Ovahness

Ovahness is a term from Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, the underground scene where performers "walk" in categories and are judged on looks, voguing, and presence. Spelled to reflect its pronunciation, it comes from the word "over," the idea being that a person or performance is so good it is over and above the competition. To be ovah, or to serve ovahness, is to be flawless, dominant, and beyond critique. Like much ballroom vocabulary, it spread outward through drag, Paris Is Burning, and shows like RuPaul's Drag Race into wider LGBTQ+ and pop culture, where it is used as high praise for a look, a runway, or a moment that leaves everyone else behind.