The Diva Snap

Snapping, defined as the process of clicking your fingers together in an “ostentatious and often overtly attention-seeking manner,” is an iconic gesture of Black American gay subcultures of the 80s and 90s. Consisting of a series of grand movements that allow participants to communicate and attain “diva status,” snapping has been documented in documentaries like Paris is Burning and Snap Like a Diva. We’re partial to Marlon Riggs’ depiction of the diva snap in his iconic experimental video essay Tongues Untied.