Watching the film, I was surprised to see that a majority of the ball contestants/audience was African American. It's my perception that the black community is less accepting of homosexuality, which I would think would lead to less participation in gay culture.
Is it because the balls are more of an underground thing that these events are safe to be out? Was the film intended to cover the black drag experience specifically?
It's to do with gay people being minorities in society. In New York particularly, being black you're typically poor and throw in being gay you are considered the lowest of the low so these little communities form that can support one another and learn about the scene.
There is a differnce between the gay scene and the drag scene but they interwine very easily.
Just because homosexuality isn't readily accepted in the black community doesn't mean black people are going to stop being gay or transgendered. If you'll note, most of the participants (both black and Latin) were rejected by their families but they carried on anyway. They created houses and house "mothers" and "fathers" in an effort to create a support system which is basically a family. I think that's why most of them participated and still do. They have a support system and a family even if they're not blood relations that makes it a bit easier to be yourself.
And I don't think the balls being "underground" made it (or still do) any more "safe" for anyone. A few spoke about how it was (is) dangerous to be trasgendered or openly gay in mainstream society and how you had to watch what you did or how you presented yourself else you might get beat up or worse, killed. I think at some point, most people just don't give a damn about being accepted by the masses and decide to live their lives in a way that will make them happy.
I think there's also this great misconception that gay or transgendered people were never visible or "out" until recently. It's only recently that gay and transgendered people have begun fighting for basic civil rights. They've always been around and a few have even been open about their sexuality but, for the most part, were forced into the background or marginalized.