celebrating icon mother pepper labeija

Описание: blessed are those who mother the children the world left alone to mind themselves. blessed are the queens who build a queendom for these children to survive and thrive. pepper labeija was both mother and queen and on this mother's day weekend, we speak her name.

born on november 5, 1948 in the bronx, new york, pepper became the mother of the house of labeija (pronounced la-BAY-zha) in the 1982 after the founding mother, pioneer and visionary crystal labeija died.

under pepper’s leadership, the house continued to pave the way for both drag and ballroom culture. the family structure that has long been the foundation of black and brown ballroom houses was created by the house of labeija and pepper played an integral part.

pepper and the house of labeija rose to international prominence when they house featured in the 1990 documentary film, “paris is burning.” the film is notable for helping to introduce ballroom culture to mainstream popular culture and explored issues such as AIDS, poverty, gender-based violence, anti-blackness and homophobia.

pepper spent most of her life providing refuge for black and brown trans and queer young people during and after the height of the AIDS and crack epidemics. like many of the house mothers of her time, pepper helped to cultivate a space where black queer and trans people could live out their fantasies and those fantasies included a universe without homophobia, transphobia and racism.

on may 14, 2003, mother pepper labeija became an ancestor when she died of a heart attack at the age of 54.

in a new york times tribute printed on may 26, 2003, douglas martin wrote, “pepper was the last of the four great queens of modern harlem balls; angie xtravaganza, dorian corey and avis pendavis all died in recent years. these four exuded a sort of wild expressionism that might make las vegas girls seem tame.”

happy mother’s day, pepper! thank you for all of the new earths you helped to create when they tried ours down.