Gay "houses" are hitting their stride

NEWARK, N.J. — When the House of Jourdan's gala fundraiser showed up on the 6 o'clock news seven years ago, anchormen smirked at footage of strutting drag queens and gay men "voguing," a dance popularized by Madonna.

There were voter-registration tables and an array of HIV-prevention information at the ball. But the cameras ignored those things.

"They just showed us as wild freaks dancing," recalls Bernard McAllister, CEO of the house.

These days, the House of Jourdan and seven other gay "houses" in Newark are finally getting respect.

The city's gay ball subculture — in which people compete in rituals of posing and runway-walking, sometimes as the opposite gender — is earning a place for itself in civic life, with outreach efforts and charity drives.

And nowhere is that more surprising than in Newark, a city with no openly gay nightlife.

The houses, which have a combined membership of more than 100, are now touted by politicians as a significant force in the fight against AIDS and discrimination.

Gay "houses" are hitting their stride
Seattle Times, United States