin, gay and transgender performers and communities who peopled them. In her early 20s at the time of filming, the trans Italian-American/Puerto Rican diva Xtravaganza lit up the screen every time she appeared, with quick wit, transcendent fashion and performance chops to spare.
The world, by all accounts, should have been hers for the taking. Which makes it even more of a cruel twist of fate that she was murdered in 1988 before the film’s release…