Why pioneering queer drag documentary Paris Is Burning continues to inspire LGBTQI+ youth 30 years on

It’s 1987, the streets of New York City are pitch-black and still, but inside the packed venue of Paris Dupree’s annual ball, the world couldn’t be more different. Multicoloured lights illuminate a room crammed with dancing figures as synth-heavy 80s music pulsates. The dancers are clad in feathers, sequins, and outrageous make-up. Here, gender is subverted and rewritten.

A piece of Diyora’s mind: Video series

For the third instalment of the series, we’re hearing from Diyora Shadijanova, opinion and personal essays editor at gal-dem and freelance journalist for publications like Cosmopolitan and the Independent. She tells us about learning to grow confidence as a journalist, and her piece that got given a shout-out at a protest! 

Journalists’ tales of self-doubt and success

Everyone experiences self-doubt – or as it is often now known: imposter syndrome. The psychological condition affects 70 per cent of the population, and it isn’t limited to people entering a new profession or starting university – it can affect even the most seasoned of professionals. 

XCityPlus spoke to three journalists to find out about their experiences with imposter syndrome, and moments in which they overcame it.