Pose - When the world doesn't want you to exist

 

When family rejects you, you make a new family. When the world rejects you, you create a new world. 

Pose is a pretty emotional show about the balls environment in the 80s in New York City. The gay and trans black community were looking for their place in the world.

When I first started watching this show, I got a bit confused. Balls? This was a reality I didn't know at all, and I had no idea what those balls were. I found it fascinating.

Mothers and Houses

As soon as you enter this community, you're not alone anymore. This whole system of "houses", with a maternal figure, gives you all the support you need to fight for what you want.

No matter the kind of family you have, families will always fight and have their issues. But these families were chosen, not imposed, so they will always find a way. 

Blanca Rodriguez is the main character. She lives in one of these houses, but her mother, Elektra, didn't give her what she was looking for. With Elektra, it was all about competition. Blanca wanted a slightly different life, so she built her own house. She is a brave, self-made woman. She supports and protects her children. She is the best character on the show, and it is impossible not to like her. 

She teaches an important lesson to everyone - family is not about blood; it is about love. 

AIDS - a punishment

The story happens in 1987, so AIDS is an unavoidable subject. At the time, the idea of the disease being a punishment from God was, unfortunately, widely spread. The lack of information and discrimination was tremendous, and fear was unmeasurable. 

One way or another, it could catch everyone, and there was no second chance. AIDS was at the back of their minds every second of their lives.

I found it very painful to watch the scenes in the hospital. The nurse who refuses to enter the room putting the food on the floor. Even knowing those men could barely move. It is chocking.

Accuracy

This is a point I'd like to mention. Of course, I'm not an expert, so I can't tell for sure how accurate it is. But there was something that caught my attention: the language. 

To my knowledge, there are some expressions we use today that weren't used back in the 80s. The characters seem to jump between the words used at the time and the ones we use nowadays. Was it on purpose? Was it to help the viewer to follow? It didn't ruin the show or anything that drastic, but it kind of sounded wrong.

We all want to be loved.

The biggest fight of the characters on this show is to be loved. It is hurtful to see how much they need to fight to be who they are.

You have very strong characters, resilient and supportive of each other - the true meaning of a family. Unfortunately, they only have each other. Society pretends they don't exist. And when it is impossible to ignore them, they are mistreated and humiliated.

It wasn't easy to enter the story at first, but I really liked it—a lot of strength, exuberance, and flamboyance!