The House of Louboutin is a NYC “Kiki” Ballroom Scene collective established in 2010 to encourage Black and Brown LGBTQ+ teens and young adults explore their identities through vogue, fashion, and other forms of artistic expression. Recognizing that many trans and queer young people do not see themselves reflected in traditional spaces, the organization is based around a peer to peer model where newer members of the house are taught and receive direct support from more tenured members, following the “house model,” where mother and father figures in the house serve as advisors, confidants, and teachers to the youth. By partnering with other Community Based Organizations, the collective provides youth with critical support, including health and wellness services, STI prevention, professional development and leadership opportunities often made inaccessible to LGBTQ+ people.
Members of the house are pioneering groundbreaking spaces for trans and queer folk and Ballroom. The house and its members serve as thought leaders on LGBTQ+ culture and “Kiki” Scene history, expanding the reach of organizations including Destination Tomorrow, speaking on the first panel on the “Kiki'' Scene at a Fortune 500 Company and an Ivy League University, being featured on television in like FX’s POSE and HBO Max’s Legendary, and collaborating with graduate students at Columbia University on a forthcoming podcast series about religion and sexuality. Since the house’s inception in the Bronx in 2010, 9 active chapters have been established across the US and internationally.
