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You don’t have to be familiar with ballroom culture or even the LGBTQ community to enjoy FX’s new hit show Pose, a series based on the 80’s New York ballroom scene that explores the lives of several characters who are members of the gay and trans communities as they discover acceptance and safe spaces far from the biological families that have rejected who they truly are. Just like Black-ish or even This Is Us the show is about family, support and loving each other even when we are at our worst, life situations anyone can relate to. Most importantly the show serves as almost an hour of education giving context to vernacular many of us love to throw around including phrases like “snatching wigs” and “throwing shade” without any real idea of where they originated while also employing more than 150 LGBTQ people in front and behind the camera, many of whom are experiencing their first gigs acting, choreographing and producing. Show writer and producer Janet Mock recently sat down with Paper Magazine to share how Pose is changing the game and bringing characters to the screen that we all can love and appreciate in a way that is respectful and brings dignity and honor to their stories.
Mock explains that as the first trans women of color in a writer’s room, she felt her job was to bring colorful, vibrant stories to the screen at a time when much of what we are witnessing in the world is dark and dismal:
“I loved the fact that it was a period piece, and I think that we can learn so much about our current state by looking at the past and seeing how people resisted, survived, and thrived despite the many hurdles. I loved the fact that it was about a vibrant scene and the culture was created by people who were given nothing and created their own safe space. Of course, I also loved it because of the platform and the potential of television. I believe that is one of the most intimate ways that people can tell stories. People invite you into their homes and then fall in love with these characters during the season. So, that excited me.”
Pose is one of the latest gems from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the cinematic masterminds behind popular shows like American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck and Glee. Mock, who is also an author and activist, signed on to write three episodes and direct one. She shares that all viewers, regardless of their backgrounds will be able to identify situations that resonate with them such as the disappointment that can come with having high expectations of the holidays. In the Christmas episode, one of the characters is stood up by a lover who ultimately spends the day with his wife and children. There’s even a burnt turkey that forces the family to have Christmas dinner in a Chinese restaurant. The show sheds light on the bonds that form through “houses” complete with “mothers” and “fathers” who prioritize support, love and family over fabulousness. Mock shares that the idea of having a Christmas episode in June would “give trans, queer people and anyone who is marginalized or not apart of their birth family a piece of media that they can return to every year.”
Mock also shares that Pose tackles issues of body image and the HIV/AIDS health crises that seriously affected the LGBTQ community at the time, an issue that Mock feels communities of color have unfortunately lost focus on:
“Episode four is called ‘The Fever,’ and it really is about the body. It’s about how we feel about our own body, the harm that can be done to our bodies and the ways in which sometimes our partners or those who desire us try to take control of our bodies. So we talk about straight men who are attracted to trans women. We also talk about HIV/AIDS, which is, of course, a huge epidemic and still is worldwide. A lot of people believe that it’s over for communities of color, specifically for Black queer and trans people.”
Mock also reveals that as a trans woman, the show allows her to see how far she comes in her personal journey and that despite “ballroom culture having a moment”, and the world celebrating famous trans women like Laverne Cox, many people still struggle with loneliness and finding their place in the world:
“My sisters and my siblings in my community are still dealing with those same problems, with all of the isms and phobias that we as a society are sickened with. For me, I wanted to show through this that you are not alone and you are not the first to go through this. Right now I look back at that time and it teaches us about who we were and the work that we have to do and we have to continue to build and build and build. I hope it feels like a love letter where my people in my community can see each other and be themselves, and that they don’t need to feel so alone in the world. That they have something that encompasses their own reality and their own struggles.”
What Pose does stunningly well is allows trans characters to take center stage and have visibility in a way that shows, even ones with LGBT characters, have not done before:
“I think there was a craving to make sure that those people who were trans were actually centered for once. I think viewers demanded it and wanted a more diverse writers room. I am the first trans woman of color to write and direct an episode for television and the first to be hired to write in a writers’ room. I think that all of these milestones happen because of all the hard work of all of the pioneers that come before. I think these cultural milestones were already there, but also there’s the audience’s demand for more accurate storytelling, where we are center stage and are no longer the sidekick, we are the actual star. I think it’s deeply revolutionary.”
While we’re all enjoying the colorful fashion and phrases that often times pay direct tribute to Paris Is Burning, the 1991 documentary which spotlights New York City drag queens living in New York City and their “house” culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers, Mock wants us to remember that ultimately Pose is a show about survival and the people that help us find our way to our what truly makes us happy and complete:
“The show isn’t limited to the fantasy and the glitz and glamour of the performing of the ball scene. Most of the show is not on the ballroom floor, it’s out in the world, showing what it looks like for these people to have to navigate this city and this culture that’s really not created for them to survive, and the creative and loving ways that they build communities and support systems. The family concept is what is most powerful to me.”
