And the Category Is...: Inside New York's Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community

by Ricky Tucker (Author, Narrator)

An Electric Literature “Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of 2022” Selection

A love letter to the legendary Black and Latinx LGBTQ underground subculture, uncovering its abundant legacy and influence in popular culture.

What is Ballroom? Not a song, a documentary, a catchphrase, a TV show, or an individual pop star. It is an underground subculture founded over a century ago by LGBTQ African American and Latino men and women of Harlem. Arts-based and intersectional, it transcends identity, acting as a fearless response to the systemic marginalization of minority populations.

Ricky Tucker pulls from his years as a close friend of the community to reveal the complex cultural makeup and ongoing relevance of house and Ballroom, a space where trans lives are respected and applauded, and queer youth are able to find family and acceptance. With each chapter framed as a “category” (Vogue, Realness, Body, et al.), And the Category Is . . . offers an impressionistic point of entry into this subculture, its deeply integrated history, and how it’s been appropriated for mainstream audiences. Each category features an exclusive interview with fierce LGBTQ/POC Ballroom members—Lee Soulja, Benjamin Ninja, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and more—whose lives, work, and activism drive home that very category.

At the height of public intrigue and awareness about Ballroom, thanks to TV shows like FX’s Pose, Tucker’s compelling narratives help us understand its relevance in pop culture, dance, public policy with regard to queer communities, and so much more. Welcome to the norm-defying realness of Ballroom.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Queer, LGBT, Music, Race, Art

9 pages, Audiobook

First published January 25, 2022

Reviews

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricky Tucker's And the Category Is is a well-done reflection on Ballroom's past, present, and future.

In the 1960s, famed Black trans woman Crystal Labeija righteously stormed out of a rigged drag queen pageant in protest at the reification and privilege afforded to white mediocrity. She would go on to help found the contemporary Ballroom culture that would go on to provide homes, families, and purposes to LGBTQ+ BIPOC youth and adults for decades and help many survive - and mourn - through the AIDS crisis into today. Tucker momentarily discusses this history but spends much time reflecting on the various aspects of the culture: vogue, body, realness, and family and does so through interviews with the living legends of the Ballroom community.

And the Category Is is a significant book for what it does: provides a forum to discuss Ballroom and its discontents. But the book does not take the time to lay out a foundation for what exactly Ballroom is. In this way the book is written more for those already inside the community than for those who are mere outsiders who might only be familiar because of shows like Pose or Paris is Burning. A prime example is the way in which Tucker opens the book: he spends pages (rightfully) critiquing Madonna's appropriation of Black vogue culture. But this critique loses some of its power because unless you are already aware of the culture itself, a critique of the appropriation of that culture makes little sense.

For those with some (really, any) level of familiarity with Ballroom culture, I recommend And the Category Is for the beauty of its oral history and the importance of its reflection of "what's next" for Ballroom. For those unfamiliar with Ballroom, perhaps start elsewhere and later find your way to this book.

[Daniel Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this one! The glimpse into the life of the Ballroom culture of NYC. This book talks on the early days, the glory days, and the beauty of the future of Ballroom.

The reason why I liked this one so much is the prior knowledge on the references Tucker makes in the book. Anyone who hasn’t done some research may be a bit confused.

BEFORE READING: Watch Paris is Burning. This. Is. Critical. Tucker says himself in the book too. Also recommend watching Season 1+2 of Pose on FX

AFTER READING: Watch Legendary. Then, Donate to organizations that support, celebrate, advocate, and defend black trans lives.

Giving this one—- ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kyle Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 stars. Lots of information and intrigue in the book, but I was a bit disappointed at the depth of coverage of some aspects of the ballroom culture. For example, legend spotlights only got a couple short paragraphs, similar to some of the elements of vogue. However, I did appreciate the in-depth discussions of the political elements of ballroom. I don’t know if as detailed inclusions of the author’s own experiences in particular was wholly necessary though.

[Jneu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look primarily at the community, culture, and politics of ballroom in nyc. Interesting and informative stuff, often accompanying the authors reflections. Made me realize that I need more background on the history of balls to best appreciate what is happening today, so that’ll be next up on my journey!

Shoutout to Kurt for supplying

[Leia Sedai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book ten stars if I could. Such a beautiful, tender, poignant, loving book about Ballroom in NYC and the challenges House members face in their everyday lives outside of balls.

