#QueerHeroes Day 6 – Willi Ninja
Ninja was born in 1961. He’s known as The Godfather of Vogue.
He was a relative newcomer to the Harlem Vogue balls when he formed the House of Ninja, becoming its mother. He called it “Ninja” because they hit hard and they hit fast.
The unwritten standard for forming a house was that a queen win three grand prizes, which Ninja hadn’t done. Nevertheless, Ninja’s mix of martial arts with Vogue would reflect the vivid imagination that guided his house to immortality.
Ninja died of AIDS related heart failure in 2006.
Evan Brechtel 