GMHC Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Annual Latex Ball

The Latex Ball is the largest in the world for the House and Ball community, and attendees include fashion models, designers, famous photographers, and members of the House and Ballroom community. The event incorporates a competition, free HIV testing, HIV-prevention materials, and sexual health messaging provided by GMHC and over 20 community-based organizations, as well as the New York City and State Departments of Health.

"The Latex Ball is an important public health intervention that primarily reaches black and Latino youth and adults, who continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS," said Kelsey Louie, CEO, GMHC. "The ball taps into the creativity, resiliency, and strength of the House and Ball community, and it celebrates and encourages members to support their community health and influence mainstream culture. Together with co-sponsors Callen Lorde, the Imperial Court of New York, and the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), we honor all those who have participated in the Latex Ball for the past 25 years."

This year, the competition categories focus on the theme, "Year of the Legends." A panel of esteemed judges will select individual and team winners. Participants compete amongst each other on the runway for trophies and cash prizes. Prior to the start of the competitions, entertainers perform at the delight of the audience. Awards based on excellence in performance, creativity, and community service are also given to respected community leaders.
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The House and Ballroom community, comprised predominately of black and Latino/a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, is built from an organizational structure of "houses." A house is a club or surrogate family that includes a "house mother," "house father," and "children" who adopt the house name as their surname (e.g., Luna Khan, Father of the House of Khan, etc.). Members of the houses, both young and old, compete in balls and related activities sponsored by various houses and promoters throughout the year. House mothers and fathers often provide support for LGBT youth who have been rejected by their families and faith communities and who otherwise might be homeless.

The House and Ball community lost many members to AIDS at the onset of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s. As a result, in 1989 GMHC and leaders from the ballroom community created the House of Latex Project. GMHC continues to produce the Latex Ball, which links community members with resources to improve health outcomes. Throughout the year, GMHC also conducts outreach at other balls, LGBT youth venues, and through social media to incorporate innovative approaches to HIV prevention and safer-sex messaging. GMHC also hosts mini-balls, known as "kiki functions," that reach hundreds of youth and young adults, offers HIV testing and prevention materials, and serves youth who are not affiliated with a house but are part of the broader ballroom community.

The House and Ball community has inspired artists, designer and entertainers, including Madonna's global hit "Vogue." The community was also chronicled in the 1990 documentary, "Paris is Burning," directed by Jennie Livingston, in which she followed the members of the House and Ball community over the course of seven years. To this day, this movie is still the definitive film about this community.

Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is the nation's leading provider of HIV/AIDS care, prevention services and advocacy, serving nearly 9,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in New York City, the epidemic's largest U.S. epicenter. As the world's first HIV and AIDS service organization, GMHC is an expert in providing services that every person affected by the epidemic deserves. GMHC is on the front lines caring for people who are both HIV negative and positive, including: testing, nutrition, legal, mental health and education services.

GMHC also advocates for stronger public policies at the local, state and federal level with the goal of ending AIDS as an epidemic in New York State by 2020. Most recently, GMHC and other HIV/AIDS organizations successfully persuaded the federal government to recommend widespread use of PrEP, a new daily treatment that is over 90% effective in preventing HIV infection.