Episode 29 Transcript- The Legacy of Venus Xtravaganza

[Amanda] Around 9 AM on December 25, 1988, a housekeeper at the Duchess Hotel in New York City would make a startling discovery under the bed of room 113. There, on the floor was the strangled body of a young transgender woman who in the words of Gisele Alicea, a model and mother of the house Xtravaganza “inspired and influenced a whole culture and a generation” and then her life was cruelly taken from her in a case that is still unsolved. I’m Amanda Morgan, and this is New York’s Dark Side. 

[Intro Music]

[Amanda] Hello everyone, Happy June and happy Pride month. I'm gonna keep this brief, but I wanted to address my absence from releasing content over the last couple of months. I've mentioned this before, but every so often I've just had to take a step back from releasing content altogether because as much as I love true crime and it is a huge part of my life, sometimes it can be really difficult to dive into a case and it really weighs on me. In addition to that, April is just a very difficult month for me personally, following the loss of a very important person in my life and that loss hit me really hard this year... So much harder than I was anticipating and I've been working hard over the last several weeks on self-care and getting myself back into the headspace that I need to be in to build this content. My goal was actually to start back up a few weeks ago with episodes and then chaos erupted in my work life. All I have to say on that, just thank your healthcare workers, especially if any of them were impacted by the recent large scale cyber attack at a major healthcare network because they are really going through it right now and all they want to do is deliver care safely.

[Amanda] For the month of june in honor of pride month I'd like to highlight some of the tragedies that have been suffered by the LGBTQ community and also talk about some of the very real challenges that members of this community, who are just trying to live life as their authentic selves encounter today. I’m starting out with the still unsolved murder of Venus Pellogatti Xtravaganza. Venus was a vibrant, genuine transgender performer with a dream of becoming an actress and model, whose life was taken from her in a seedy hotel in New York City on December 21, 1988.

[Amanda] This episode will discuss many topics that may be a current reality to some of our listeners such as housing instability, domestic violence and sexual assault. I'll be discussing some available resources at the end of this episode. If any of these situations apply to you or someone you know and they will all be LinkedIn the show notes as well. For those of you that have listened to past episodes, you know that I love some rabbit holes, so we'll also be diving into some of the history and evolution of the LGBTQ ballroom community. So let's dive right in. 

[Amanda] Born Thomas Pellogatti on May 22nd, 1965 to Italian American and Puerto Rican parents in Jersey City, NJ. Venus was one of five children in the home. She loved music, her favorite colors were yellow and blue, and she excelled at school. Her favorite subjects were math and geography. While I couldn't find it recorded anywhere in the source material exactly when, Venus knew that she was different from her siblings and that she was not meant to be born a male. In the documentary Paris Is Burning, released after Venus's death in 1990 and directed by Jenny Livingston, Venus would describe how she started going by the name Venus in secret around the age of 13 or 14, and she would experiment with dressing up. This didn't stay a secret for long and she moved out of her family home as a teenager, leaving New Jersey for the lights and vibrancy of New York City in 1980. She said in the documentary that she moved out because she didn't want to embarrass her family. 

