Some, today, consider Dupree to be a trans woman. *Editor's Note: As with many LGBTQ+ elders, it can be difficult to be definitive about someone's identity prior to the 1990s. Today's voguing competitions and balls are still influenced by Dupree.
In 1981, the House of Dupree hosted a ball that introduced the concept of categories to the ballroom scene. Dupree started dancing, pulling a copy of Vogue magazine out of his bag, and stopped, posing to the beat while imitating the models' poses.
According to legend, Dupree was at a nightclub called Footsteps when some gay Black men started throwing shade at each other. The founding member and mother of the House of Dupree, Paris Dupree is said to be one of the originators of voguing.
