Pepper LaBeija (November 5, 1948 – May 14, 2003) was an American
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
and fashion designer. LaBeija was known as "the last remaining queen of the
Harlem drag balls".
Early life and career
LaBeija was born in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
.
While LaBeija identified as male, she preferred to be referred to by the feminine pronoun ''she''.
In 1981, she took over from
Crystal LaBeija
Crystal LaBeija (born 1930s, died 1990s) was an American drag queen and trans woman who founded the House of LaBeija in 1968. The House is often credited as starting the house system in ball culture. She became a mother figure for homeless LGB ...
as the head of the
ball culture
The Ballroom Scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Latin ...
House of LaBeija
The Royal House of LaBeija is a prominent drag family founded by Crystal LaBeija and Lottie LaBeija in 1972. Crystal and Lottie established the House of LaBeija in response to the racially oppressive drag pageant system of 1960s America. Their f ...
(from which her surname was derived). She remained the head (known as "the Mother") for over 20 years.
LaBeija competed in numerous drag balls and was known for her Egyptian-inspired runway performances.
Over the course of her career, she won approximately 250 trophies. To earn money, she produced drag balls and taught modeling.
Later years and death
LaBeija and her companion Pamela Jackson had a daughter together, and LaBeija devoted much of her time to her family, raising her daughter and stepson. In 1992, Pamela Jackson died. As LaBeija's health declined, her children lived with their maternal grandmother.
LaBeija suffered from
diabetes mellitus type 2 and had both feet amputated as a result. She was largely bedridden for the last 10 years of her life. On May 14, 2003, LaBeija died of a heart attack at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan at the age of 54.
In popular culture
LaBeija is best known for her appearances in the documentary films ''
Paris Is Burning'' (1990) and ''
How Do I Look?'' (2006).
LaBeija also made appearances on ''
The Joan Rivers Show
''The Joan Rivers Show'' is an American talk show hosted by comedian Joan Rivers that premiered on September 5, 1989, in broadcast syndication. The show aired for five seasons, and ended in December 1993. The show was nominated for numerous Emmy A ...
'' (1991), ''TV Transvestites'' (1982), and ''
The Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
'' (1968).
Malcolm McLaren quoted LaBeija in 1989 song and music video "
Deep in Vogue
"Deep in Vogue" is a 1989 dance single by Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra featuring Lourdes Maria Morales and Willi Ninja, Willie Ninja, with additional production and remix by Mark Moore and William Orbit, sampling the 1973 MFSB song ...
", a tribute to the New York gay balls of the 1980s, runway competitions that involved dance, fashion, and attitude.
[
]
See also
*
LGBT culture in New York City
*
List of LGBT people from New York City
References
External links
*
Sally's Hideaway history
{{DEFAULTSORT:LaBeija, Pepper
1948 births
2003 deaths
African-American drag queens
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
American amputees
Bisexual entertainers
American drag queens
LGBT African Americans
LGBT fashion designers
LGBT people from New York (state)
People from the Bronx
House of LaBeija
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people
20th-century LGBT people