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Crystal made her indelible mark in the 1970s when she, in a bit of a public-relations move, hosted a ball by the "House of LaBeija." Put on with the assistance of Lottie LaBeija, that ball at Up the Downstairs Case in lower Harlem, was the first of its kind. The concept stuck almost immediately. LGBTQ youth began to align themselves with houses like LaBeija's, taking on the house name as their own in a show of allegiance as Lottie had done with Crystal though they weren't related by blood. Before long all of the balls were being put on by houses, effectively changing the entire ballroom scene. Quite a few of those houses got facetime in Paris Is Burning: House of Corey after Dorian Corey, House of Xtravaganza after Angie Xtravaganza, House of Ninja after Willi Ninja, and House of Pendavis after Avis Pendavis. These houses were not just "teams" for competition, they were familial support systems for those displaced after coming out.Frank Ocean's sampling of Crystal LaBeija says a lot. Sure, one could read into it for a messy subtext that could align with Crystal's full statement at the time—after saying "you deserve the best and life," she quips, "but you didn't deserve this." But to use such a specific clip nods to a recognition of his queer identity. LGBTQ visibility has long been linked to drag culture with their outsized presence in the Stonewall riots, but here Frank is aligning himself more specifically with ballroom culture, a source of pride, and for most unity amongst LGBTQ youth of color specifically.The move is a side-eye at any criticism about Ocean not "pulling his weight" for the LGBTQ community of color. With "Ambience," he pays direct homage to a figure integral to the nightlife culture of the LGBTQ community of color of which he is and has always been a part.Follow Mikelle Street on Twitter.The move is a side-eye at any criticism about Ocean not "pulling his weight" for the LGBTQ community of color.