Nikes New Voguing Ad Has a Powerful Pride Month Message

If you know anything about the dance entertainment industry, then the name Leiomy Maldonado’s should ring a bell. Part of “Vogue Evolution, the trailblazing artist, Maldonado, was the first transgender woman to appear on “America’s Best Dance Crew,”. Her Signature hair flip, called “Leiomy Lolly“,  has inspired everyone from Beyoncé to Willow Smith to even your own teachers. (Smith even asked Maldonado to appear in the video for “Whip My Hair,” to show the world how to do the flip properly.)

In this new Nike ad that celebrates the queer and transgender dancers who form the heart of the voguing community, sets Maldonado at the forefront . It’s narrated by transgender artist Precious Angel Ramirez, and showcases Maldonado’s extraordinary skills, as well as those of several other dancers from the vogue scene.

“Hey Lei,” Ramirez asks, “which angels gave you their wings? Which skies have you flown? And when you reached the heavens, who was there to catch you when you fell? And did they tell you that you saved them too, like you saved me?”

It’s a beautiful message of self-acceptance, and it resonates especially powerfully during Pride Month.

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Connect with the following

IG | Leiomy Maldonado

IG | NIKE