'It felt so good to go out there and receive such a positive response and support from Black people who I could see videos [of] that are harming my community.'
Photo: Courtesy of the subject Last week, at a Black Lives Matter protest in Chicago, Illinois, Gorgeous Karma Gucci and her friends Adonte Prodigy and Amya Miyake-Mugler, all clad in heels and masks, vogued down the middle of the streets to beats pumped on a Bluetooth speaker. The clips of their demonstration, which were filmed in front of police cars, have racked up well over 3.8 million views.
For some, voguing is just a dance to be studied in classes, and learned for jobs. For others — like contestants on the new HBO Max show Legendary — it can be a form of expression that can be matched against others to snatch top-dollar prizes. And for others still, it remains a form of gender exploration and communing with a like-minded community. As a creation of Black and brown queer and trans folks, it has always been a way to physically play with notions of gender presentation.
In 2011 Karma joined the ballroom scene after years of being a part of Chicago’s underground dance scene. Because of the previous experience, she had already mastered dance genres like hip hop and modern, but this provided something new. “I was never taught how to vogue,” she says of her skill, which had been refined through working with members of the scene. “I was taught, the elements and they left me with that. You can’t teach someone how to vogue. To do it you just have to possess some character or emotion that you want to present to those watching.” And last week that emotion was passion.
A friend broadcasted the action on Facebook, and it attracted about 800 viewers and began circulating in various Facebook groups. One detractor condemned the display, saying that this was not a time for celebration.
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