Crystal LaBeija (unknown-1982) was a trans woman and drag queen who reinvented the ballroom scene of New York City. Tired of entering balls that excluded women of color, she decided to host her own ball and shook up the world of drag pageantry while doing it.
Crystal LaBeija (unknown-1982) was a trans woman and drag queen who reinvented the ballroom scene of New York City. Tired of entering balls that excluded women of color, she decided to host her own ball and shook up the world of drag pageantry while doing it.
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History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Carmen Borca-Carrillo, and this is Womanica.
June is Pride Month, and to celebrate, we’re highlighting queer stars of the stage and screen. They’re women who expanded the norms of gender and sexuality in the limelight, and behind the scenes. I helped curate the month, and I’m so excited to guest host this episode.
Today, we’re talking about a queen who reinvented the ballroom scene of New York City. Tired of entering balls that excluded women of color, she decided to host her own ball– and shook up the world of drag pageantry while doing it. Please welcome: Crystal LaBeija.
Crystal was a trans woman and American drag queen who entered the Manhattan drag circuit in the 1960s. We don’t know too much about Crystal’s early life, but we do know she was a larger-than-life character. She wore furs, and prided herself on her glamor. Her original name was Crystal LaAsia, but Latinx queens called her “La Belleza,” or “the beauty.” The name stuck.
When Crystal was coming up in the circuit, pageants were organized by individuals. Contestants were judged on their looks throughout the competition. Though these balls were multi-racial, they were overwhelmingly white-organized– and racist. Black and Hispanic queens were usually pressured to lighten their complexions. Winners were usually white.
But Crystal was a force to be reckoned with. She won the titles of “Miss Manhattan” and “Queen of the Ball”-- both at white-organized pageants. On February 13th, 1967, she entered the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest. She came in fourth– and made history.
The pageant was hosted by Flawless Sabrina, a white drag queen. She gave first place to her protegee, Rachel Harlow. Crystal left the stage. She let everyone know what was on her mind.
[clip from The Queen: “Don’t bother her, it’s not Harlow’s fault… She can’t help it. Because you’re beautiful and young, you deserve to have the best in life, but you didn’t deserve… I didn’t say she’s not beautiful, but she wasn’t looking beautiful tonight. She doesn’t equal me — look at her makeup; it’s terrible!”]
The moment was immortalized on video. The Miss All-America Camp contest was being filmed for a documentary called The Queen. It would premiere at Cannes [can] the following year. Crystal verbalized what she’d been enduring for years in the drag circuit: queens of color just weren’t given the same chances. She told the cameras she didn’t want her image used to celebrate a racist pageant.
In 1972, Crystal and her friend, Lottie, created their own ball. It was specifically for Black queens. They hosted the event as the “House of LaBeija.”
While today houses are common in drag culture, Crystal was one of the first– if not the first– to implement it. She became the Mother of the House of LaBeija. The house was a sort of alternative family structure for folks who were often marginalized by their own families. As the House Mother, Crystal supported her drag children and provided them with a home and mentorship. The House entered and hosted pageants together.
The House of LaBeija went beyond fashion and pageantry. It was also the first house to host benefits specifically to raise awareness during the 1980s AIDS epidemic. Crystal took her experiences in a circuit that often excluded those who needed it most, and reinvented it as a family system. One that upheld the communities that it celebrated.
We know as much about the end of Crystal’s life as we do the beginning. She died in 1982, likely of liver failure in connection to unregulated use of estrogen. Her drag daughter, Pepper LaBeija, took over as House Mother and served for more than 30 years. Crystal’s legacy lives on in the House of LaBeija, still a monumental presence in the New York drag scene.
All month, we’re highlighting queer stars of the stage and screen. For more information find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz and Jenny Kaplan, for inviting me to host.
Talk to you tomorrow!