Introduction
The present paper explores the association between gender, race and ethnicity. The paper studies the relationship of these factors in the main streams society and identifies how they influence the lives of people who undergo such issues. It identifies how racism, class status and gender influences the overall benefit that people can derive from society and its contradictions with the American ideas of freedom. The paper uncovers the differences between people of different races that include black, Latino and white Americans. The implications of these variables lead to different genders that include transgender, males and females. The paper that relates the racism and gender discrimination in current conditions of America with the historical facts that confirm the prevalence of all three issues in the past.
Supporting evidence
Paul A Kramer’s ‘The importance of being Turbaned’ highlights the issues of race, gender and class discrimination that prevails in the modern era. A black singer Routte received great appreciation due to his voice and singing quality at Amsterdam. Routte belonged to the minority group and faces racial and class discrimination. His singing and talent owns him a career and makes him rich, but he still remembers the harsh realities and complexities that he faced. He brings to light the issues of black people and the brutal world where they get limited chances of survival. He uses his power of singing to tell people the difficulties that black people faces (Kramer). Routte’s talent gives him a reason to survive as the people of ball community finds the ball a surviving place.
The Jennie Levine makes a documentary film ‘Paris is burning’ in the 1990s that represent the model of transgender discrimination, income disparities, racial and ethnic discrimination. The analysis of the documentary and the effects on the ball community addresses the societal issues, and the documentary sparks the different periods of America and how it contributes to people of a minority group. It portrays the period of 1987 in New York, and the documentary displays the role of transgender such as Pepper Labeija. The ballroom structure of New York during 80s represents the characters of the Hispanic and African- American transgender.
The transgender women and gay men among the minority groups face intensive competition in dance, fashion and styles. The minority groups play significant roles in the fashion and styling and the popular Hispanic and African- American characters’ that enjoyed the statues of the queen with tags of Butch Queen, Town Queen, Country Queen and Luscious Body. The documentary film shows the New York City in the 80s presents career opportunities to the transgender that failed to fit somewhere else in the society. The city provides them other opportunities to show their talents that include different dance competitions and transgender takes part in the competitions to earn trophies that present symbol of pride for minority groups. The ostracised contestants strived to earn the trophies and put all their efforts such as LaBeija and Extravaganza. These characters could not fit in society and have no lives in the main- stream society.
The transgender serves as the surrogate families and makes a living from the ball culture and the most suitable earning opportunities they find at the balls of New York City. The documentary presents the colourful sequences’ that takes place in the ballroom and interviews the main figures that take part in the RuPaul’s Drag Race. The interviews from transgender address the issues of gender, race and ethnicity. The responses of the characters reveal the actual feelings and their thoughts about these discriminatory factors.
Rutgets explains the exclusion of black LGBT activist from civil right movement. The contributions of the remaining form part of history, but the prominent role of Pauli Murray remains neglected. Murray faced complex gender issues and raised voice against racism. Murray is an activitist with non- confirmed gender, but her removal from history and civil right movement reflects gender discrimination. At the time of arrest, she presented her as males and lived her entire life as a lesbian. The comparison of LGBT activists ‘Pauli Murray’ relates to the characters of ‘Paris is Burning’ as the ball community gave their lives to the documentary, but they receive no appreciation. The name of Livingston remains evident as she takes the credit of the film. “How each person’s life brought them to this ball circuit ball is our world, it is for us to get close to reality such as fame and fortune and stardom those balls are just like out fantasies of being superstars like Oscars or being runway as a model.
They express their feelings about the beauty standards and illustrate the concept of ‘shade’ that Dorian Corey addresses directly “I don’t have to tell you you’re ugly. I don’t have to tell you because you know you’re ugly”. The demonstration of shades reflects the lexical influence in the region. The terminologies such as the queen, fierce and shade represent the ball events. The ‘Paris is Burning’ reflects the lives and culture of the minority group that in real life undergoes several destructions and sufferings due to the pains that society inflicts on them. The ball community states“ Ball is the world where whatever you want to be, you be. There is always something for everyone. It is about how you look like, either you look a real man or a real woman”. The issues of transgender not only reflect the income disparities but the problems that they faced present the never-ending phenomena. The members of the ball community face pre-dispositions and disturbances in lives. The documentary highlights many illnesses of the American society and confirms the prevalence of racism. Ethical and gender differences play a destructing role in lives of these people.
The state of the 1980s remains the same as 1960s for the minority groups in America. The issue of fornication is very old, and society cast out the people that had no clear gender. “The Case of Thomas/Thomasine Hall” reflects the complexities that transgender faced in past when a colonial servant recognises the transgender of fellow servant (Hall) and asks the court to confirm the gender of that particular character. Under court’s decision, the examination of the servant by a group of women confirms that she is a lady however the group of men identifies him as a boy.
Hall explains the story that they were born as a girl, and in youth, they did not adopt any specific gender that makes it ambiguous. Hall depicts that he/she played different gender roles such as a man in navy and at service and a women at home when they work handle female chores such as sewing and managing other home tasks. The history portrays that the Hall concealed their himself/herself for many reasons, as the society never accepted him/her as normal. Xtravaganza expresses a perfect explanation for this, “When someone faces rejections from their father and mother and families they search for someone who can fill their world. Their real parents give them such a hard way to go”.
Xtravaganza explains this gender discrimination. The main issue that the gender fluids encounter is the lack of education as the court forces Hall to pick any one gender, but Hall denies that reflects the confusion about the gender and sex. The case of colonial Virginia shows that the society denied accepting the people of ambiguous gender as transgender, but they forced them to choose any identity from the female or male characters. The character of Pendavis is similar as Hall as he performs both kinds of tasks. At home, he becomes a woman and sews clothes and in the outer world behaves like a man and has no clear gender.
The comparison of the current status of transgender with the statuses at past reveals that they face same issues and their conditions are not improved in the twenty-first century also. Legal and social injustices faced by the trans community depict their lack of acceptance in the society.
Conclusion
Anyone of different race, gender or ethnicity reflects strive for basic living rights and face challenges of no appropriate legal rights, harassment and stigma, poverty, anti- transgender violence and inappropriate behaviours. The ball community included all. Whether black, Latino, gay, transgender, they all faced a safe place away from exploitation. The race, gender and class issues influences the lives of anyone in the United States dating from current day to colonial times.
