If you, like the rest of us, are struggling to tear yourself away from the shade being thrown on RuPaul’s Drag Race right now, you’re in luck! We’ve just got our first look at Pose, the latest TV series from Glee-maker Ryan Murphy, and it tells the glittering story of New York’s iconic queer ball scene in the late 80s.
The show has been on our radar for a little while now. Ever since news broke last year that Murphy had made history by casting a record number of five transgender lead actors to head it up, members of the LGBTQ+ community were keen to see just what this groundbreaking series might look like. Set in 1987 NYC, a city dominated by a megalomaniac Trump injecting millions of dollars into the city’s real estate, Pose takes us underground, capturing the ‘found families’ that ball culture creates for a group of ostracised trans and queer people. You can see the trailer, in all of its shining (and sobering) glory here:
Those worrying that this might be a whitewashed interpretation of the scene, one that was (and still is) historically championed by people of colour, will be glad to see fresh screen talent like MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore and model/author Dominique Jackson taking the lead here. The appearance of a rather seedy looking Evan Peters, known best for American Horror Story, also suggests that the series will touch on the fetishisation of trans woman sex workers too.
The fact that it exists at all is a brilliant sign that both drag and queer culture are finally permeating the mainstream. Pose looks like an upbeat blend of Glee and Paris is Burning, re-upped for Gen Z — and you better believe we’re here for it!
Pose hits FX in the US on 3 June and will hit UK screens later in the year.
