Kiki (social Gathering)

"Kiki" (alternately ''kiking'' or ''a ki'') is a term which started in ballroom culture, and later popularized in LGBT+ culture currently, is loosely defined as a gathering of friends for the purpose of gossiping and chit-chat, and later made more famous in the song "Let's Have a Kiki" by the Scissor Sisters.

History

The term ''kiki'' got its mainstream rise from a group called the Scissor Sisters and their song “Let’s Have a Kiki”. Kiki can be referenced in two different ways; the first being a term referring to social gatherings, and the other referring to a subculture of ballroom culture. Both uses of this term have historical ties to the LGBTQ community.

The word ''kiki'' has evolved overtime and has held different meanings, each slightly relating to the one before. It first evolved from the French word meaning to “to choke” or “to throttle.” In the 1930s, the word was used to describe gay men who took on either dominant or submissive roles when sexual relations arose. By the 1940s, the term was used to reference lesbian women who did not identify as either masculine or feminine within the lesbian community; this connotation of the word ran up until the 1950s. Once the 1990s hit, ''kiki'' was used to refer to people gathering together to have a good time. This was due to the 1990 movie ''Paris Is Burning'' that used ''kiki'' to refer to the sound of laughter.

From ballroom culture, ''kiki'' began to bud off into its own scene, one that is particularly friendly towards Black/Latino members of the LGBTQ community, as depicted in the 2016 movie, ''Kiki''. Post 2010, thanks in part to the release of "Let's Have a Kiki" by the Scissor Sisters, and the popularization of drag culture through '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', the word has found its way into mainstream culture as well.

Ballroom culture

Within ballroom culture, the term ''kiki'' arose in the early 2010s with the connotation of a light joke that doesn't need to be taken seriously. The Kiki scene was created for youth LGBT individuals as a more economically accessible mimic of ballroom culture.

Balls are events in which houses or representatives host in which participants compete to win cash prizes and trophies throughout multiple categories. Usually, Balls include performances that go beyond gender and sexual identity; from fashion runways to voguing.

Ballroom culture includes subcultures within it, one being KiKi. Only created 10 years ago, the Kiki term means a light joke that doesn't need to be taken seriously. The Kiki scene was created for youth LGBT individuals as a more economically accessible mimic of Ballroom culture.

Historically, Harlem drag balls of the 1920s and 30s New York, came from the migration of African Americans from the South to the North of the United States. The original drag balls served as a safe place and resistance to homophobia for Black queer populations. The Ballroom scene and culture exist through multiple generations and emerged from and for Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ individuals. The Ballroom scene served as a place for social support and creative expression. In 1967, the modern ballroom scene and culture were created in response to racism in New York’s drag ball community.

Kiki Houses

Houses were established between 1968 and 1973. Houses are kinship structures that provide a home for their members or children. The children of the house consisted of various ages, races, and backgrounds. These houses were led by mothers or fathers that represent that House.

Kiki houses a part of the kiki ballroom community and scene include:

* House of Latex: The House of Latex was conceptualized in the 1980’s in New York City and was formally founded in 1993 by Arbert Santana (Latex Evisu).
* House of Evisu: The House of Evisu was founded in New York in 2003 by Arbert Santana who was a mother and founder of the House of Latex.Rivera Colón, Edgar. Getting life in two worlds. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T398877Q In 2013, the House of Lacroix and House of Evisu merged to form the House of Xclusive Lauvin.
* House of Ada: Based in Portland, Oregon. The father of the house is Daniel Giron, their nickname Papa Ada. According to Giron in an interview with the Portland Mercury for their participation in the third season of Legendary, they are “...the first gender non-comforming house on the show.”
* (Kiki) House of Pucci/The Opulent Haus of Pucci: Founded by Twiggy Pucci Garcon.
* House of Old Navy
* House of Telfar
* House of Pink Lady
* (Kiki) House of Juicy Couture: Participated in the third season of Legendary.
* House of Unbothered-Cartier: Founded by Chi Chi Mizrahi

Notable people

Relevant figures for the kiki scene are, and not limited to: Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Aisha Diori, and Arbert Santana.

Twiggy Pucci Garçon is an African American non-binary LGBTQ+ youth activist who goes by she/they pronouns. They are the chief strategy officer of True Colors United, an organization that provides services for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC homeless population, joining in 2014. She was born in Virginia. In an interview with Jama Shelton, she stated, “I came to the ballroom 16 years ago in 2004. I was in high school.” Garçon founded the Opulent Haus of Pucci and was the house’s mother. She also oversees the House of Garçon. She was the ball consultant and runway choreographer for the show Pose. Garcon was one of two writers and a subject for the movie Kiki (2016).

Arbert Santana (Latex Evisu) was a Puerto Rican HIV/AIDS activist who was the founder and mother of the House of Latex and the House of Evisu.Rivera Colón, Edgar. Getting life in two worlds. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T398877Q In 2010, Santana began a collaboration with Robert Sember and Michael Roberson of Ultra-red in order to document house/ballroom culture. The Arbert Ballroom Ballroom Freedom and Free School was founded through this collaboration and named after Santana after their death in February 2012.

References

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{{Ball culture, state=collapsed

LGBT terminology
Erotic parties
LGBT African-American culture
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American culture
Ball culture