This February, the Pink Singers celebrated LGBT+ History Month 2021 with a series of talks, bringing to the surface the fascinating and diverse experiences of people within the choir, as well as those of the people we have had the pleasure to partner with.
On Sunday 14 February 2021 we had a conversation with Oskar, a Pinkie alumnus, about finding a chosen family. Oskar left London for Manchester a few years ago to explore new opportunities there, and talked about discovering a new home in the Northern Ballroom community. The Ballroom scene started last century in New York City and brought the Black and Latinx queer community together. Many of us will have first heard about Ballroom from Madonna’s 80s song “Vogue” which incorporated dance moves from that subculture but has had more mainstream exposure with the TV show “Pose” which tells the story of members of the Ballroom “Houses” around that time.
Fast forward to 2021, and the Ballroom scene can now be found internationally. One of the places where it has really blossomed is in the North, with Houses in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. As a member of the House of Noir, Oskar gives us a rare peek behind the scenes and explore the significance of Ballroom to the QTIPOC community there.
As part of our charitable aims promoting equality and diversity, the session was recorded and edited and can now be found on our Pink Singers YouTube channel.
Other talks in the series:
Week 1: Pink History With Sue Sanders
Week 3: It’s a Sin!
Week 4: LGBT+ History Month – Capturing our Stories
Photo Credits:
The House of Suarez Atlantis Ball – Fotocad Photography