Lena Waithe Pays Homage to OG Trailblazers on MTV
You may remember Lena Waithe as she slayed the Met Gala in a rainbow flag cape, which was bold and daring as a woman of color.
Waithe, Emmy winner for her work in Master of None, has caught all of our attentions again as she strutted the stage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards to accept the Trailblazer Award for her efforts advocating the LGBTQ community and youth, which reaches far beyond donning a rainbow flag at the Met Gala.
During her acceptance speech she thanked those who recognized her efforts, but made sure to direct the spotlight onto those who came before her—who are often ignored in mainstream media, even as we appropriate their culture.
“I’m extremely grateful that you guys see me in that light,” she said. “I believe the only reason why I’m even allowed to stand here is because of a few other trailblazers that some of you might not be aware of.”
Waithe was referring to the stars of the 1990s documentary Paris is Burning. The film, which chronicles the ball culture of New York City in the late 1980s, quickly became a cult classic and gained recognition from the critics, who were gagging on its exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and class.
Paris is Burning combines footage of several balls shot over the span of seven years, interviews with the Black and Latino men, women, and queens who competed in the balls alongside a look at their daily lives. In 1991, this was revolutionary and few films have followed in the footsteps of focusing on this underrepresented subculture.
The queer pioneers that were mentioned in Waithe’s speech included Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtravaganza, and Willi Ninja.
“Tonight, I want to share this award with them. I want to do what we as a society should have done a long time ago, and that’s given them the glory and the shine they deserve. Every time someone says ‘shade’ or talks about ‘reading’ or decides to just ‘serve face,’ please look up to the sky and give thanks,” she proudly said.
“We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They strutted through a brick wall so we wouldn’t have to.”
Waithe is at the forefront for queer visibility. She is one of the many women of color speaking out about their pronouns, gender identity, and sexuality. We’re looking at you, Janelle Monae and Kehlani.
Waithe, like many others in the community, is setting the right trend of where the queer community is going in terms of community advocacy and acceptance.
In the wake of everything going on in this country, it comes as no surprise that Waithe took the stage at MTV to share her message for more than three million viewers to watch on their television screens; it was streamed 83 million times.
Knowing that our youth are active leaders in many of the changes happening today (like the March for our Lives movement), Waithe is speaking to the right crowd. Our youth is changing the perception of the queer community and how we interact with it. Being out and proud is something that has not until recently been accepted by our society. It is still surrounded by stigma and shame.
So for Waithe to take the stage and say to our youth—65 percent of MTV’s viewers fall between the ages of 18 and 34—“I see you” in the bluntest way possible, is absolutely monumental to our youth and their formulating identities.
We hope that this is the beginning of more queers in Hollywood stepping up and remembering their roots. Thank you, Lena Waithe, for defiantly being outspoken. We see you. We love you.
Photo courtesy of Facebook
