This Weekend: The Xtravaganza Ball

This Saturday, the House of Xtravaganza will host their first ball in over five years. I live for balls, and I’ve always lived for the Xtravaganzas; this ball will consist of 26 different competitions. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded. Contestants are spending hundreds of hours preparing, as this is a very big thing. Some of the categories are Realness, Natural Beauty, Butch Queen-Vogue Fem, Battle Kat, Cha Cha Ruffle Bitch, and Butch Trans and His Bitch: A Night on the Town. The competition is fierce, but the love pervades it all. I am honored to be a judge; when I was asked by grandfather Hector Xtravaganza, I got goose bumps. For me it was one of the greatest honors I have received in this business. Other judges are old friends designer Malcolm Harris and Patricia Fields. There are some others who are famous and all that, but I can't mention them right now. If you have never been to a ball, I recommend that you get out and catch this one. The Moda La Envida Xtravaganza Ball is this Saturday, November 14, at Irving Plaza from 8pm. For more info, email . The following is an interview I got with an Xtravaganza contingent a couple months back.

The houses started off as gay—black and Hispanic gangs in Harlem. They were formed to protect each other, as being gay meant being an outcast for many.
Davari Xtravaganza: It was more black.
Carmen Xtravaganza: Yes.

As early as 1900. Is that correct, as far as you know?
Carmen: Really, 1960s.

Well, there’s evidence that it goes back further. But let’s talk about the modern era of the houses.
Carmen: I wasn’t around in the 60’s ... we came out in ’81.
Hector Xtravaganza: ‘81.

How did the Xtravaganzas form?
Carmen: Paradise Garage.
Hector: Um, no. Even before Paradise Garage ... we started out in Industries. We were like, just kids. A lot of us was homeless.

So it all started out in the streets. And, when we’re talking the streets, we’re talking about the Piers, on Christopher Street, the end of the Piers.
Carmen: Peter Rabbits ...
Hector: Hustling, prostitution ... a lot of homelessness. And it was just a lot of homeless kids. We all just gathered up, and we started protecting one another. But it’s before even Xtravaganza came out. So all this happened way before. Before Xtravaganza, we were going to call it “Magnifique.” Because there was a song out, it was a punk rock song called “Magnifique.” So we were like, “If we were ever to open up a House, it would be called Magnifique.” And then next thing you know, the founder—which was Hector Xtravaganza also—he came up with “Oh, well how ‘bout “Xtravaganza,” so we all fell in love with that.

There were other houses back then.
Hector: Omni was around.
Carmen: Ebony. Omni. La Beja.

Is La Beja still around?
Hector: No, La Beja’s just like really ...

But there’s still some of the people around. I see the names.
Hector: Yeah, some of the kids are still alive.