FX POSE: Legendary Realness at its BEST

Gregory Mason

Cultural • Aug 6th, 18

CATEGORY IS: Time Travel. What progress has been made for LGBT people of color from 1987 until 2018? Answer is not much has changed as it should. This summer we were gifted with FX POSE, a show so amazing and such a masterpiece thoughtfully put together with evident inspiration from the LGBT classic, “Paris Is Burning”. Family was the overarching theme of the show because even when our families dont understand us, dont want us, and throw us out for being who we are in true form we can be grateful to find others from our community that will take us in and love us for who we are. In 1987 when communities of color had to deal with lack of acceptance in society because of the color of your skin, that was extremely needed, however just as expected in a societal hierarchy, the oppressed end up oppressing.

In 2018 we continue to see the same oppression of LGBT persons of color from their own communities because of the lack of education, little acceptance, and caring more about what others in society think over flesh and blood. In 1987 all we had as a community was ourselves and it seems like little has changed. However, in 1987 we as LGB persons see just how trans people were treated and were an even more oppressed community, therefore it was encouraging to see someone like Blanca, during that time, continue to fight that oppression and build a family she could call her own.

Blanca from the beginning was viewed as less than by her family that made up the House of Abundance because she was deemed as less passable as the others. Blanca was inspired to start her own House of Evangelista as a mother with her own family due to an AIDS diagnoses. In 1987 seeing so many friends die from the disease she knew that if she only had a small amount of time left she needed to make it count and go after her dreams instead of just living day to day waiting for death. Blanca is a representation of what the LGBT community should have been in 1987 and needs to be today in 2018, a community that takes in those who are not wanted by others and sees the potential in them to push them to do great things. When the world continues to tell you that you aren’t worth anything someone who can comprehend how much passion and talent a person is open to embracing means the world. Blanca throughout the series helps her children without judgement and even comes to the support of her own previous house mother when she is down on her luck. Given we are so numb to a depressing ending to a story, we saw all the good that comes with being around people who care and wish well for everyone as Blanca became Mother of the Year and her children started to prosper under her wing. I am sure the creators wanted to complete the series on a high note in case there was no option for a continuation of the stories portrayed and surprisingly Pose was green lite for a Season two despite the LGBT community not taking note to such a great show at their disposal.

What is the difference between Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Will & Grace, & FX Pose? The difference is the amount of people of color shown in the series and while people can say the other two are carefree while Pose takes a more serious approach to LGBT stories, including a record number of trans actors to ever have this opportunity, it should’ve been viewed even more for these very reasons. Lack of viewership despite cries for more LGBT representation (from people of color and white LGBT) was not surprising to me. This was a predominate cast of color and a story told from that same perspective. What was surprising was that this was a predominately trans cast and the LGBT community still was uninterested in giving Pose an opportunity to see what it was about. In order for us to continue to ask the world to treat us with dignity and do better by us, we need to do better by each other and ourselves. I can only hope that from now until the announcement of the second season that more LGBT persons can have an opportunity to watch this great show because it is definitely a who worthy of being a legend in LGBT storytelling.

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