Ballroom legend Egyptt LaBeija eschews glory for self-improvement

Egyptt LaBeija Credit: © Harry James Hanson/Devin Antheus; “Egyptt LaBeija,” 2018-2022; Courtesy of the artists and CLAMP, New York. & by& TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member & Egyptt LaBeija sits at the throne of the ballroom and drag world. She’s currently the Overall Godmother of the& House of LaBeija—in other words, a matriarch of New York City’s oldest and most hallowed chosen family for Black and Brown queer people. For the past 35-plus years, LaBeija performed internationally as a model and showgirl. And this past Wednesday, June 5, she graced the stage at the& Legends of Drag event& hosted by the NYC AIDS Memorial and the Whitney Museum. She called the evening an opportunity to empower others through a routine she meticulously plans down to the song choice—pieces that particularly made a difference in her life. Ball culture stems from a history of LGBTQ Black and Brown New Yorkers cast out by their families and White-led queer spaces. So they formed their own communities and queer spaces, usually named after luxury fashion brands. House of LaBeija was the first, after drag ball judges favored a White contestant over a co-founder. They blossomed into a subculture...