For those of us whose understanding of voguing and ball culture stops with Madonna's hit single and the film Paris Is Burning, we should spend a few minutes educating ourselves with the wealth of ball footage on YouTube. The tradition lives on, and there is a lot of video floating around.

Check out this video of femme queens voguing in the "new way," and after the jump see a "battle" between two queens, one of whom is wearing head-to-toe electric blue spandex.

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Cazwell has always been one of Queerty’s favorite downtown scenesters. Think Eminem meets Amanda Lepore. He is a hip-hop’s highest ranking homo and his new record deserves mad props, um, we mean, your attention.

It takes balls to reinvent Loose Joints’ disco classic “Is It All Over My Face.” Yes, it's the song from Paris is Burning and Cazwell pulls it off. Rapping about the sex-crazed, pre-AIDS days he reinvents the disco gem into dirty rap. And it so works.

With lyrics as filthy “it’s all over your face, tell me how does it taste” how could we not love it? West End Records has the MP3s to download.

Cazwell [Official Site]
Cazwell: All Over Your Face [West End Records]

You know we love The Straights as we illustrated in yesterday’s So Gay! list. You know whom we love more than straights? Drag queens and transgender folks. And they were everywhere this year. The top five moments in drag and trannies from 2005 is below.

5. Heatherette/Zaldy. Drag chic was all the rage in 2005 thanks to Richie Rich, Traver Raines, and Zaldy. Zaldy, a onetime runway model in drag, helped Gwen Stefani launch the LAMB line at Fashion Week. Heatherette and tranny-muse Amanda Lepore, brought club-kid fashion to the pages of People and the local Nordstrom making it OK to show your inner freak in the Midwest.

4. RuPaul. Thanks to Jonno, RuPaul started blogging way before blogging was cool. This year Ru continued that project but also got her hands in the dirty porn business, directing for Michael Lucas. But it was her doll line that really caught our eye. Finally, a doll for little gay boys! Perfect for teaching Barbie how to walk the runway.

3. Paris is Burning. More than a decade and a half since its theatrical release Jennie Livingston's classic film finally saw the light of day on DVD in 2005. Giving a face to the Harlem ball scene of the 1980s, the film has kept its power intact. Heartbreaking and empowering, it remains a must see for any gay person, fabulous or not.

2. Transamerica. Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman plays a transsexual and receives a Golden Globe nod. The gays are all hailing Brokeback Mountain as the must-see gay film of the year. However, this little film deserves just as much attention. And Oscar may just take notice.

Our #1 drag queen of 2005 after the break!

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Last year when I interviewed supermodel of the world RuPaul the two of us decided that the greatest crime against gay America was the fact that Jennie Livingston's iconic 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning had never seen a proper dvd release. Miramax has finally come to their senses and releases the film today. Work it out Miss Thing!

The film chronicles the vogue balls and house wars of the late 80s club scene. Never sensationalizing its subjects, the documentary is poignant and captures the harsh realities of poverty, racism, homophobia, AIDS, and drug addiction. The truly remarkable thing about the film is just how much inspiration can be found in a cruel world. Although turning tricks and hungry, these girls turn it out in Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel and the imaginary world of fame, riches, and happiness seems closer than it ever has been. For during those moments on the runway, everything in the world is beautiful. Want proof? Watch the trailer

The film will be a revelation for those who have never seen it and a fun, moving trip through past memories for the many, like Ru and myself, who have been jonesing for its release on dvd. Most of the characters have now died, many from AIDS, but it is wonderful to know that their story lives on. The film is full of oneliners. Many of which were borrowed by RuPaul on the Supermodel record and by Madonna on Vogue. 10s, 10s, 10s, 10s across the board!