9 Most Powerful LGBT+ Movie Scenes Ever

Paris Is Burning is fairly widely known as one of the most important watches in Queer cinema, documenting the lives of those involved in ball culture in 1980s New York.

The 80’s was when ball culture was at its peak, and Paris Is Burning explores through this unique subculture the influences of race, class, gender and sexuality on the lives of those at its centre.

There are plenty of iconic and memorable moments throughout, but some argue that the single most powerful scene is the one in which we learn that Venus - a woman who we have met throughout the film - has been murdered.

With the whole moral panic being stoked at the moment about Transgender people and their basic human rights, a lot of folks these days believe that being trans is something that was just ‘made up’ in the last five years, and all the struggles faced by trans people are equally as fabricated.

Truth is that trans people have been around since the very concept of gender began, and they have always been victims of astounding levels of violence. Suddenly we’re brought face to face with the reality of that violence and how it tears through communities.

The sudden loss of Venus hits right in the heart, knowing that such a vibrant young woman lost her life in that awful way - and that her story isn’t unique, the violence continues.