[Finnoula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book if you’re looking for more about black queer history! It is important bc it is helping tell the story of a community that is a safe space for trans women of color. It has interviews with legends like Pony Zion, Gia Love, Lala Zannell, Lee Soulja and other important members of the New York hall community. We need to start publishing move books like this. These communities deserve a voice

[Matt Root · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of good stuff here, and I’m obviously not the target demographic, but I wish the book held together more as a book. I was disappointed that the chapters felt more like disconnected essays than chapters in a book. There was a lot of good content though, and I’ll think a lot about what he had to say about intersectionality within the house ballroom community, since it seems so much a microcosm of society at large.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was...lazy. The book had three vibes that it rotated through: 1) the author's own life experiences (was that the device we needed to drive our points home?) or his journey through writing the book (lazy, filler); 2) reading into ball history by discussing the politics and theory through his own lens, which read like an annoying PhD student's discussion post; and 3) transcribed interviews with some of the great icons and community leaders of ballroom, who brought to the book (through no cause of the author with his lazy questioning!) insightful observations and opinions about the ball community and culture.

It's getting two stars instead of one only because of those interviews, which were the great big shining stars of this book. I thought, learned, was inspired, and more by everyone in this book BUT the author. The book would have better served its purpose as a collection of interviews, because the author didn't really....do much of substance besides that. Through the stories of how he came to write the book, it feels as if all the connections were made for him, all the opinions formed by others; the author is in this weird crossroads of trying to bring himself into the book as much as possible but at the same time presenting as someone so scared to be a bad ally that he's basically agreeing with everyone, which bites him in the ass by making his writing feel shallow and not cohesive.

Back to vibe 2, I appreciate the attempt to bring some scholarly thought in the mix. I think the author did a wonderful job trying to navigate the nebulous and ever-important topics of identity, he brought up so many necessary but not-your-first-thought points on why racism, classism, colorism, and homophobia affect this community in particular so deeply and why it's important to know that. But on the other hand, saying the word capitalism a hundred times doesn't make a point. Like shut UP with the buzzwords if you're not going to use them to say something substantive. And, the stabs at introducing theory more often than not did not connect (rather, were not connected) to the narrative lines in the given section, and many bold statements were just left at that, with no real discussion to drive points home.

I'm being a little mean, I know. But again, there were good parts: highlighting cool parts of history and ball media in a way that captured the complex and multifaceted nature of the (well, any) community. Bold takes and discussions here and there that landed. Occasionally funny. But, really what kinda pissed me off was the author's rant on PrEP. Call it a thought exercise, call it devil's advocate, but saying that PrEP can be thought of as Big Pharma's ploy to medicate queer people over a lifetime "when condoms exist" is dangerous, ignorant, and disgusting. Makes me question a bit the credibility of the rest of his arguments.

All in all, this book felt like a dissertation+ (derogatory). It's over-cerebral without meaning. Great concept, terrible execution. 2/5

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I found this a bit disappointing if I'm honest. I was so looking forward to reading this one as well. What a shame.

A couple of things didn't work for me in the writing style. Transcripts of interviews, whilst informative, can be very tedious to read after a while. Tucker included far too many transcripts to trawl through, and in the end, the sentences were just running into an abstract monologue.

Tucker himself has an ego that can't stop poking into proceedings. Whilst I'm aware and understand that Ballroom is political and making a statement, Tucker comes across as preachy and ranting at times. Some of the "fun" and joy seems to be sucked out of the telling due to this attitude. Also, we get a rather in-depth telling of Tucker's own past, his journey to New York, his gradual infiltration of the ballroom scene, his burgeoning relationship with his "gay dads". Though his story is somewhat interesting, it eats into the word count a little too much.

Altogether a disappointment this one. I wasn't expecting an exposé by any means, but this fell short of entertainment due to the overt politicization of ballroom.

[Keisha Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

AND THE CATEGORY IS… A powerful debut that captures the soul of New York’s Vogue, House, and Ballroom community while serving as a historical archive within the Black queer and trans narrative in the United States. An instant classic that deftly champions and solidifies vogue, house, and ball culture as radical activism, art, freedom, and refuge for Black trans women and others. Tucker enlightens with deft critical analysis and a vulnerability that is compelling and full of love. This is a must-read of the utmost urgency.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this wasn’t new to me but I still learned a bunch. The author’s voice was occasionally too strong for me but it was an in-depth look at ballroom that was very well-researched and I appreciated the interview segments.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to 2.5-2.75 rating. I liked learning about Ballroom and the history of it, but the chapters felt disconnected and the flow felt very off. There was quite a bit of repetitiveness by the author (which felt like filler) which made me feel the book could’ve been edited down to something that flowed better and was more cohesive. 1/3 of the book felt like an autobiography of the author, which felt like a slog to get through.