[Amanda] Before moving on with the story, I think it's important to share some important statistics that might be a little bit shocking. I mentioned the documentary Paris is Burning, which is a source for this episode. The documentary focused on the lives and challenges of people in the New York City drag scene in the 1980s, especially those that are persons of color. The challenges they describe include not being accepted for who they are, being unhoused and disowned from their birth families, fear of being attacked in the streets, and these are all still very real challenges now... 34 years after the documentary was released. According to the National Network for Youth, there is 120% higher risk of housing instability or becoming unhoused for youth that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or who questioned their status. Of the 4.2 million unhoused youths, 40% of them identify as being part of the LGBTQ community. They're also more likely to experience assault, trauma, depression, and suicide. These factors, like so many other social risk factors, increase for those who are persons of color. The primary cause of housing and stability for the LGBTQ plus community is due to their family's conflict with their sexual orientation or gender identity. There’s also a significantly higher risk of exposure to domestic abuse. These statistics are based on data from the United States, a country that that literally was built on the dream of Freedom from Oppression… Of Life, Liberty, and Justice for All... unless you don't meet the narrative of the majority. This is, in my opinion, a travesty for a developed country in 2024. Don't get me wrong and please hear me out. There are times I feel very privileged to have been born in the United States. But the injustice and inequality of this country? Is just staggering and appalling. And I say that knowing full well that I am a cisgender, straight white woman who has far more privilege and equality than so many others. I've not felt the pain and anxiety of not identifying with the gender I was born and the fear of not being accepted to come out as one's true self. I've not felt the stigma, racism and injustice that falls Americans who are persons of color. But I've watched it happen around me and it pains me that it still happens. And while we've made progress over the decades it's very slow progress and it infuriates me that so many of our politicians claim us to be the greatest nation in the world. There are so many ways that we could be doing better as a nation for our citizens. All of them. 

[Amanda] Back to Venus for a moment before I go down my next rabbit hole. Shortly after arriving in New York, she would meet Hector Valle and Angie Xtravaganza, the mother and father of House Xtravaganza. She would later describe Hector as the first gay man she ever met. At this point she was 15. This meeting would change Venus's life because in Hector and Angie she found acceptance for who she was and they introduced her to New York's underground ball community. They told her that generally, in order to enter the House Extravaganza, she would need to enter a ball and win a trophy, but they let her in without doing that. She joined House Xtravaganza as one of the earliest members and as we'll discuss later, the House will eventually grow to be a predominant house in ballroom culture and have a global presence today. 

[Amanda] For those of you who may not be familiar with the ball community, and I'll be honest that I really wasn't and I loved researching this, the underground ballroom community has been around and evolved for the last few 100 years, and it started out slowly as a safe space for members of the LGBT community to express themselves as who they are. They would have competitions with categories for prizes such as best or slinkiest gown or for those who look the most feminine. In the documentary Paris is Burning they call that last category 'realness' and defined it as being undetectable in the community... those that could blend into the community dressed in drag, without being detected and quote- being able to come home with all of their clothes, without blood running off their bodies, they are the fem realness Queens. 

[Amanda] Members of the LGBT community that were persons of color found the community challenging because white performers first could often afford better costumes than they could for competitions, but in order to stand a chance in placing in those competitions, persons of color would have to lighten their faces to hide their skin tone. In 1967, a queen of color named Crystal Labeija would emerge like a phoenix to change that for her community, she participated in the Miss All America Camp Beauty competition and was awarded third runner up. And she was pissed. She was so angry that she left the stage before the winner, a white blonde performer, was announced. Crystal is no stranger to the stage. She had been one of only a few Queens of color who had been awarded Queen of the Ball at the time at a white organized pageant. She believed that the pageant was rigged by the organizers to favor the queen that had won. Backstage after leaving the competition before it was over, Crystal was confronted by some of the racism of the time when they told her that she was quote- showing her color and that it was "in bad taste". Crystal fired back telling them quote- I have a right to show my color. I am beautiful darling, and I know that I am beautiful. And she was. This event, along with many others like it that had happened before, lead Crystal to decide to change things for members of the LGBT community of color. She, along with her friend Lottie, decided to host the ball. They marketed it as Crystal and Lottie present the House LaBeija  Ball, and they invited members of the LGBT community of color and it was a hit. It inspired others to start their own houses and host their own balls. 

