LGBTQ people gathered in Johannesburg recently for the city’s first official black queer ball. Organizers say the event was to create a safe space for people in their community. “How this ball came about essentially was we found that there was really no space in Johannesburg for queer, black, femme, gender non confirming , trans bodies to just go out and have fun and feel safe. Without having toilet issues, without having bouncer issues, without having are you a man, are you a woman issues? Just a space where we come and just be I think queer”, said Co-founder and mother of House of Diamonds, Treyon Moosa. The ball was themed ‘ The Winter Fantasy’‘. Participants of four houses comprising of four members and a house mother, competed in different categories like ‘’ African Royalty’‘, and ‘‘Skothanas’‘, a South African take on street style in front of an enthusiastic crowd.