[Caity Kahabka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.5 stars but couldn’t bring myself to round up to 4.

First, I really loved learning about Ballroom through the voices of those who have lived it… there is so much more to the history and the culture than just what we see on Pose or RuPaul’s Drag Race. Each chapter contained interviews with or stories from Ballroom legends, and it was so much fun hearing about their experiences and the work they do. Each chapter had a different topic: The Children, Realness, Vogue, Body, Church, Memory, Werk. Tucker describes the book as a “love letter” to ballroom, and I felt that in every word he wrote.

The issue I had was that the book seemed to lack focus at times. The author often segued into
discussions about separate (but certainly related) topics such as the evils of capitalism, for example. Now, don’t misunderstand… it’s important and necessary to view ballroom through the lens of intersectionality. I also fully recognize that as a white, cisgendered woman, I will never fully comprehend the full depth of how collective trauma, capitalism, racism, transphobia, wealth and health disparities, etc. affect Ballroom and those in the community. As a reader, I felt like the insertion of these discussions was haphazard and Tucker didn’t always do a great job connecting them with the larger narrative.

Overall, I would still recommend this book to anyone curious about ballroom or who wants more history or context to what we see on TV.

[Bas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deze moet ik even laten landen, en dan over een paar jaar opnieuw lezen. Vantevoren dacht ik dat dit een geschiedenisboek zou zijn, dat is het absoluut niet, ondanks dat er wat geschiedenis in zit. Het is deels een ode aan ballroom, en deels een stukje autobiografie van de schrijver, en deels nog heel veel andere dingen. Soms raakte ik de rode draad een beetje kwijt, maar dat neemt niet weg dat elk stuk mooi was. Verrassend ADHD friendly, misschien juist doordat het veel losse stukken waren.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished today and loved. I learned so much about vogue, ballroom, and the Black, queer experiences in these spaces. The recommendations of what to watch and read further had me searching for more. I watched Paris is Burning again (that end tears me up!!) and a 60s drag queen documentary. Amazing. So excited to track down Kiki and watch Pose.

[Ricardo Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book! Getting a glimpse of ballroom culture, history, and love was so raw and impactful.

[Chidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of TV's Pose will devour Ricky Tucker's illuminating exploration of the history of the New York ballroom community. Ballroom, ball culture and house-vogue is a culture founded more than a century ago by LGBTQ+ African American and Latinx people in Harlem, where they found and continue to find acceptance and families of choice.

Tucker names each chapter after a dancefloor category ("Vogue," "Realness," "Body," etc.). The first chapter ("Werk") gives a fascinating history of ballroom culture's representation in media, including Jennie Livingston's 1990 breakout documentary PARIS IS BURNING, the release of Madonna's "Vogue" and the line between appreciation and appropriation. "This pivotal moment in her career wouldn't be the first or last time Madonna shook one hand with Black culture only to pickpocket with the other," writes Tucker. What makes this book really shine is Tucker's skillful combination of personal, wry autobiography, interviews with pioneers and legends in the ballroom community, and scholarly research.

One chapter spotlights hidden figures in the origin of ballroom during the Harlem Renaissance--including Langston Hughes's complicated feelings about witnessing an annual drag ball in the 1920s. "He vacillates between awe and disdain, or rather, shade so shady you'd think he was the emcee of said ball as opposed to an innocent bystander," writes Tucker. Other topics include queer youth, trans lives, gender norms and resolving body trauma.

AND THE CATEGORY IS... is a valuable book highlighting the long-hidden history of the Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities that created ballroom culture. It's an entertaining and inspiring history lesson.

"Tens! Tens across the board" for Ricky Turner's fascinating deep dive into New York City's century-old ballroom culture.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the books for which I've been waiting for so, so many years, and it delivers on all of the points that readers hope it will. The author discusses Vogue Evolution, the group which showed vogueing and brought Ball culture to America's Best Dance Crew in the mid-2000s. They were headed up by Leiomy, one of the most prominent figures in Ballroom culture who has since gone on to be both a consultant and actor on the television series Pose as well as one of the judges on the brilliant Legendary, featuring Houses from Ballroom competing to see who would win the spot of top House.

The author, Tucker, shows the transcripts to remind readers of the transphobic and appalling commentary that Leiomy received from Lil Mama as well as Shane Sparks, two of the judges. It is one thing for Lil Mama to have let's say, been unaware at the time she was making her horrendous comments and then years later, to have gained an awareness and education about the tremendous damage and disrespect she caused, but unfortunately, it seems she has since doubled down on her transphobic beliefs, which is sad and disappointing.

