I'M YOUR VENUS - The Ballad of a Lost Star

I'm Your Venus is a powerful, deeply human exploration of the life, death, and legacy of Venus Xtravaganza one of the most unforgettable voices from the iconic documentary Paris Is Burning. More than three decades after her untimely and still-unsolved murder, Venus remains a symbol of both dazzling hope and haunting injustice within the LGBTQ+ community. Through ten intimate and meticulously researched chapters, this book traces Venus's journey from her early life as Thomas Pellagatti in Jersey City to her emergence as a proud trans woman in the electric heart of New York's underground ballroom scene. We delve into the House of Xtravaganza, where she found not only her chosen family but also her chosen name a name that came to embody resilience, glamour, and longing. With empathy and clarity, I'm Your Venus examines the broader cultural currents that shaped her world: trans identity in the 1980s, the ballroom movement's defiance and creativity, and the systemic neglect that led to her case going cold. The book exposes the painful realities of trans violence, legal erasure, and societal apathy, while also highlighting the fierce love and community that continue to preserve Venus's memory. Her voice lives on in every page in the high-heeled strides across ballroom floors, in the urgent cries for justice from a marginalized generation, and in the movement to reclaim her name, her story, and her dignity. If you believe in truth, justice, and the power of never letting go of those the world tried to forget read this book. Say her name. Share her story. Keep her light alive.