House of LaBeija

The House of LaBeija is a prominent drag family founded by Crystal LaBeija and Lottie LaBeija in 1972.^[1] Crystal and Lottie founded the House of LaBeija in response to racial prejudice in the New York ballroom scene.^[2] Their first event was called "Crystal & Lottie LaBeija presents the first annual House of Labeija Ball at Up the Downstairs Case on West 115th Street & 5th Avenue in Harlem, NY.’13".^[1] This is thought to be the birth of house culture as it is known today.^[3]

House mothers and fathers

The House of LaBeija is structured like a family, with a house “mother” and “father” who oversee and direct the group.

House Mother	Tenure	Note
Crystal LaBeija	1972 - 1982	Founding House Mother
Pepper LaBeija	1982 - ?	Battled Avis Pendavis and Dorian Corey on April 15, 1989 at "Legends Statements and Stars Part 1: Mother vs Mother"
Kia LaBeija	2017 - present^[4]

House Father	Tenure	Note
Tommie LaBeija	1986 - ?^[5]
Freddie LaBeija Powell	? - present^[6]

Notable members

Name	Tenure	Note
Junior LaBeija	? - ?	Emceed "Paris Is Burning Ball" and "Avis Pendavis Presents: Autumn in the Fall," both in 1984^[5]
Andre Ovanhess LaBeija Revlon	Dec 1988 - 1992^[5]	Founded the House of Mizrahi with Heidi Allure in 1992
Gerald Dupree LaBeija		Attended "Legends, Statements, and Stars Part 2: Club Red Zone in 1990^[5]
Portia LaBeija McQueen		"Peppa LaBeija, Portia LaBeija McQueen and John Moschino McQueen Ball" held in 2000^[5]
Derek LaBeija		Appeared on "The Star and Buc Wild Radio Show" in 2005 to promote "How Do I Look?" film/documentary^[5]
Linda LaBeija	? - present	Poet, performer, and activist^[6]
Justin "Monster" LaBeija	? - present	Kiki scene icon^[6]

Past events

Event Name	Date	Note
Peppa LaBeija and the House of LaBeija Presents: "The Royal House of Sunshine Balls"^[5]	1989
Tommie Presents: "The House of LaBeija Ball"^[5]	1990
Tommie LaBeija Presents: "The Labeija Ball Honoring Peppa LaBeija^[5]	1998

References

^ ^a ^b Lawrence, Tim (2011). Listen, and You Will Hear all the Houses that Walked There Before: A History of Drag Balls, Houses and the Culture of Voguing. London: Soul Jazz. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018.
^ Iovannone, Jeffry J. (Jun 29, 2018). "Crystal LaBeija: Legendary House Mother". Medium. Archived from the original on Jun 30, 2018. Retrieved Jan 12, 2019.
^ Street, Mikelle (Aug 19 2016). "The Iconic Drag Queen Behind Frank Ocean's 'Endless'". VICE. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2019. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
^ Graham, Annabel (January 18, 2018). "The Underside of Glamour: An Interview of Kia LaBeija". Autre Magazine. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019. GRAHAM: How did you originally get into voguing? LABEIJA: As a dancer, I knew about it—and also just being from New York, I knew a little bit about it. I had seen Paris Is Burning when I was sixteen. It's an incredible documentary. There are a lot of queer people all over the world that don't know that that exists. Then they see something like that and they feel like, "Oh wow, I can just be whoever I want to be." I got into voguing because I met someone who was in the scene. We worked together at Webster Hall in New York. She brought me into a house, which was the first house I was in. Once that house closed, she joined the House of LaBeija. Basically I followed her. I call her my gay mother. She taught me everything I know. GRAHAM: And now you're the Mother of the House of LaBeija. How did you become the Mother? In Paris is Burning, they say that the Mother of a house is the person with the most power. LABEIJA: I mean, for many years I had been kind of mothering the House of LaBeija in a way that was just kind of helping to guide it. I became the Mother this past year, in 2017. That's when I kind of made it official. {{cite news}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 49 (help)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ BURRUS, KEVIN OMNI (April 30, 2015). "Harlem Ballroom Historic Timeline". Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
^ ^a ^b ^c Silva, Horacio (December 12, 2018). "Kia LaBeija Is Remodeling One of Ballroom's Legendary Houses For the Future". W Magazine. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

[:0-1] Lawrence, Tim (2011). Listen, and You Will Hear all the Houses that Walked There Before: A History of Drag Balls, Houses and the Culture of Voguing. London: Soul Jazz. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018.

[2] Iovannone, Jeffry J. (Jun 29, 2018). "Crystal LaBeija: Legendary House Mother". Medium. Archived from the original on Jun 30, 2018. Retrieved Jan 12, 2019.

[3] Street, Mikelle (Aug 19 2016). "The Iconic Drag Queen Behind Frank Ocean's 'Endless'". VICE. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2019. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)

[4] Graham, Annabel (January 18, 2018). "The Underside of Glamour: An Interview of Kia LaBeija". Autre Magazine. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019. GRAHAM: How did you originally get into voguing? LABEIJA: As a dancer, I knew about it—and also just being from New York, I knew a little bit about it. I had seen Paris Is Burning when I was sixteen. It's an incredible documentary. There are a lot of queer people all over the world that don't know that that exists. Then they see something like that and they feel like, "Oh wow, I can just be whoever I want to be." I got into voguing because I met someone who was in the scene. We worked together at Webster Hall in New York. She brought me into a house, which was the first house I was in. Once that house closed, she joined the House of LaBeija. Basically I followed her. I call her my gay mother. She taught me everything I know. GRAHAM: And now you're the Mother of the House of LaBeija. How did you become the Mother? In Paris is Burning, they say that the Mother of a house is the person with the most power. LABEIJA: I mean, for many years I had been kind of mothering the House of LaBeija in a way that was just kind of helping to guide it. I became the Mother this past year, in 2017. That's when I kind of made it official. {{cite news}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 49 (help)

[:1-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ BURRUS, KEVIN OMNI (April 30, 2015). "Harlem Ballroom Historic Timeline". Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)

[:2-6] Silva, Horacio (December 12, 2018). "Kia LaBeija Is Remodeling One of Ballroom's Legendary Houses For the Future". W Magazine. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

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