The Unsolved Murder of Venus Xtravaganza

On a cold Christmas Day in 1988, the body of a young transgender woman was found strangled and stuffed under a bed in New York's Duchess Hotel. A medical examiner would later determine that her body had been there for about four days before being discovered. There are few details of her case available beyond this due to its continued active status.

What we do know is that the victim was 23-year-old Venus Xtravaganza, who had been currently filming "Paris is Burning", a documentary that followed the lives of some transgender performers in New York City.

Another performer in the film, Angie Xtravaganza, was one of the first to be interviewed by authorities. The closing minutes of the film include Angie reacting to the death of Venus. Angie would be the one tasked with delivering the grim news to Venus's biological parents. She says this of her friend:

She "was too wild with people in the streets." I feared that "something [was] going to happen to [her]."

Born on May 22, 1965, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Venus was one of five children. Her first performances were around 1978 or so at the age of 13 or 14 years old, part of a secret life she kept from her family. When her parents became aware of her lifestyle, she moved away, saying she didn't "want to embarrass them."

It was at this time that she made her way to New York City, where she felt she would be afforded better opportunities to perform. There she met Hector Valle. She would later recount that Valle "was the first gay man I ever met." Valle took Venus to Greenwich Village for her 15th birthday, throwing her a party and buying her a cake. She speaks of him fondly in a portion of her interviews from "Paris is Burning."

She took the name Xtravaganza in 1983 when she began cross-dressing and performing as a member of the House of Xtravaganza, an early ball circuit founded in 1982 by Vale. It would be a short-lived venture for him, as he succumbed to the complications of AIDS in 1985.

At this time, Angie Xtravaganza assumed the role of house mother. She took the young Venus in as her protegee and drag daughter. Like Vale, Angie would eventually succumb to the complications of AIDS in 1991, but her time with Venus was spent mentoring the young woman to help her realize her dreams. Venus was saving up for gender reassignment surgery, as she aspired to become a model. She stated in "Paris is Burning" that "I [want] my sex change to make myself feel complete."

In the documentary, Venus describes an incident in which she was almost attacked by a man who didn't realize she was transgender until they were already involved in a sexual encounter. She talks about how she narrowly escaped an attack by the man by jumping out of a window. Though it is possible that her murder occurred in a similar situation and she wasn't as fortunate, we'd be remiss to merely accept that as the case rather than pursuing all avenues that might lead to her murderer.

Venus had worked as a prostitute during her time in New York but claimed in her final interviews that she no longer was involved in that line of work. Still, she went on to talk about men who buy her gifts, quick to point out that the majority of them are friendly gestures rather than in exchange for sex. So, we have no way of knowing what transpired during her final hours.

As is the case with many current or former sex workers and particularly those who are transgender, you'll not find the outrage among the masses that is all too present with crimes against other women. It is time that we, as a society, accept the humanity of those among us who choose a path that may be different from our own. If a person chooses to live as a woman, they should be treated as one and afforded the same concern as any other female.

Venus is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, New Jersey. To date, no killer has been found. Someone out there knows what happened to her. Someone has seen or heard something that might lead the authorities to her killer. Not only does Venus deserve justice, but her family and friends deserve closure.

While Venus Xtravaganza may no longer be with us in body, her spirit lives on. Her interviews are discussed by Judith Butler in her book Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of "Sex" as a study in transgender identity and gender theory.

In the television program, RuPaul's Drag Race, participants, and judges often make use of lines from "Paris is Burning", a number of them made by Venus herself.

The documentary film How Do I Look? captures an award being given in Venus's name to Jazmine Givenchy. Inscribed on the award are these words:

"THE VENUS XTRAVAGANZA LEGENDS AWARD Presented To JAZMINE GIVENCHY Celebrating Black History And Culture Through The Rich Traditions Of The BALLROOM/HOUSE COMMUNITY. February 20, 2004."

In a more unseemly nod to her legacy, a New York City theatre group put on a murder mystery play based on a fictionalized account of her murder. Her biological family condemned the production. The House of Xtravaganza was very vocal in making it known they were not involved in the production and condemned it as "inappropriate, opportunistic and disrespectful to Venus' legacy." Despite the early losses of Valle, Venus, and Angie, The House of Xtravaganza is still active in the ball circuit, nightlife, and LGBTQ activism. It is one of the oldest active houses in New York City.

The final days of Venus' life are captured in some of her interview moments in "Paris Is Burning." It is heartbreaking to hear her hopes and dreams knowing that she was never able to achieve them.