[Amanda] Houses become like family units. They're run by a house mother or father and people are invited to join them. The houses often become places that are havens for displaced youths of the LGBTQ community because they become discarded by their own family or displaced for other reasons. They give them a home structure and acceptance. Houses are named after either they're founders or some are named after high fashion lines like Chanel or Dior. Voguing started in the 1960s as well, but it exploded in the 1980s. Voguing takes its name from Vogue fashion magazine and Vogue dance moves are meant to mimic the moves of high fashion models. Voguing in the underground ballroom communities of New York City became a safe space for members of the LGBT community to express themselves, especially for members that were persons of color. Voguing is far more about self-expression and acceptance than it is about the dance moves and there are elements of ballet, gymnastics and martial arts in voguing as well. 

[Amanda] Venus was well known in the New York ballroom scene and was a celebrated drag performer. Angie, her house mother, would describe Venus as her right hand in the house. In 1986, she was invited to participate in the documentary Paris is Burning and she was excited for the opportunity, hoping that it would help pave the way for her towards the life that she was seeking, being a performer, actress and high fashion model. But she would also say in an interview in the documentary that she wanted the simple things in life as well. A car... to be with a man that she loved, that she would marry in a church in white... a nice home away from New York where no one knows her, and that she wanted her sex changed to be a complete woman. To save up for her sex change, Venus engaged in sex work. She would talk about this in the documentary as well, describing one night where she was with the John who discovered that she still had male genitalia. He became enraged, accusing her of trying to give him AIDS, and told her that he should kill her. She was so terrified of him that she ended up jumping out the window to escape him. She said she didn't like to hustle after that, and she was also fearful of contracting AIDS, so she tried to be careful. I'm not going to go down the whole rabbit hole of the AIDS epidemic in this episode, though I will point out that we don't know, being that this murder is unsolved, if the fear ignited in the community of which New York City was an epicenter, contributed in any way to Venus's death. There was a lot of violence against members of the LGBTQ community in New York City at the time. On December 21st, 1988, Venus was strangled and stuffed under her bed at the Duchess Hotel in New York City, Angie Xtravaganza, her house mother, would say in the documentary Paris is Burning that she found out on Christmas Day from police about Venus's death. When they came to her with a picture of her body, she said they told her that they were preparing to cremate her because no one had come to claim her. She would go on to say that she always said to Venus, quote- you're too wild with people in the streets, something's gonna happen to you. But that was Venus. She always took a chance. She always went into strangers cars. She always did what she wanted to get what she wanted... end quote. What happened to Venus was a tragedy. She was just working to become her authentic self. I liken what happened to her as to what happened to O'Shea Sibley last year, a 28 year old professional dancer and choreographer who was killed at a gas station while voguing to Beyoncé as they were waiting for their car to fill up with gas. Just being his authentic self. Angie would be left to inform Venus's birth family of her death. There was never an arrest made for Venus's death and I couldn't find that there was ever even a suspect in the reporting. An article from 2023 in the Advocate said that they had reached out for NYPD for comment about the status of Venus's case and they didn't receive a response. Was Venus just killed by a John? Was she one of the many unfortunate victims of a hate crime in the time, fueled by fear at the height of the AIDS epidemic? I'm not sure we'll ever know. 

[Amanda] After the documentary Paris is Burning was released, Venus became a legend in the LGBTQ community. She's become immortalized in other ways which keeps her legacy alive. Some examples include her interview in the Paris is Burning documentary were discussed in context to gender theory and transgender identity in a book Bodies That Matter on the discursive limits of sex by Judith Butler, a feminist scholar. In 2013, a theater group in New York City presented a murder mystery play on the fictionalized account of her murder that was not endorsed by her birth family or by House Xtravaganza. On RuPaul's Drag Race, you may hear lines that allude to the documentary Paris is Burning, including one episode where competitor William Belli refers to the opposing team as a bunch of overgrown orangutans, an insult that Venus used in the documentary. In another documentary, How Do I Look, an award in Venus's name is given to contestant Jasmine Divinci.

