As one of the most influential cultural works, Paris Is Burning chronicles the ball culture of New York City at the time – the flamboyant gay and trans-gendered party scene peopled largely by young, poor and dispossessed blacks and Latinos. In the pursuit of fun and escapism, it seems like every race or minority group has its ethnicity and a sense of pride. Indeed, this film also involves serious issues and pressures about race, class, gender and poverty in contemporary America, they are both progressive and reactionary, it is also the topic we should notice today.

Sexism should be the first step to deal with racism. The proposition of feminism has a wide range, it’s comprehensive—not only genders, but also race, religion, ethnics, etc. After thousands years of patriarchy, people are afraid that matriarchy would replace patriarchy, they criticize and hold opposite opinions on feminism, that’s because they do not understand feminism at all. Feminism does not mean a gender dominate the other, the ultimate goal of the feminist is peaceful gender coexistence. The reason why a lot of people consider themselves as “feminists” is nothing more than the anger of gender discrimination, or for reasons of their own gender, their interests are jeopardized, this is quite a natural thing, because anger is an instinctive reaction, but the anger does not mean that you are a feminist. In my opinion, because of certain physiological vulnerability, it is difficult for female to overcome male in many areas, female leaders are always in the minority. What I’ve said is a longstanding phenomenon, on this basis, we’d better make a change. Feminists advocate women should have economic independence, substantial mind, sexual autonomy, etc., gender and right equality is the main purpose. As to bell hooks, that’s not enough. We can find bell hooks is a special feminist because she doesn’t even want any capitals in her name, it’s a way to express her essential connection with female ancestors.

When watching the film 《Paris is burning》 in the cinema, she could always feel the sorrow and pain in dramatic scenes which seemed “entertaining”, while white folks in the audience take pride in their way of life of ruling-class patriarchal white culture. She argues Livingston does not have a universal and profound recognition about black gay subculture in the white supremacist, or she would rather not demonstrate her cultural standpoint or talk about her real opinion on this phenomenon, her comments and interview do not convey any serious thought about either the political or aesthetic implications of her film. hooks deems appearing black gay men in drag or transsexualism is a symbol of powerlessness, black men are not allowed full access to patriarchal power, so they show their misogynist masculinity through the contempt for the black female and black gay men, they even help sustain sexism and racism in the society, the ritual and pageant of the entertaining dramatic display show their willingness to approach white culture, although in the cultural backdrop of sexual equality, she takes it as an experience as retrograde. She also thinks this movie implies black people have a sense of worship at the throne of whiteness, the obsession of black men with an idealized vision of femininity is totally personified by whiteness.

Is the femininity most adored should be the exclusive property of white womanhood? Then what should black female do? Meekly accept and bear humiliations? bell hooks thinks the feminist movement is radical, “consciousness-raising” is the first step towards feminism, we must have a profound reflection on “sexism”, even if some consciousness, the lack of criticism of patriarchy makes it still very difficult to talk about substantial progress. Everyone should break through illusions, confront reality and enhance his capacity to live more fully in a world beyond fantasy.