CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Paris Dupree's death in August may have seemed like the end of an era, but her legacy endures. The founding mother of the House of Dupree, who helped provide a sense of community and family for disenfranchised urban gay people in the drag balls of Harlem, was immortalized in the documentary Paris Is Burning. More than two decades since its release, Jennie Livingston's film is still not only encouraging young LGBT kids to express themselves but inspiring a number of contemporary filmmakers as well.
Paris's obvious progeny is Leave It on the Floor, director Sheldon Larry's narrative film about Los Angeles's drag ball culture. It has been a sold-out hit in festivals across the country, and there's talk of turning it into a stage musical. Most gratifying for Larry, however, is the seal of approval from Livingston, who reportedly told him she loved his film after catching a recent screening.
The ladies also get their due in Leilah Weinraub's Shakedown, which is set in a black lesbian strip club in Los Angeles. What began as a chronicle of the club's by-women, for-women performances quickly evolved into something more personal and meditative for Weinraub, who has spent eight years on a project some have dubbed the lesbian Paris Is Burning. Weinraub expects her film to be released early in 2012.
Most poignant is definitely The Sons of Tennessee Williams (which opened in select theaters in October), chronicling the rise of Mardi Gras drag balls against the turbulent backdrop of the civil rights era in New Orleans. Filmmaker Tim Wolff weaves a compelling narrative from often-heartbreaking interviews with the LGBT pioneers (the titular sons), glorious archival footage, and more recent clips from the 2008 anniversary ball.
Watch a trailer forLeave It on the Floor below. Then see photos from The Sons of Tennessee Williams and the trailer on the following pages.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: The Daily
Trending stories from our video partner Advocate Channel.
For more videos and shows go to advocatechannel.com.
Trending stories from our video partner Advocate Channel.
For more videos and shows go to advocatechannel.com.
Latest Stories
How a lesbian's triumph on the Portland Timbers billboard broke barriers
April 24 2024 4:52 PM
‘Faces of Gun Violence’ exhibit unveiled at inaugural survivors’ summit
April 24 2024 4:46 PM
Trans woman Andrea Doria Dos Passos beaten to death in Miami Beach; arrest made
April 24 2024 4:36 PM
TikTok may be banned in the U.S. after Biden signs new law — Why?
April 24 2024 3:43 PM
Serial killer of gay men in New Orleans released after 46 years in prison
April 24 2024 2:16 PM
The 'largest bi+ event in the world' is happening this year. Here's when and where
April 24 2024 12:42 PM
What happens if Donald Trump is jailed for criminal contempt?
April 24 2024 12:22 PM
Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and more urge NCAA to stand up for trans inclusion
April 24 2024 8:00 AM
Over 90% of trans youth live in states pushing anti-trans legislation: report
April 23 2024 10:08 PM