Paris Is Burning Page #8

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away from New York -

up the Peekskills

or maybe in Florida.

Somewhere far,

where no one knows me.

I want my sex change.

I want to live a normal,

happy life.

Whether it's being married

and adopting children,

whether it's being famous

and rich.

I want to get married

in church, in white.

Sometimes I sit

and look at a magazine.

I try to imagine myself

in the front cover

or even inside.

I want to be a complete woman.

And I want to be

a professional model,

behind cameras

in a high-fashion world.

I want so much more.

I want...

I want my name

to be a household product.

I want everybody

to look at me and say,

"There goes Octavia."

I want this.

This is what I want.

And I'm gonna go for it.

(man) Opening with us,

Amy Xtravaganza.

Amy Xtravaganza.

Women.

Vogue.

(inaudible)

Vogue, vogue, vogue, vogue.

Amy...

Previously,

I introduced rap music,

along with the dancing,

to Japanese people.

And they really loved it.

(woman on TV) This, ladies

and gentlemen, is voguing,

a form of dance that has

its roots in Harlem.

A takeoff on runway modeling,

which they had plenty of

last night as well.

Voguing is an attitude,

a style. It's... it's...

A kind of institutionalized

showing-off.

But not without

its entertainment value.

Something very spectacular.

Very important... art form.

Very important.

It's just so theatrical.

And the energy...

Oh, it's just terrific.

In addition to perhaps

putting voguing in vogue,

this Love Ball, sponsored by

the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS,

raised more than $350,000

for research and housing

for the homeless who have AIDS.

And I had never seen

anything quite like it.

And I'm Connie Collins,

News Four, Manhattan.

Two years ago, I was working

in a health-food store,

still teaching and trying

to perform on my own.

Well, now, my foot is, like,

in every little doorstep

that you can think of.

Um...

I'm doing a lot of runway work.

I'm dancing.

Performing for Malcolm McLaren,

various other people.

Doing choreography,

helping people put their shows together.

So, it's going very good.

This earring that I have here

is... I bought this in Japan.

As you can see, it says "House Couture."

I can't read the rest of it.

It has a scissor and it has

"Junior Gaultier '89" on there.

Of course, that's

the Gaultier label emblem.

I bought it, mind you.

I have the receipt still.

Where? I don't know.

But I bought it.

The balls have kind of

gotten toned down

compared to

what it used to be.

Now, when I tell people

what it is

and they go and it's not

what they expect, you know,

it's like they feel like

a little bit of a letdown.

You know, they say,

"Well, it was long,

it was dragged out.

It was boring."

OK. The balls are always

long and dragged out,

but they were never boring.

I really do kind of miss

the street element, I mean...

But everything changes

and everything's been changing

drastically, you know.

New York's not even

the same anymore.

( rock on radio)

( radio)

(Angie) I always said to her,

"Venus, you take too many chances.

You're too wild with people in the streets.

Something is going to happen to you."

But that was Venus.

She always took a chance.

She always went

into a stranger's car.

She always did what she wanted

to get what she wanted.

I had a booking

for a Christmas show at Sally's

and the DTs came to me

with a picture of her murdered.

And they were about

to cremate her

'cause nobody had came

to verify the body.

And I was the one that had

to give all this information

down to her family.

Actually, they found her

dead after four days,

strangled under a bed

in a sleazy hotel in New York City.

I'm hungry.

We used to get dressed

together, call each other

and say what

we were gonna wear.

And, you know, she was like

my right hand, as far as I'm concerned.

I miss her.

Every time I go anywhere, I miss her.

That was my main...

the main daughter of my house,

in other words.

But that's part of life,

as far as being a transsexual

in New York City and surviving.

I always had hopes

of being a big star.

And then I looked...

As you get older,

you aim a little lower.

And I just say,

"Well, yeah, you still might make an impression."

Everybody wants to leave

something behind them -

some impression,

some mark upon the world.

Then you think,

you've left a mark on the world...

if you just get through it...

and a few people

remember your name.

Then you've left a mark.

You don't have to bend

the whole world.

I think it's better

to just enjoy it.

Pay your dues...

and enjoy it.

If you shoot an arrow

and it goes real high...

hooray for you.

( "I Got to Be Real")

What you think

What you feel now

What you know

To be real

What you think

I think I love you

What you feel now...

Bring the cameras closer,

Mr. De Mille.

I'm ready for my closeup.

And so...

To be real

Ooh

Your love's for real now

You know that your love

is my love

My love is your love

Our love is here to stay...

OK, Winter Sportswear.

Preferably fur,

but if not, you know,

in error, you can...

Natural fibers.

If you choose the polyester,

God help you.

You know how the children are.

To be real

Ooh

Your love's for real now

You know that your love

is my love

And my love is your love

Our love is here to stay...

OK, you add "ug"

at the end of your word, right?

But you have to take off

the first letter

or the first letters

until you get into a vowel.

(speaking pig Latin)

To be real

What you think

I think I love you

What you feel now

I feel I need you

What you know

To be real

It's got to be real

To be real

It's got to be real

To be real

I'm not looking for anything.

I think all men are dogs.

I honestly do.

You know, every man

starts barking sooner or later.

I'm a quiet person.

And if you believe that, you know,

I own that island right over there, too.

What you feel now

What you know

To be real

What you think

What you feel now

What you know

To be real

To be real

(applause)

They want to be

with their kind.

They want to be gay

and gay or...

'Cause probably, like,

just like, just,

all right, just like, again,

just like a community.

In a religious community,

they want to pray together

a lot, right?

Well, this gay community

might want to...

Or-or they, like,

want to be together.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up

where the clouds are far

Behind me

Where troubles melt

like lemon drops

Way upon the chimney tops

That's where

That's where you'll find me

(audience member)

All right, Miss Patti!

All right!

All right, Miss Patti!

Work, Patti, work!

(cheers/applause)

So, this is New York City,

and this is

what the gay life is about.

Right?

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