The author also discusses meeting Jenny Livingston, the famed director of Paris is Burning, which came out around 1990 and shone a spotlight onto vogue and Ballroom culture. I was very anxious to find out how their conversations went, and how Livingston responds to the criticism that some of the performers in the documentary were exploited and not properly financially compensated. Although that doesn't quite come up, the author reveals his profound awareness of these issues around the documentary. On each subsequent viewing of the documentary, I'm struck even more by Livingston's white lens. And although she is looking at the world of Ballroom through queerness, being queer herself, I think it would have been a very different documentary if a person of colour--a queer person of colour, for instance, the phenomenal Marlon Riggs who passed away far too young--would have directed it. Which is not to diminish the groundbreaking work that Livingston did in any way--Paris is Burning remains one of the most significant documentaries of the 20th century, and I don't want to diminish any of the work that she did to make it as well as to disseminate it.

When I first watched it, the film made a huge impact on my life and introduced me to Ballroom culture. I also devoured the seasons of Pose, the recent show featuring Black and brown LGBTIA+ actors, trans folks in front of the camera and behind the camera in the writers' room and with production. Pose is set in the same world as Paris is Burning and expands on the main characters in vivid and memorable ways. I loved that show and miss it a lot.

Back to Tucker's book, he also discusses the elephant in the room, which is Madonna--a white artist--having profited so much from her proximity to Blackness and brown people, queerness, and the dual exploitative as well as awareness-spreading trends that this caused. There were two documentaries made about the dancers, particularly lighter-skinned Latinx dancers, who were on tour with Madonna in the early 1990s, featuring in Strike a Pose, the second of the two documentaries, as well as the first. It is a vital conversation to have, especially now.

Tucker then transports us back to the Harlem Renaissance and to the writings of Langston Hughes. Although Hughes's sexuality is still disputed by scholars and historians who are subject experts of the era, his involvement in queer circles is documented, particularly in his friendship with the gay white socialite, Carl Van Vechten, who was very prominent in the era. In addition to his journalism and his novel published in 1926, N-word Heaven (which is a WHOLE different kettle of fish), Van Vechten is best known for having taken several photographs of famous figures during his lifetime in a distinctive style, including Hughes. This leads to discussions of Harlem's Odd Fellows drag balls in the early twentieth century. Newspapers of the day showed both disdain as well as fascination to these events. And, as Tucker reminds us, this was definitely pre-Stonewall, and was very much illegal. This then leads to a discussion of Crystal, Ms. Manhattan, and the 'Miss All-America Camp Beauty 1967." He discusses watching this unfold in the documentary, The Queen and being enthralled by Crystal reading the other participants (for a definition of reading, search on youtube for Dorian Corey, who provided a memorable definition in Paris is Burning).

Readers then see discussions of RuPaul's Drag Race, which exploded in popularity since it debuted in the early 2000s. Following this, the interviews in the book are fascinating to read through. One of them includes a discussion about whether the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which "is a research library of the New York Public Library (NYPL) and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide." Tucker asks if the Schomburg is going to dedicate more resources to Black LGBTQIA+ history, and the answer is yes but it's also a bit complicated.

Tucker later visits Toronto to talk to Arturo Mugler, of the House of Miyake Mugler who were the season 2 winners of Legendary. I loved so many of the Houses, and theirs was amazing (shoutout to Diego who still makes me fan myself). Although I knew about the American scene with New York, California, etc, I was not aware of the Canadian scene, so that was definitely informative. They go into vogue elements like catwalk, hands, face, duckwalk, spins and dips, and floorwork, all of which are prominently showcased on Legendary. Tucker also talks to the children of the Houses and explores the dynamic between themselves and House Mothers or Fathers, including gay and trans Mothers.

And absolutely stunning, revelatory, moving tribute to Ballroom culture written from a more inclusive and diverse perspective, this book is a *MUST-BUY* for anyone who loved Paris is Burning, Pose, Legendary and wants even more, who wants to know the history, but also the current movements and discussions within that milieu. I cannot sing enough praises for this amazing book. 6 stars out of 5!

[Josue Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original interviews in this are fantastic.
A streamlines historical record of some of Ballroom's notable moments in media and culture as well as a personal account of the author's experience with it.

