The Rebound was created in 2022 to promote and protect ballroom culture in Portland. Ballroom is a queer art form and competition that has seen a rise in popularity in media portrayal over the last decade.
Ballroom culture is thriving in Portland. It fulfils an important niche for young people hoping to find community and create identity for themselves.
Participation in ballroom has been linked with psychological, social, and health benefits for its participants, who are often queer and trans black and brown youth.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLROOM
Although a historical precedent for ‘drag balls’ dates back to the 19th century, what we now call ballroom was created in the 1970s by black and brown queer and trans people in New York City.
As part of this ballroom culture, black and Latino voguers would compete for trophies and the reputation of their “Houses” – groups that were part competitive affiliation, part surrogate family.
Mainstream balls have been held in major cities for many years. Smaller cities, like Portland, are more likely to have a ‘kiki’ ball scene. These balls are more focused on community and youth involvement. That’s us at the Rebound!
A BLACK AND BROWN-CENTERED ART FORM
A driving force behind ballroom’s appeal during its early years is its staunchly BIPOC-centered approach. Black and brown people were excluded from traditional roles in dance and fashion.
Even within the queer community, whiteness had been held on a pedestal. Crystal Labeija’s experience of racism at a white-run pageant pushed her to create the first modern ballroom house.
Ballroom was a place that turned those paradigms around. Ballroom communities have largely been composed of trans and queer black and brown people.
These things are still true in the Portland community today!
SOCIAL BENEFITS OF BALLROOM PARTICIPATION
As ‘multiple minorities,’ queer and trans BIPOC youth face special challenges when it comes to identity development. It is rare to find an environment wholly accepting of racial, sexual and gender identities, without suppressing any.
Communities created around ballroom skills are linked with specific benefits for their members. Peer-reviewed literature has identified the following benefits:
-Access to safe spaces
-Opportunities for acceptance
-Means of subsistence
-Resilience and coping skills development
-Sexual identity acceptance and pride
ACCESS TO SEXUAL HEALTH
Ballroom communities have been proposed as important access points for health care for groups of people that are high risk for sexual health disparities such as HIV.
Balls have been successful intervention points in the past. Peer-reviewed research has shown that participants in ballroom communities are more likely to have received HIV testing in the past six months.
Sexual health has a long precedent of being integrated in the ballroom scene. The Latex Ball was founded in response to the AIDS crisis in the 1970s and 1980s and remains an event dedicated to awareness and prevention.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE REBOUND IS A MODERN BALLROOM COMMUNITY
The Rebound is both the name of our ball and the non-profit 501(c)3 behind it.
We put on four kiki balls a year, with between 300-600 attendees. Our sister ball, the Dojo, is a smaller event that occurs monthly, with about 30-75 people in attendance.
We try our best to put on an event that considers the entire community. We’ve partnered with CAPNW to provide free testing to the community. We also have community sponsors that offer peer support and harm reduction at our ball.
The Rebound and the Dojo provide outreach and education to the community, as well as an entry point for those that are interested in ballroom or vogue.
Most importantly, in the great tradition of ballroom houses past, the Portland ballroom scene is a place where all people, especially queer and trans folks of color can gather, be seen, and be celebrated.
Citations
1. Telander K, Hosek SG, Lemos D, Jeremie-Brink G. ‘Ballroom itself can either make you or break you’ – Black GBT Youths’ psychosocial development in the House Ball Community. Glob Public Health. 2017 Nov;12(11):1391-1403. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2017.1293123. Epub 2017 Mar 3. PMID: 28278745; PMCID: PMC6095463.
2. ‘A Brief History of Voguing’
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/brief-history-voguing
3. Kubicek K, McNeeley M, Holloway IW, Weiss G, Kipke MD. “It’s like our own little world”: resilience as a factor in participating in the Ballroom community subculture. AIDS Behav. 2013 May;17(4):1524-39. doi: 10.1007/s10461-012-0205-2. PMID: 22618891; PMCID: PMC3511645.
4. Furuya A, Shrader CH, Coudray M, Kawachi I, Radix A, Merriman J, Callander D, Duncan DT. Participation in the house-ball community as a social determinant of HIV care and prevention outcomes among transgender women of color. Soc Sci Med. 2026 Mar;393:119035. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119035. Epub 2026 Jan 25. PMID: 41621360; PMCID: PMC13004421.
5. Bailey, M. M. (2009). Performance as Intravention: Ballroom Culture and the Politics of HIV/AIDS in Detroit. Souls, 11(3), 253–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999940903088226