AU REVOIR, PARIS (DUPREE)!

FROM NEXT:

The ball community mourns the passing of original house mother Paris Dupree, the namesake of the landmark documentary Paris Is Burning.

In New York’s drag ball world, Paris Dupree was considered a legend among legends. As the founding mother of the House of Dupree, she was an inimitable force, an iconic figure who mobilized young, urban gays to express themselves in ways that mainstreamAmerica could not quite understand. That is until the release of Jennie Livingston 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which was named after one of Dupree’s grand balls. Details of Dupree’s death remain unconfirmed, but friends and fans began Tweeting “R.I.P. Paris Dupree” on August 15. She was living in New York City at the time of her passing.

MORE: NEXTMAGAZINE.COM