[Amanda] On the Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st, 2023. Jersey City, NJ designated the Pelagatti family home on 343 1/2 8th St. as a historic landmark in Venus's honor. Her brother John Pelegatti would state of Venus quote- She was always out in the streets dancing with her friends. She was voguing before voguing was out- end quote. For me, Venus comes across so genuine in her interviews... So authentic and happy. Had she been given more time in this world, who knows where her life would have taken her? 

[Amanda] Despite an article coming out from the New York Times in 1993 after Angie Xtravaganza passed at the age of 27 from complications of AIDS, stating that the ballroom community had burned and was no longer relevant, it's still very much alive. House Xtravaganza remains one of the most predominant houses with a global presence. In fact, you've probably seen members in a variety of outlets. They've worked with music icons like Madonna and Katy Perry. They've been huge ambassadors for the ballroom scene, helping expand it across the globe. They've been featured in a number of television and streaming services, as well as feature films such as The Pose, Saturday Church, How do I Look, and The Get Down on Netflix. Current house mother Giselle Alicia Xtravaganza, along with other members of House Xtravaganza maintain a relationship with the members of the biological family of Venus and one thing I found out late in my research into this episode is that this June, a spotlight documentary is set to be released at the Tribeca Film Festival called I'm Your Venus, directed by Kim Read. The documentary is about Venus' still unsolved murder and puts the spotlight on unity between the two families of Venus and wanting to know the truth of what happened to her and honor her legacy. I can't wait to check that out when I'm able, and I hope you will too. 

[Amanda] It may seem as though I spoke very little of Venus in this episode, and you were right, because there's very little information out there about her murder and more information about her legacy and how she helped inspire countless others who saw her in the documentary Paris is Burning. As we are currently in a big election year in the United States, it would be remiss of me not to bring this up given the very real challenges that I have spoke about already in this episode. While I'm not going to use my platform to endorse one candidate over another, I will say that I think it's very important for anyone who is listening of voting age in the United States, regardless of where you fall on party lines, to really take your time and research the candidates on your ballot this year. Do their actions, past and present, match the words that they are speaking? Have they in the past, and do they currently, back legislation that will truly move this country forward? Do they endorse equal rights and protections for the citizens that they will be sworn into office to serve? I know there are a lot of people out there that may be torn on which way to vote this election year and that may mean having to vote across party line, which can be very difficult, but your vote is important this and every election year, even if it doesn't always feel like it matters.

[Amanda] On that note, I mentioned at the top of the episode that I wanted to share some resources that are available. So the Human Rights Campaign has a ton of resources on a variety of topics from issues around coming out, or maybe you are a parent who is supporting a child that has come out.. or is currently navigating challenges in different areas such as college or the workplace. Or maybe they're unsure about their gender identity. You can find some specific resources around this and other topics at the Human Rights Campaign website at hrc.org. Another resource and source of support for members of the LGBTQ community is the Movement Advancement Project, and their mission is to advance policies, communication, and collaboration in a way that brings true equality. You can check their website out at lgbtmap.org. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network or RAINN is another resource I wanted to share and they are the nation's largest anti sexual violence resource and run the National Sexual Assault Hotline. If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of sexual assault you can call 1-800-656-4273 for help and support, or you can download their mobile app or visit rainn.org. And finally, if you or someone you know is struggling with your mental health, you can check out the National Institute of Mental Health for resources and for help finding a care provider in your area. If you're having thoughts of self harm or suicide, you can also reach out to a specialized LGBTQIA plus affirming counselor by texting Q, the letter Q to 988, or by calling 988 and pressing option three. 

[Amanda] With that, I'm excited to be back in action and just want to thank you for your patience while I've dealt with life. Just a quick reminder, if you haven't already done so, please make sure you're following the show on your podcast platform of choice for updates on when new episodes drop. I'd also greatly appreciate if you would consider giving the show a rating or a share so that our dark side community can continue to grow. I'm always amazed at this community and. Just so appreciative to the support the show has gotten. I hope you all have a great week ahead and I hope you stay curious.