Palmer, the Emmy-award winning actress exudes a bubbly charisma on the day of my visit, wearing a vibrant rainbow tutu skirt that matches her mood. Though she doesn’t come from the ballroom scene, Palmer has long been a fan.
“I’ve been an admirer for years,” she says. “So, when I got an opportunity to be a judge on the show I had to make sure that I am on point and make sure I show my respect.”
Returning this season is Jameela Jamil, who ahead of the Legendary premiere in 2020 experienced some social media backlash due to a miscommunication over the nature of her involvement. The entertainment publication Deadline initially reported that she would be the host of the program, before clarifying that the Good Place actress would head the judges’ panel with Wesley as MC. Two successful seasons later, Jamil has never been prouder of the show’s commitment to authenticity.
“It’s on and off camera that we have people in the ballroom community working on the show,” she says, sporting a black corset dress complimented by bold red lipstick and rhinestones encircling her eyes. “That’s why the hair is so amazing. It’s why the makeup and the fashion is so good. It’s because this is authentic to the bone.”
Famously portrayed on the drama series Pose and the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning, the ballroom scene originated with house mother Crystal LaBeija in the 1960s and rose to prominence among LGBTQ+ Black and Latino communities in late-1970s New York City. Grouped into houses that are often named after luxury fashion brands, performers compete against one another at underground balls donning lavish, DIY looks that emulate the chicness of a runway.
However, the significance of ballroom goes far beyond theatrical stunts performed in boisterous getups. For those facing neglect and abuse from biological relatives, houses are a kind of chosen family, offering a space where their queerness is celebrated rather than stigmatized.
Notoriously, in 1990, Madonna released her smash hit song “Vogue,” widely considered to be a textbook case study in cultural appropriation because it popularized voguing while overlooking its origins among queer people of color. Legendary aims to be a corrective to this type of appropriation, giving a major platform to seasoned experts of the form.
“I feel like people are learning about us and have questions that they don’t understand and it’s for us and the people who are part of it to really educate,” Wesley tells me, looking regal in a crop top, jewelry, and crown.
