When I won “Old Way Performance” at The Latex Ball in 2019, New York’s biggest ball, I remember that after I struck my final pose, my heart beating out of my chest, my skin drenched in my own sweat, I saw Linda out of the corner of my eye. She was standing up on the side of the runway, wagging her finger at me, giving me a look that said, “Bitch! You ate that and it was ovah!” Through my tears, a combination of elation, relation, and cosmic release, Linda’s blessing was just as meaningful as the trophy and small cash prize I won that night. I had been anointed.
Although Linda’s health has declined in recent years, making it hard for her to speak and to move as she once did, this has not stopped her spirit. Last year at the Latex Ball, she made a show-stopping appearance, demonstrating that her condition could never be a barrier to her undeniable and fearless spirit. In honoring true icons, it’s important for the new generation of ballroom children, ballroom enthusiasts, and our LGBTQ+ community to know the name and the history of who gave us the culture. Linda’s story inspires me as she is an underdog who overcame hardship inside and outside of ballroom to become a beacon of light for the world.
As a transgender man who vogues, a rarity at U.S. balls, and a TV writer and producer who is often the only person of Black and transgender experience with a seat at the table, I often feel as though I am not seen and rarely ever heard. Linda’s unapologetic attitude, unrivaled artistry, and persistent grit have always been a window of possibility for my personhood. It’s no wonder this generation connects with her spirit today.
When Linda and I discussed why she chose Linda Evangelista’s name over the other iconic supermodels of the ’90s, she simply replied, “She’s ovah! No one could be like her.” As I witnessed one icon acknowledge another, I could see that “Linda” was a fitting name, indeed.
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