Over the last decade, New York City ballroom culture has increasingly appeared in mainstream media — you may have encountered this historically Black and Latinx queer art form on shows like Pose, Legendary, and yes, RuPaul’s Drag Race. But did you know that drag balls were held in the United States as early as the 19th century?

This week, writer, critic, artist, and activist Ricky Tucker shared with me a bit of the history that he tells in his book, And The Category Is…: Inside New York’s Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community.