Highly suggest looking at videos/recording of most of these events to get the real picture that Tucker is recording through writing here.
The book itself is supplemental, Ballroom for sure needs to be witnessed.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great celebration of Ballroom and a critique of the individuals who appropriate and benefit from BIPOC and LGBTQ culture. It took me longer to get through this than I normally might because I stopped to Youtube so many clips Tucker referenced. The oral histories and interviews were the best part, but the immense respect the author has for the people who created Ballroom makes it worth reading.

[Kyle Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

when it’s about the community and history, it’s great. but it’s often distracted by attempting to be a memoir.

[Kariss Ainsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't quite fit the description but interesting none the less.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

While informative and certainly written from the heart; I felt like this lacked something.

[Anusha Datar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a combines elements of memoir, history, and academic theory to tell the story of Vogue, House, and Ballroom in NYC and the Black and Latinx queer communities that shaped it. The book draws from a huge set of compelling source material, and I was impressed by both the breadth of the topics covered and the depth to which Tucker explores different personal reflections, histories of individuals, and deep dives into concepts.

At the same time, the sheer magnitude and variety of topics Tucker discusses makes the book feel disjointed and hard to follow overall - I often felt quite a bit of whiplash chapter-to-chapter. I also had trouble drawing lines between some of the event presented and the conclusions drawn - I didn't necessarily disagree, but it was hard to trace down Tucker's reasoning. I feel like this book might have been a little out of my depth, as I knew close to nothing about the Ballroom scene prior to this. I'm looking forward to revisiting some of this book after I make the time to watch Paris is Burning.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book - the personal narrative was compelling, the firsthand interviews were really special, and the academic commentary was reasonable enough in scope and thought-provoking. At the same time, I don't know if I'd jump to recommend this book as an introduction to this topic.

[G Laudato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ricky Tucker tells the story of Ballroom culture in such a compelling way that is rich with references, anecdotes, and highlights that honor legendary people who influenced the Ballroom community. I couldn't read this without pausing to look up all the icons and legends, fierce performances, and music that he described so vividly.

Tucker navigates talking about the heaviest realities experienced by black and brown queer and trans people while still always punctuating it with hope. Voguing is truly the most joyous response to capitalism, trauma, and oppression.

This book taught me to how be more of an enlightened witness to the complexities of Ballroom and society's responses to it. Anyone who reads this will emerge with a deepened respect and understanding of Ballroom as a "living archive," voguing as therapeutic freedom, and the value of chosen families.

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

AND THE CATEGORY IS is a fascinating dive into the past, present and future of ballroom culture. It's a wonderful supplement to all the media we know and love surrounding the movement including Pose, Paris Is Burning, The Queen and Legendary. Ricky Turner does an excellent job at capturing so much history that's been lost and beautifully ties together so many thought provoking questions about the meaning and the value of art.

Would have rated it higher if the author hadn't spent so much of the story talking about himself. This book really flies high when Ricky is immersed in ballroom and kinda loses steam anytime he dives into his academic antics or pulls focus from the main subject. Still, it's a great read that should be required for all LGBTQIA+ people who find themselves even just casually interested in ballroom, voguing and the history of BIPOC in NYC

[Gary Beck Dallaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say I was not expecting this when I opened the book. If you open this as I did thinking you're going to get a historical approach to all things Ballroom, you will not. What you will get is a thought-provoking education on the sociocultural impact the Ballroom experience has made not only on young LGBTQ+ people of color, but on the rest of society. Ricky Tucker is astounding in his lyrical descriptions of the scene. Sprinkled throughout we also get to know about him as the author, clearly demonstrating through personal narrative how his life has been influenced by Ballroom. Excellent book and one worthy of revisiting as the impact has only just slightly sunk in with me.

[Pepper Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly thought-provoking, with a series of interviews, vignettes, and insights that make the history being presented by Tucker more accessible and personable. While I had issues with the structure of the book (it could've been edited to be a little clearer and make the timeline easier to wrap your head around), it felt therapeutic at times, and I often had to put it down so I could sit with some of the ideas it presented. On a personal level, I also feel like this has introduced me to further reading to extend a lot of the concepts it introduced. But on a just general level? I love reading about so much love for ballroom. It warms my heart. I imagine others will feel much the same.

[Keisha Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

AND THE CATEGORY IS… A powerful debut that captures the soul of New York’s Vogue, House, and Ballroom community while serving as a historical archive within the Black queer and trans narrative in the United States. An instant classic that deftly champions and solidifies vogue, house, and ball culture as radical activism, art, freedom, and refuge for Black trans women and others. Tucker enlightens with deft critical analysis and a vulnerability that is compelling and full of love. This is a must-read of the utmost urgency.