Kiki (social gathering)

The term kiki got its mainstream rise from a group called the Scissor Sisters and their song “Let’s Have a Kiki”. Kiki can be referenced in two different ways; the first being a term referring to social gatherings, and the other referring to a subculture of ballroom culture. Both uses of this term have historical ties to the LGBTQ community.[5]

The word kiki has evolved overtime and has held different meanings, each slightly relating to the one before. It first evolved from the French word meaning to “to choke” or “to throttle.” In the 1930s, the word was used to describe gay men who took on either dominant or submissive roles when sexual relations arose. By the 1940s, the term was used to reference lesbian women who did not identify as either masculine or feminine within the lesbian community; this connotation of the word ran up until the 1950s. Once the 1990s hit, kiki was used to refer to people gathering together to have a good time. This was due to the 1990 movie Paris Is Burning that used kiki to refer to the sound of laughter.[6]

From ballroom culture, kiki began to bud off into its own scene, one that is particularly friendly towards Black/Latino members of the LGBTQ community, as depicted in the 2016 movie, Kiki. Post 2010, thanks in part to the release of "Let's Have a Kiki" by the Scissor Sisters, and the popularization of drag culture through RuPaul's Drag Race, the word has found its way into mainstream culture as well.[5]

Within ballroom culture, the term kiki arose in the early 2010s with the connotation of a light joke that doesn't need to be taken seriously. The Kiki scene was created for youth LGBT individuals as a more economically accessible mimic of ballroom culture.

Balls are events in which houses or representatives host in which participants compete to win cash prizes and trophies throughout multiple categories. Usually, Balls include performances that go beyond gender and sexual identity; from fashion runways to voguing.

Ballroom culture includes subcultures within it, one being KiKi. Only created 10 years ago, the Kiki term means a light joke that doesn't need to be taken seriously. The Kiki scene was created for youth LGBT individuals as a more economically accessible mimic of Ballroom culture. It serves youths between the ages of 13 to 24 years old.[7]

When looking at modern ballroom culture, we can look at shows like Pose and RuPaul’s Drag Race to see what effect it has had on culture. One thing we tend to forget while looking at how major it currently is in our community, is how it affects those growing up in it. Many of the kids found in modern ballroom culture are those of Hispanic or African American descent and also happen to be in the LGBTQ+ community. Due to the stigma that comes with sexuality in these communities many of them are kicked out of their homes. This forces many of them to live on the streets which exposes them to STDs, sexual and racial  discrimination, and harassment.

Historically, Harlem drag balls of the 1920s and 30s New York, came from the migration of African Americans from the South to the North of the United States. The original drag balls served as a safe place and resistance to homophobia for Black queer populations. The Ballroom scene and culture exist through multiple generations and emerged from and for Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals. The Ballroom scene served as a place for social support and creative expression. In 1967, the modern ballroom scene and culture were created in response to racism in New York’s drag ball community.[8]

These Kiki houses, and modern ballroom culture in general, provide youths a space of shelter and love. The competitions that are found in modern ballroom culture with these Kiki houses give out prize money for the winning Kiki house of the competition. The prize money gives these contestants an opportunity to make a living for themselves and not become victims of their circumstances. Within Kiki and ballroom culture there are many programs such as, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, that provide a space to educate the youth about ballroom and kiki culture, STDs (while helping to de-stigmatize them), safe-sex practices, and provide them with the help they need to continue down the right path in life despite all they have been through.[9][10]

Houses were established between 1968 and 1973. Houses are kinship structures that provide a home for their members or children.[11] The children of the house consisted of various ages, races, and backgrounds. These houses are led by mothers or fathers that represent that House.

The structure of ballroom houses are set up with parents and children. In these houses, your gender does not determine your role, instead your role in the house is based on your ability to guide those around you. The mothers and fathers, who are platonically related, of these houses take more of a responsible mentor role, they provide love and guidance to their children. They are usually of higher class than those of their children, who are usually of lower or working class. The children of these houses are selected by the parents of the house. They do this based on who they feel like best to add to structure and the relationship of the house that they have already established. Within these houses they work together to support each other both financially and emotionally. While most of this responsibility falls on the parents of the house, other members can help as well. They also do things for the ballroom community by hosting balls and spaces for the kiki houses to show off their ballroom skills.[12]

Kiki houses a part of the kiki ballroom community and scene include:

Relevant figures for the kiki scene are, and not limited to: Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Aisha Diori, and Arbert Santana.

‌